There is nothing better than a baby to lift our spirits, unless it's TWO babies! Meet Francis and Gabriel who attended Mass with their parents, Ben and Emily, on Feast of the Epiphany. (Emily's parents, from the east coast, can be seen sitting in a pew near them.). Emily has discovered that the twins sleep peacefully while she's singing, so they have become part of the 10:30 choir. If Ben isn't carrying one of the boys, then Estrella or another choir member helps out.
The twins arrived on December 17th and are now healthy, curious three-month-old future ocean ecologists/conservationists like their parents. Ben, who is getting his PhD in ecology, and Emily both work for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
When asked how her participation in the choir strengthens her faith, Emily explained that she recognized the importance of having an active role in the Mass even when she was a child. She was an altar server till she reached high school, then in college, a lector and eucharistic minister. As she grew and traveled, attending Mass in various communities, someone would always tell her that she had a beautiful singing voice. It was a while before she realized that this is what God wanted for her. Now, with her early foundation in liturgical ministry, she feels she understands the Mass better and knows that singing is her gift to the community.
Emily and Ben were hoping to baptize their babies in the spring, but now those plans - along with other dreams of family coming to visit and helping out - have been put on hold. This is indeed a challenging time for new parents so far from family with no one else able to step in without exposing the household to potential illness. What can be done? Technology could provide an answer. Emily mentioned a "silver lining" that occurred yesterday when a good friend back east organized a prayer service on Zoom for twenty people. She and Ben saw old friends and their new babies, commiserated on the current reality, and caught up. She loved it!
Any ideas from parishioners reading this? Thank you for responding in the comment section....or just saying "hello" there to Ben, Emily, Francis and Gabriel. The next post will be a story about one of our oldest parishioners. Any guesses? It's someone you all know. Till then, enjoy more pictures of our favorite twin baby boys.
Francis (on the left) and Gabriel in formal attire.
