40 Days, 40 Churches

Day 40: Sacred Heart Parish, Manchester MA

Finally, the one church at least a few of you have seen in person back when the wife and I made it official. This was the fifth sacrament I've had administered at Sacred Heart, and unless I make a radical change in career and/or health status, the last one.

I was an altar boy here, went through Sunday school here (mostly, as a few years we had class at the instructor's house), and even worked here doing maintenance (let's just they got their money's worth from me cleaning up after bingo nights). For all that, I never felt like there was much of a parish community. Looking back I think there was one there, but not one that necessarily spoke to kids. And being in a parish now that has a school, the contrast is that much greater.

Still, it couldn't have been all bad. I've spent the last 40 days talking about churches, and I've not eaten meat on Fridays or bitten my nails (mostly) during the same period. None of that would have happened without Sacred Heart being in the picture.