This weekend we celebrated another wonderful family milestone. Our third child received the Most Holy Eucharist for the first time. With family, friends and a wonderful priest around us; we had a weekend to remember for a lifetime. On a weekend where I had tears fill my eyes as Kevin approached our priest, I just wanted to share one thought with you right now.

Father Mario, of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Alpharetta, is a very special priest. Last year it was this priest who rearranged his calendar to help my wife through the miscarriage with sacraments, and me with prayer. Father Mario, and several deacons, constantly encourages the altar service of my oldest son...and made a call for my second son to join him on the altar at the First Communion Mass. This wonderful priest also quietly will touch my arm every time I pass him, and asks how the new baby and my wife are doing. His homilies always have humor, yet never shy away from calling us out to increased holiness. He also does not shy away from answering tough questions on the homily from my three oldest children...and this happened twice this school year already!

I ask for each of you to pray for the ministry of this special man. He is doing God's work, and not shying away from the challenge of calling men out to join him on the journey.

God Bless you Father Mario!

-ehw

P.S. With so much craziness around us, I wanted to let you my friends know people do exist in this world who are making a difference to add souls to God's Kingdom. For so many of them, raising them up in prayer is the only thing we can do to help sustain them. While some may think this a trite thing to do, it actually can mean the difference in their sustaining their strength in their difficult job! If you agree share the sentiment along the way!