When we first sent Rdr. Evan to seminary, I said, “a healthy tree brings forth fruit” and that it nurtures its fruit and sends it out into the world in joy. The tree takes no thought for what it might receive in return for its fruit, but rather it nourishes, comforts, and shelters its fruit until the time of partition is at hand, and the fruit goes forth into the world bearing new life. And the mother tree is full of joy that her seed has gone into the world. She looks upon her work and rejoices.
Rdr. Evan and his family are our own. They are our fruit, in that they are converts of our parish. They are our fruit, in that we have baptized their children. They are our fruit, in that we have offered them to God for training toward priestly service. The time of full fruition and partition is near, but it is not yet at hand.
Therefore, it is our duty to continue to comfort and nourish them in this season. We nourish them in every liturgy with prayer. Many of us nourish them quietly in our prayer corners as well. But we must also be concerned about their material needs, as it is very difficult for a family in its prime to go three years without full-time “breadwinning.” So we need to provide consistent help.
To this end, it is the good pleasure of our parish council to announce a “Pentecost Appeal” to support the Ashmore family. The aim is to raise $5000 in the month of June, which is the cost of Evan’s fall tuition at St. Tikhon’s. This is a very important matter for us, as we are committed to the proposition that the Ashmore family ought not need to take any additional (post-undergraduate) student debt in order to enter into a life of service to the Church. To this point we have done an excellent job helping them pass through this time without debt, but we need to “keep up the good work” if we are going to get them through seminary debt-free.
There are a lot of really wonderful things going on in Evan’s life right now. He has done well enough in his first year of studies that he is likely in contention to be his class’s valedictorian. In August, he is going to be blessed to take a short-term mission trip to Nairobi, Kenya, and conversations about diaconal ordination have already begun. So please, help us support our parish son and his family. Donations can be given online or by check with the word “seminarian” in the memo line. Please pray fervently and give generously, and may God bless everyone who partners with the Ashmore family in this season of growth and preparation.
Thank you,
Fr. Ignatius
