Black Forest Fire (June 22-23, 2013); 'I was glad when they said to me . . . "
It is good to see everyone today; like so many others, I have longed to be together in the house of God, and together with God’s people. To the 37 families of Our Lady of the Pines who have lost homes, our hearts and hands go out to you this day. To the 18 families in OLP whose homes have been severely damaged in the Black Forest Fire, we are greatly saddened by your loss. For the two members of our community who lost their lives in this firestorm, we grieve and mourn. And for an area that lost 512 homes in only a few days, we are stunned and silent in the face of such devastation. And to those who have lost anything, we pledge to stand with you, and for you, in this your time of greatest need. For those who have known loss, it is good to be here; for those who have known the fear and uncertainty as a city--and even our nation--held its breath, and as we hoped and prayed for our survival, it is indeed good to be here. And to gather at Our Lady of the Pines, for 53 years a