Dear Community of Saint Joseph’s;

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for supporting our 15^th Annual Golf Tournament “The Good the Bad and the Golfers.”  The Golf Tournament funds our ministries as well as enabling us to maintain our church and grounds.  So for all of you who sacrificed to make the day a great success, please accept my sincere gratitude.

As you know our dear friend and mentor Sister Marie Wiedner died. We celebrated a memorial Mass at Saint Joseph’s on Thursday September 10.  On that occasion I read from a eulogy Father Patrick Dooling wrote regarding his impressions of Sister Marie.  I thought you might be interested in reading that document and I reproduce it for you here.

Eternal rest grant unto her Oh Lord~

And may perpetual light shine upon her~

Father Matt Pennington

Pastor

Sister Marie and I worked together for several years during our time at St Joseph's in Capitola.  Having seen pastors come and go, Marie's scrutiny was gentle but firm.  She really cared about the people in this parish and they cared about her: she definitely wanted someone she could work with and I think I filled the bill.  Marie's work in the RCIA was thorough and wholehearted.  I used to love coming in and taking a class on occasion because she always managed to assemble a good community of inquirers and catechumens.

Both Marie and I have a great devotion to the Word, not only from the ambo but in print.  She was continually discouraged by what she regarded as the too-parochial treatment of Catholic news in our diocesan paper.  [It was dropped eventually so she wasn't the only one--!]  I recall once asking her to preach on the feast of St Dominic and she responded with alacrity: one could see how proud she was to be a follower of Dominic, Catherine, and all the other Preachers.  Her presence at daily Mass and many funeral celebrations was a consolation for me and, I suspect, many others.

Something that deepened in Marie's life as we kept working together was her emotional sensitivity.  Coming from generations of Irish criers it was not unusual for me to weep whenever I was happy or sad.  She choked up on more and more occasions, so strong were her feelings. 

With Tom McNamara, a member of the parish and RCIA staff, Sister Marie presented a wildly popular series on the Second Vatican Council...again and again and again.  She really saw the possibilities of the Church and happily worked on this series of tapes and discussions. 

One last thing: after several months of rest following an aortic valve transplant [at Dominican in Santa Cruz, I might add], I was back in Capitola for awhile and met her in the office.  She said she had gotten some bad news vis a vis her heart.  I asked her if she wanted to live.  [In the midst of my heart event, the possibility of going home to God was distinctly attractive...]  Marie looked at me in shock, laughed and said "YES!"  Well, guess what?  Marie got her wish last week in a way she never suspected.  Her love of life and Him who is our way, our truth & our life will be [as Isaiah says this past weekend] her vindication and her recompense.  He has done all things well and will take Sister Marie Wiedner home.  Consolation and peace to her natural and Religious families as well innumerable friends! 

Father Patrick Dooling

	Dear Community of Saint Joseph’s;   I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for supporting our 15th Annual Golf Tournament “The Good the Bad and the Golfers.”  The Golf Tournament funds our ministries as well as enabling us to maintain our church and grounds.  So for all of you who sacrificed to make the day a great success, please accept my sincere gratitude.   As you know our dear friend and mentor Sister Marie Wiedner died. We celebrated a memorial Mass at Saint Joseph’s on Thursday September 10.  On that occasion I read from a eulogy Father Patrick Dooling wrote regarding his impressions of Sister Marie.  I thought you might be interested in reading that document and I reproduce it for you here.   Eternal rest grant unto her Oh Lord~ And may perpetual light shine upon her~       Father Matt Pennington Pastor
		Sister Marie and I worked together for several years during our time at St Joseph's in Capitola.  Having seen pastors come and go, Marie's scrutiny was gentle but firm.  She really cared about the people in this parish and they cared about her: she definitely wanted someone she could work with and I think I filled the bill.  Marie's work in the RCIA was thorough and wholehearted.  I used to love coming in and taking a class on occasion because she always managed to assemble a good community of inquirers and catechumens.   Both Marie and I have a great devotion to the Word, not only from the ambo but in print.  She was continually discouraged by what she regarded as the too-parochial treatment of Catholic news in our diocesan paper.  [It was dropped eventually so she wasn't the only one--!]  I recall once asking her to preach on the feast of St Dominic and she responded with alacrity: one could see how proud she was to be a follower of Dominic, Catherine, and all the other Preachers.  Her presence at daily Mass and many funeral celebrations was a consolation for me and, I suspect, many others.   Something that deepened in Marie's life as we kept working together was her emotional sensitivity.  Coming from generations of Irish criers it was not unusual for me to weep whenever I was happy or sad.  She choked up on more and more occasions, so strong were her feelings.    With Tom McNamara, a member of the parish and RCIA staff, Sister Marie presented a wildly popular series on the Second Vatican Council...again and again and again.  She really saw the possibilities of the Church and happily worked on this series of tapes and discussions.    One last thing: after several months of rest following an aortic valve transplant [at Dominican in Santa Cruz, I might add], I was back in Capitola for awhile and met her in the office.  She said she had gotten some bad news vis a vis her heart.  I asked her if she wanted to live.  [In the midst of my heart event, the possibility of going home to God was distinctly attractive...]  Marie looked at me in shock, laughed and said "YES!"  Well, guess what?  Marie got her wish last week in a way she never suspected.  Her love of life and Him who is our way, our truth & our life will be [as Isaiah says this past weekend] her vindication and her recompense.  He has done all things well and will take Sister Marie Wiedner home.  Consolation and peace to her natural and Religious families as well innumerable friends!    Father Patrick Dooling