Please let me start by saying "thank you!" I appreciate your reading, and your comments are always insightful and meaningful, @modernzorker! And I am happy that I can inspire you to comment and share!

No worries about the rambling - and you are very much correct, there are a good number of parishes that are suffering financial difficulties, and due to all of the reasons you listed. My father converted in the early '90's, and that was the biggest argument that he seemed to be facing at the moment - the talk of the money and the collection basket and all. Sad to see any organization reduced to such a thing, especially when given the right funds and the right leadership, almost any organization can do great works to help many people. Again, not to reduce the Church to a mere matter of funds.

I'm glad that, even though you are not a regular Church-goer, that you still hold true to your roots at the school. I am also very pleased that there is such a support system for students and alumni regarding the victims and the potential victims. That is the sort of thing that is needed to help with the healing and to prevent further atrocities. Your description of their care for their alumni and students, living and deceased, is incredible, and I am impressed. It is something that, God willing I am ordained, I will bring to my parish and make certain no one is ever forgotten.

I was talking with @blewitt at his shop the other day, and at his prompting I ported this article over, because we were talking about warring fandoms, and the societal idea that nerd stuff and sports are mutually exclusive - looks like @blewitt cannot have ESPN on in his shop, since he is a colossal nerd.

Again, thanks for reading and commenting!