September 2021
Dear Companion of St. Anthony:
Peace and all good. As I have been watching many “Back to School” commercials and passing many children waiting for their school bus to pick them up I am reminded of the phrase from the book All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum. Actually, the sixteen items that he lists miss two most important statements. I am thinking about the two phrases – say “please” and “thank you.”
I would hope that most of us learned these two phrases long before we got into kindergarten. These were probably taught to us by our parents and reinforced throughout our childhood. Saying please is essential to good behavior and interpersonal dialog. Besides learning this “magic word” as it has been called it is also vitally important to say thank you!
As we head back into a new school year and so many beginnings, I just want to continue to say thank you for your support of our Shrine ministry. Your help allows us co further the Franciscan charism and to, through the prayers of St. Anthony, reach out to the many who are lost. After these recent weeks of ending a war in Afghanistan, the aftermath of a hurricane in the south, wildfires in the west we are grateful that we have not lost our faith in a God who will continue to provide in unexpected ways.
Your continued support, prayerfully and financially, allows us to move forward in our mission to minister faithfully to the people of God. We are here because of our good God and because of you. Thank you for giving us this privilege.
In Christ and St. Anthony,
Fr. Richard-Jacob Forcier, OFM Conv.
Spiritual Guardian, Companions of St. Anthony
Director and Rector, Shrine of St. Anthony
