“Why can’t we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together?  I guess that wouldn’t work.  Someone would leave.  Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say goodby.  I hate goodbyes.  I know what I need.  I need more hellos.”  Charles Schulz

Nobody likes goodbyes; neither those who have to say it nor those who are to hear it.  Yet as Henry Thoreau said, “Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.”  In the Gospel, we see Jesus lifting up a prayer of thanks to His Father.  He was filled with many blessings.  One of the blessings he was grateful for were people.  He was always surrounded by people.  His joy was to see them grow, blossom and reach fullness.  He even notices little children being touched and spoken to by God.  Jesus thanks the Father for them.  People were to Him precious gifts therefore He nourished fed, healed, and cared about them.  At the end of His life none was beside Him.  Not just because they deserted Him but because He did not keep His friends for Himself.  He longed to share the gifts of His friends with others.  He always sent them forth to go to other people, other regions, and other nations.

It is truly a blessing to have friends, but it is more blessed to share them with others.  Although we are sad to see Mrs. Dwyer leave us, we want to offer her as a gift of ours to children of another country, to our brothers and sisters in the human family; we want to offer her to love, help, and serve God’s children in newer ways and newer places.  We would be selfish to want to keep her for ourselves forever.  We are grateful for the wonderful gifts she has shared with students, faculty, families, and the parish community during the last twenty years.  Saying goodbye makes us sad but knowing how she will continue to enrich the world with her person and her talents makes us joyful and proud.  To the many words of farewell, gratitude, and blessings from the school, I want to say on behalf of the parish, the priests, the staff and people, thank you, Mrs. Dwyer, happy voyage, God bless you and till we meet again.

I want to conclude with an Irish blessing:

May you always have work for your hands to do.

May your pockets hold always a coin or two.

May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.

May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near you

An may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.