This Sunday is the Day of Families. It follows on the heels of Mother’s Day in recognition of a mother’s nurturing of the family! It’s frequently observed that the family in America is in serious trouble. The last 60 years have seen the breakup of half of all marriages. That number still holds but does not reflect the breakup of non-marriage relationships with children which basically goes unmeasured. We also see the distressing conditions of our inner cities. Occasionally some brave soul will point out the condition of families in these communities, of which the common factor is the absence of fathers in the home, which results in young boys growing up without good male role models. But this is not the only absence. Our busy, activity bloated family lives have also resulted in family members not being “present.” Yes, maybe physically but absence in emotional, spiritual, and common-sense communication between parents and children. But there is hope. It’s strange how something as difficult as the pandemic can also bring with it some positives. The confinement resulted in a lot of one-on-one time in households. It also resulted in parents observing and being involved with the school education via the internet. I think it’s accurate to say parents are more engaged in being parents. This has also spilled over into the spiritual faith lives of our families. At St. Libory’s there is definitely an upturn in children attending. It’s downright noisy during Mass. (I love it!) Parents I applaud you! Keep up the good example. You will reap great blessing as a result! Yours in Christ our Lord, Fr. Sid.