Evan was diagnosed in 2018 with acute myeloid leukemia. He battled that illness courageously and in a manner that was deeply marked by his own personal faith in Jesus Christ. During his over two-year battle with leukemia, Evan so beautifully revealed his faith in God and his love of God that he not only inspired others, but by his example and personal holiness he affected many around him. Up to the moment of his passing, he lived as a young man of great prayer and great faith. Evan prayed with us and beautifully and joyfully lived and loved his faith from the time he was a child. I vividly remember how, shortly after making his First Holy Communion, at about age 8, he came stumbling into the sacristy one Saturday evening before Mass and said, “Fr. Mark, when can I be trained to be an altar server?” I replied, “Soon, Evan.” It took me longer to get to training the new servers than I desired; and he persisted in asking me. Looking back, I had no idea really who it was that had come into the sacristy asking to serve at God’s Altar. I had no idea how sacred the heart and mind of this child were, and how sacred his mind and heart were to remain for all eternity. It moves me to the core to think of him now at the Altar of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in Heaven.

He was, and is, a saintly young man. Those of us who had the privilege of knowing him marveled at him. When I was named the Pastor of Family 11, I prayed to Evan and asked him to help us and to intercede before God for the well-being of our new Community and for great growth in our new Mission.

I was deeply moved by the fact that, after the sorrowful event of the loss of St. Joseph’s Church in Lyndonville, that one of the good young people from that Church would be the first recipient of this Memorial Scholarship beyond Holley and Kendall. The grace of the Holy Spirit is powerful. And that grace and power are active in our ONE Catholic Family. We can only be grateful when any young person today seeks to know and follow Christ. Friends, let us pray and truly recommit ourselves to doing all we can to foster the growth of the faith among all the young in our new community here. Our willingness to help them grow in their faith can produce something far beyond what we even hope or imagine.

God bless you all this week,

Fr. Mark