But the pandemic goes on.
In 1961, one year before the end of the Algerian War for Independence, Frantz Fanon began an essay describing the effects of the war with the phrase, “But the war goes on.” Although his situation was very different from our present one, this strange beginning seems appropriate given that we too are still in the midst of a crisis that seemingly will not end.
But the pandemic goes on. We live in the enormous shadow of that contradiction. It is always there, ready to counter even our best thoughts with that small and terrible “but.” For many of us, what we hoped would be a welcome transition to fall has only brought more busyness and worry. Fall brings some of our favorite traditions and holidays with friends and family, and we are disappointed that we cannot have those in the way we want this year. That is something we know, and, although it doesn’t feel like much consolation, we’re trying to embrace these “known unknowns.” There is so much we don’t and can’t know yet, but we are still planning for the future in the ways we can and moving forward in faith together, as our pledge drive theme states.
In September, the Vestry met on that strangest of Tuesdays when Eugene was soaked in orange wildfire smoke. Despite being battered with yet-another disaster, the Vestry came together to continue our usual business, even as we prayed for those who were affected by the fires, ready with packed bags, afraid, and/or saddened by the destruction. On that Tuesday, Holly Cabell came to inform us about the current state of the Egan Warming Center program administered by St. Vincent de Paul. Holly has long been the coordinator of Egan at St. Mary’s, and she is retiring now from her service with this ministry. We want to thank her, deeply, for contributing so much of her time and enthusiasm to this much-needed ministry. We also send a big thank you to all those who volunteered for Egan at St. Mary’s. Egan will still be operating this year, but it will be different. To meet COVID safety protocols, they will primarily be using larger civic spaces instead of church buildings, and St. Mary’s building will not be used this season. There will be more information for parishioners who would still like to volunteer with Egan at other sites.
John Pfanner also visited us in September to talk about the (then-upcoming) pledge drive, and he returned in October along with Laurie Strother and Karen Johnson from the Pledge Committee. Due to the various financial difficulties created by COVID these past months, we are not pushing for an increase in our overall pledged budget, but rather we hope to stay firm. We know that some who’ve pledged in previous years won’t be able to give as much but also that some will be able to increase to make up the difference. We want to thank John and the committee for their adaptability and dedication to doing the pledge drive differently this year. We are grateful to Louise and Lana for their excellent work preparing and distributing the pledge packets. Of course, we want to thank all of you who support our wonderful community through your pledges!
The Vestry is still working on updating the ventilation system and it is proving to be a bigger project than we anticipated. It is also turning out to be more important than we expected, as St. Mary’s already had an outdated system, and now we know that good air circulation is crucial in lowering the risk of virus transmission in indoor spaces. We are waiting on more information and we will keep you updated as the project progresses.
In this difficult season, we still have much to be thankful for: in-person worship in the courtyard is going on and going well. Thank you to Sharon for coordinating volunteers for those services. Our normal fall programs like Sunday school, Adult Education, and the Cherub, Youth, and Liturgical choirs have started up again. We’ve had more things to offer in the video services and more participants. We are still connecting, finding new ways to connect, learning new skills, and discovering creative solutions. Thank you to all those who have and continue to rise to the challenges!
We send a BIG thank you to Bingham for leading our community with wisdom, patience, and fearless enthusiasm. Bingham, your selfless investment in creating and maintaining connection during this time has revealed - even more than we already knew - how blessed beyond measure each and every one of us is to have you caring for us at St. Mary’s. In a stark contrast to the large-scale misinformation, dishonesty, and cruelty we see playing out on national and global levels, your sincere and trustworthy leadership has been a source of comfort and inspiration. We truly cannot thank you enough!
We also have a new sign on the corner of Pearl and 13th. We thank Peter Knight-Sheen of Fast Signs for helping us with the improvements. Pass by and check it out! When you do, smile and think about how even something as simple as a new sign shows that we are moving forward, together.
Even when every aspect of our lives can be colored with that contradiction, but the pandemic goes on, we must remember that God is still moving in our lives and in the world. We are actually moving forward in faith, together. Just as the unending Algerian War did end and Fanon was forever changed, so our crisis will eventually be over. What sort of people will we be then? God is leading us to embrace this transformation into our future selves right now, and even though sometimes it’s hard and we feel worn out, our community is proof that we are becoming stronger and more resilient people of faith.
The pandemic goes on and so do we.
