Our Lady’s Church

Sunny, high of 33 deg F with expected low to be 23 deg F. Today was truly a day of rest. The only noteworthy accomplishments were going to Brooklyn’s basketball and our plan to attend Mass at 5 pm. Parker went to the game and we joined a host of family and friends who came to watch her. The team won 16-2 and Brook scored 8 of the points. Before the game, we stopped at this nearby church to continue my plan to highlight the Catholic Churches in St. Mary’s County. Since Maryland was settled in 1634, this was one of the early parishes to be established. We are more familiar with the pastor than the parishioners. Fr. John Nguyen and his brother, Fr. Paul Nguyen are Vietnamese refugees who have an unbelievable story of how they escaped, were separated and reunited as children. They are pastors of neighboring parishes. I highlighted St. George Church last year. Both men are warm, compassionate and so integrated in the life of their parishes. I found this info about St. Mary’s Church, that was written by an old friend, at the parish website. “Maryland colonial records provide clues that, in the early 1650s, an early Catholic Chapel was located on the south side of Breton Bay. However, by the 1660s, this “chaple” had been replaced by one on the north side of Breton Bay. In about 1817, a new brick structure replaced the original structure. Major repairs to this structure were done in 1831. In 1910, it became necessary to replace the old brick building and the structure was replaced by the current one.” - Peter Himmelheber, historian. Since my aching legs kept me awake last night, I slept for much of the afternoon. Hubby tinkered with our outside cameras and his computer. We will be leaving for Mass soon. Dinner is cooked so we’ll continue our R&R day when we return. Sure hope your Saturday was just as calm. Thanks for dropping by. Glad you liked the tractor. “I think a good pastor is somebody who is honest and humble and has a really caring heart.” - Robert H. Schuller