On this date, Jesuits mark many sorts of beginnings. For many Jesuits, August 15 was the date on which they pronounced first vows. For some, it was the day they entered the Society. For others, this date serves as the start of the work year, when matters “gear up” for another year. So it is for me. We all look to this date not only as a watershed during the year, but most importantly as a major feast for the Church and for the Society of Jesus: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. It is the beginning of her life eternal, a gift which foreshadows the life we will all possess. It is in the context of this life eternal that I share with you the news of my father’s passing last month. In fact, on the morning of my own birthday, July 17, my dad – Joseph P. Fairbanks, III – was received by the Lord into his loving arms, receiving his greatest reward. In faith, I know that his soul dwells in the presence of God; his body, as yet, remains in the ground in St. Stephen’s Cemetery in God bless you, Dad.
Love, Pat
