According to the meteorologist, Spring has started. It's always feels like deceitful propaganda in Chicago because the date for Spring to start is a certain recipe for winter weather taking over. Such was the case this past week as we lived under the alarm of a Winter Storm Watch (that never arrived). It mirrors our collective experience that purported changes sometimes take a while to set in. 

In a conversation this past week, a parishioner asked me about Saint Paul. "What exactly happened to him? What was his conversion like?" If we read the Bible, there are three separate accounts of his conversion. Two that are somewhat fantastical (told by Saint Luke in Acts of the Apostles) and another written by Paul himself which is more subtle. In a Hollywood movie, Paul's account would be less interesting to produce. We tend to tell the story with the sudden heavenly appearance of Jesus when it comes to Paul's conversion.

It is easy to understand why we gravitate toward the stories with flare. It's like declaring a start date to Spring. It fits in tidy with our overall vision of the world, but things are never really neat nor tidy. It is often when we look back on things that we truncate the story into something more cohesive so we can better elevate it's importance. The slow glug of reality is far too mundane to tell in story form.  

I feel like that's what is also happening with the Apostles in this weekend's Gospel presentation of Jesus' Transfiguration. On a Hollywood set, it would be amazing. Lights, smoke, clouds, majestic figures rising to the side of Jesus in a glorious array of special effects. For Peter, James, and John, I'm sure as they looked back on their life, the description fit. Through the lens of old-age, it must have seemed as if there was a glimpse of a memory, a magical moment, when everything became clear. They looked at Jesus and they saw him differently. 

I love a good story and the Transfiguration is one of the better ones. As I often teach in our Religious Education programs, every story in the Bible is true, some of them are based on facts. 

I just wonder if the facts, in this case, also reveal something to us. Just as with Saint Paul's conversions, the Transfiguration, it probably wasn't just a sudden event. Something happened, over the course of a few weeks, maybe a few months, and Peter, James, and John came to see Jesus differently.

What I think the distinction does for us as disciples of Jesus is that it gives us permission to experience Jesus today in our own, very human way. There are moments in my life that when I look back, there is no other explanation for me than to say it was divine revelation. But living through the moment was less of a flash of light and more of a few weeks of drudgery with the occasional flickering moments of hope that now get woven together in my memory as a much more elevated experience. 

I can't dismiss that God will choose to work in your life through a sudden flash of light, but if he doesn't and that flash of light is just the reflection you find when looking back, it's OK to rejoice! Your own personal transfiguration, the one in which you came to see, know, and love Jesus slowly, over the course of time, is just as real. 

It's somewhat like the flow of the seasons. Sure! It's now... Spring? But you'll only know that a few months from now as you look back. As you live through this moment, you may only be able to rest with the confidence that it says it is Spring on the calendar, but we have to live through the transition of winter's grueling résistance until Spring is truly alive in our hearts. 

Dear Friend of Saint Andrew,

As we approach our annual Wearin’ the Green fundraiser, which includes the Fund-A-Need for the Ackermann Playlot, I would like to give you an update on the status of that project, as well as an update on two tangential projects.

Last month, four contractors submitted bids on the project. The lowest bid came in at $360,000 for the entire project, minus the removal of the underground storage tank, which is being funded with parish savings. The Facilities and Construction Committee (FCC) though has been analyzing ways we might be able to lower the total cost, hopefully to around $336,000.

But, while we have yet to settle on the total cost with a contractor, we have gone forward with one of the most important elements of the Ackermann Playlot. We have made a down payment and signed a contract with a manufacturer for the playground equipment that will be the centerpiece of the project. That is to say, we are committed to making this project a reality!

The FCC has also been working on getting 2 new boilers for the church and rectory, which were one of the designated projects of the Enrich, Expand, Grow Capital Campaign. By decentralizing our heating system and providing the church and rectory with its boilers, the hope was that the reduced strain on the school boilers would extend their life expectancy a few years. Upon further reflection, it doesn’t make sense not to be more proactive with the school boilers. We hope to at the very least purchase 2 additional boilers for the school, and deposit them in the school basement for installation at a later time, as funds become available.

This would require creating a temporary hole in the school building. Since the construction of the playlot will involve substantial excavation, we hope to save some money by depositing those boilers in the school basement while the playlot is under construction. We are still waiting for final numbers on the cost for the school boilers, but if everything works out, we should be able to use the remaining funds from the Capital Campaign to fund the new boilers for the school. If the estimate for the installation of the 2 new boilers for the school falls within our budget, then we would also be able to install them this year.  If everything were to work out, instead of having only 2 buildings with new and more efficient heating, as originally planned, we would have all four buildings covered, without any additional fundraising!

The completion of the Ackermann Playlot in time for the start of next school year is the overarching goal by which all decisions on these projects are being made.

This is a very exciting time for our community. The playlot will be a visually impactful addition to our campus. This addition will integrate with the school’s programing, thus enticing prospective school families to join our community. And whenever our children play on the equipment, which will be in the shaped of a boat in honor of our patron, Saint Andrew, they will be reminded that he was a fisherman before Jesus invited him to follow him.

Last year, when we envisioned the Ackermann Playlot project we knew that we would have to raise the necessary funds over two years. Donations have continued to come in past last years Wearin’ the Green and thus far we have raised $133,545! Now that we are in our second year, we need your help to make this new addition to our community a reality. Please help us reach our goal by donating to the Fund-A-Need, either at Wearin’ the Green or online at www.standrew.org/playlot.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Sergio Romo

Pastor

Basketball has come to a close for the 22/23 school year.  Our young athletes have continued to make us proud as they have demonstrated the Saint Andrew Spirit through their determination and sportsmanship.  A special congratulations to our 8th grade girls, who won the CCYL championship at St. Ignatius last weekend. 

Do you have a friend or neighbor that is considering applying to the best school in Chicago? Sign up for a tour here: schedule a tour New student applications for the 23-24 school year are now open! Existing families, do not forget to register your new preschoolers.  Applications are now being accepted.     23-24  SAS Application