I need to go home.........

WARNING: This may be a long one full of rambling emotion....

I found out today that my "family" church in Williamsport PA, St Mary's, will be closing sometime this coming summer. It makes me immeasurably sad. This church has been attended by my family for generations back through the 1800's.

I was born in the neighborhood, only two blocks from the church, on Wilson Street. The red door has a plaque on it in memory of my Great Grandmother Nellie Switzer who died March 13,1988 at the age of 98. I used to always tell her "Gram I want you to live to be 100" she would laugh and say "Why in the world do I want to be 100?". She was an awesome, amazing woman. Not even in ill health until about age 95 or so. I aspire to be just like her and I DO want to live to be 100+. I'm selfish like that heh heh...

Back to St Mary's it is a small church. The parsonage was sold several years ago because it was difficult to secure a full-time priest so one was shared with Christ Episcopal Church and St Ann's. Two other city churches in the diocese and it seemed to work just fine. The pew that my family always sat in still bore the gnaw marks of us bored children the last time one of us were in the church (we always check).

I spent many an afternoon in the church kitchen where there were doughnuts frying and sausage sandwiches being made for one fund-raiser or another. My Uncle Larry is on the Vestry and always right in the thick of things. He lives down the alley from the church and he is very grieved over the pending closing.

The last time I was there was for my beloved Aunt Paulette's funeral in May 2003. My sisters and I drove all night to get there. Paulette's funeral was on my sister "B's birthday and after the funeral everyone gathered in the Church Hall for a meal (as is the tradition for all neighborhood funerals) and "B" was HORRIFIED when our other sister "K" stood up and announced her birthday and everyone sang Happy Birthday. She did not think it "proper" to sing Happy Birthday after such a sad occasion but heck Aunt Paulette would have laughed about it and did it to her too!

I want to have Madison christened there. I realize this is something I should have had done years ago but she has hated riding in the car and riding in her carseat up until recently so now time is drawing short. I need to get home and attend services at St Mary's. Have my baby girl baptized at my church where generations of us have been baptized and I need to see my beloved Aunt Barb before it is too late.