4/14/23 - Friday Forget-Me-Nots by Jim Silcott

Photo Caption: OLP Alumna Ami Sicuro '90, author and illustrator visited our school this week!

Dear Our Lady of Peace Family,

I arrived at 8:45 Mass early on Easter Sunday, knowing that it would be a full house. By the time the liturgy began it was standing room only along the backs of the walls as well as in the gathering space.

It was as fine an Easter morning as I can remember with the temperature in perfect spring-like mode and the sun shining. After a chilly, rainy, and very windy beginning to the season it was nice to celebrate the Resurrection with a day like this.

When I had entered the church before Mass, Father Dooley had greeted me and told me how tired he was. Holy Week to a priest is like tax season to an accountant. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the beautiful but long Easter vigil Mass and two liturgies on Sunday can be taxing on the clergy even one as young as our Father Dooley. He later told the congregation that he was operating that morning on two hours sleep. If he had not told on himself, we wouldn’t have known it. He was full of the spirit of Easter that day, and along with Julie Cottrill and her beautiful music, Deacon Jeffrey and his always well proclaimed Gospel, it was a very spiritually satisfying Easter morning Mass.

I have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. Our Father Dooley has gotten stronger each year he has delivered his homilies. It is clearly evident that he listens to the Word of God and preaches it in a way that is relatable to our congregation. I know how hard he works on preparing his Sunday message. His hard work combined with the message of the readings for the day and an enthusiasm for our faith makes our Father Dooley at the top of the homilists I have heard over many years at Sunday services.

It was so clear to me sitting in our packed church on Easter Sunday morning, that God is truly present to us and that He has a plan for Our Lady of Peace that will enrich the lives of our parishioners and help to move the building of His Kingdom one step closer to fruition. It is so exciting to be a member of this parish as well as the principal of our parish school. It’s like being on an athletic team during a great winning streak. We are one with God and we are one in working for God. And we are incredibly blessed to have our Father Dooley as our pastor, our leader, our coach.



My spirit rose last Easter Sunday morning and renewed my determination to do my part in proclaiming the Good News to all I meet. May we continue to pray for Our Lady of Peace Parish and our pastor, Father Dooley, as we serve as a beacon of God’s love to our community!

Jim Silcott