In keeping with the tradition at the Knight Cancer Center at Good Samaritan Hospital, Fr. Mark got to “ring himself out” at the clinic today. The staff at the clinic has a Captain’s Bell and all patients get to ring it as they mark their final radiation/chemo treatment. Six weeks of therapy came to a conclusion today and now Fr. Mark gets to look ahead to a long-awaited surgery.
In keeping with the tradition of loving care, which has always been a hallmark of Holy Cross and North Portland parishes, we gathered in the church parking lot today and gave Fr. Mark a fitting “send off” with bells of our own to his final appointment. Fr. Mark reports that he cried about half the way to the hospital and he is both touched by and grateful for the “hope in action” that he witnessed today. He requests, however, that we not drop him from our prayer lists just yet!
In Exodus 28, the ringing of bells is mentioned as a sign of life. Let us celebrate that we are alive in Christ Jesus and that we are all loved and accepted by God. Praise God for the peel of good news!
