Mary Alice Pratt

Funeral Homily
by Fr. John Rausch

Today I conducted a tour for two seminarians from L.A.  We toured MTR, then went to Sarah’s Place, a safe facility for women to learn social and marketable skills.

At Sarah’s Place, Sr. Sally Neale said she and Sr. Maritia established the women’s empowerment center because they read about reflection centers in “This Land is Home to Me.”  On the table in the room of rockers, lay a pictorial edition of the pastoral which I think came from U. Dayton.

Next, Sr. Kathleen Weigand, a former CAP volunteer and now a member of CCA, after her tour of MTR for the seminarians, asked that I get her 20 copies of the Pastoral Letters.  Again, Mt. Tabor Benedictine Monastery credits its founding to the first pastoral letter.

Finally, the LA seminarians spent the day with me as I introduced them to local and church people of ministry.  Their evaluation: see less of diocesan programs and more of Fr. John.  Point: As I live out my ministry, I reflect the pastorals mandate of “closeness to the people.”

The pastorals still live.

Your brother,
John

Welcome to Catholic Committee of Appalachia’s first blog post!  We’re really excited to finally have our new website and blog up and running to stay in touch with you.  Here, you’ll be able to keep up with the latest news and also share your own thoughts with us.  Feel free to make comments after each of our posts, or send in your own articles, reflections, memories to cca@ccappal.org to be posted.  We look forward to hearing from you!