AS “THE WALMART MASS” DRAWS TO A CLOSE...
Next Sunday, June 27th, we say goodbye to the outdoor, drive-in Mass or “The Walmart Mass.” On May 3, 2020, this Mass was instituted as a response to the shuttering of church doors in the wake of COVID-19. Many helped get it off the ground and responded to calls for assistance with an immediate ’yes’. About a dozen individuals hung around for the majority of the 60 weeks and became ‘The Crew’: Rolli Galloza, José Galloza, John Testa, Andrew MacDonald, Jeff Billeter, Keith VanFleet, Séamus Flaherty, Linden Klein, Chuck Wildey, mj Wildey, and Eileen Vandenberg. Read on for one parishioner’s take on the particular role our men served in the endeavor.
To the Nine O’Clock Crew…
In recent years, it seems as though a new group has been added to the endangered species list: Good Male Role Models (GMRMs.) We’ve heard about them in myths and legends, and perhaps they once roamed the earth in good number. But as of late, they’ve been hard to come by.
Except here.
Apparently, Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a kind of dwelling place for GMRMs to gather...it’s become something of a wildlife preserve, if you will. Here, they can be seen in what seems to be their natural habitat: packing and unloading pickup trucks; directing traffic with large hand gestures and high fives; donned in bright orange vestments... a sure sign of authority; smiling, laughing, occasionally grunting; and of course, collecting donations.
They are very good at blending in. They could easily be mistaken for Average Joes. But there are subtle behaviors that set them apart and give them away. If you observe them carefully, you will notice how each of these GMRMs bow their head in prayer. You’ll notice how faithfully these men show up -- same time, every time -- now for over 56 Sundays in a row. You’ll see them light up at the opportunity to help and to guide the visitors at Mass. You’ll be the happy recipient of whatever problem they’ve decided to solve that week: too much wind for Fr. Daniel, too much rain for Fr. Daniel, too much sun for Fr. Daniel. Yes, here in this concrete paradise between Heaven and IHOP, it seems that this species of Good Males Role Models is thriving. And I’m starting to wonder if the rest of the world is going to catch on.
All kidding aside, what these men are doing is invaluable. Recent studies have shown that it is the spiritual lives of men that are the best indicators of the future spiritual lives of children. Our youngest generation is in need of good and holy men to ask questions of, to learn from, to admire, and to emulate. And when my sons see the Nine O’Clock Crew kneeling on the concrete floor of the Walmart parking lot, out in the open air, to worship Jesus Christ as Lord, I know that they are internalizing something about reverence that I as their mother could never teach them.
I will forever be grateful for what the Nine O’Clock Crew has taught my sons about manhood. You are changing the world, one mass at a time. You are one of the many reasons I choose OLMC.
Sincerely, A Grateful Mom