May 1st turned out to be quite a full day! Early in the morning I attended the breakfast and opening ceremonies of the Greater Salt Lake Boy Scout Council’s Scout-a-Rama. This is the centennial year of the scouts so the event had even more significance than usual. I am deeply impressed with the scouting programs here in Utah. There is a real energy and vitality that drives the leaders and the scouts themselves. I am grateful to Father Jim Blaine, Ms. Pam Grant and Mr. Donald Ellefsen for all they do in promoting and facilitating the scouting program in our diocese.
After the scouting event, I attended the Dignity Rally at the Mexican Civic Center in Salt Lake City. The rally underscored the fact that our immigrants are people of dignity who are hard-working individuals seeking to become contributing members of our society. We acknowledge the problems with our immigration system and because of our respect of the law, seek to achieve immigration reform so that the laws will be able to serve both our country and the immigrants. Immigration reform would blend enforcement policies with generous humane provisions that would keep families together, provide a path for earned citizenship and accommodate those who wish to work in our country only temporarily. These are only some of the provisions we would seek. Those who wish may go online to www.usccb.org and click on immigration. You will find quite a lot of material, including important church teaching on the matter. Also, you will find the Justice for Immigrants program a big help as well.
Next on the schedule was the annual Knights of Columbus State meeting in Provo. This weekend meeting gives the delegates from around the state an opportunity to tend to business and also to deepen the bonds that unite the knights as the fine Catholic organization that they are. Mr. Chuck Dover is the current State Deputy and he runs a great meeting! He invited me to speak and then, with great courtesy, informed me when my time was up! I am grateful to Chuck for his leadership and to all the Knights for their signal service in our diocese.
Finally, to cap off the day, I attended the Madeleine Choir School’s dinner auction at the Salt Palace. This well organized event raised a good deal of money for our marvelous school and was the result of a lot of hard work and organization. I am grateful to Mr. Gregory Glenn, pastoral administrator, and Mrs. Tina McGill, principal, for their leadership. The event organizers did a great job and my hat is off to all who worked so hard. It was a most enjoyable evening in every way and the camaraderie was exemplary.
May was off to a great, if not busy, start!
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