<html><head></head><body><div class="ydp79c42e0ayahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div id="ydp79c42e0ayiv5055926236"><div><div style="font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;" class="ydp79c42e0ayiv5055926236ydpeb15ed29yahoo-style-wrap"><div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size:13px;">Dear Brian,</div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size:13px;"><br clear="none"></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size:13px;">I have seen Mary Lou. She is a GOOOD Lady. I went down the day following your asking for people to see her. I hope for <b><font color="#fdef2b" style="background-color:rgb(205, 35, 44);">both</font></b> of you. She and you are GOOD People. With her, I was able to have a visit with out all of the "fufforie" that we "SOMETIMES" have at the regular Mass. (Although now, it is also limited by having it on the "ZOOM" - as I cannot always do <b>it</b> all that well, but I digress!!!) </div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size:13px;"><br clear="none"></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size:13px;">WE had<font color="#cd232c" style="background-color:rgb(253, 248, 105);"><b> <font size="5">REAL</font> </b></font>VISIT!!!!!!! We spoke about MANY things. Please don't give up hope for your relationship - she is fighting, with tooth and NAIL - and she WILL <b>succeed</b>. (Not as "MOST" of us would like, but she will succeed. She has GOD on her side.)<br clear="none"></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size:13px;"><br clear="none"></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:13px;">It must be <b>very hard</b> for you, knowing <i style="font-weight:bold;">you. </i>You, as a </span><font size="3">pair</font> have had quite a time, with all of your kids, all of the problems and the GOOD TIMES<font style="background-color:rgb(203, 0, 142);" color="#fdef2b"> <a shape="rect" href="http://put in exclamation marks!!!" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><font color="#fdef2b">!!!</font></a> </font>as well!!<i style="font-size:13px;font-weight:bold;"> REVEL </i><span style="font-size:13px;font-weight:bold;">in IT!!!!!!!! </span><span style="font-size:13px;">Please be happy that you have had, with all of your (Mary Lou and Yours) talents</span><i style="font-size:13px;font-weight:bold;"> </i><span style="font-size:13px;">as well - a good life. Something that I AM very much in AWE of!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span> </div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size:13px;"><br clear="none"></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:13px;">IT must be very hard, seeing her. </span><b style="font-size:x-large;color:rgb(101, 33, 145);background-color:rgb(253, 248, 105);">WE had a good visit!!!!!!!!!!!</b><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">,</span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br clear="none"></span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">Love,</span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br clear="none"></span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mary Lou</span></font></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-size:13px;">Keeper of the Flame</div></div>
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On Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 10:58:45 p.m. EST, Bill Wright via Sundaycommunity <sundaycommunity@lists.integralshift.ca> wrote:
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<div><div id="ydpe35d7b51yiv5055926236ydp5bc6b8d2yiv2908332639"><div dir="ltr"><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="ydpe35d7b51yiv5055926236ydp5bc6b8d2yiv2908332639gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">Hi Brian, and our thoughts and prayers are with you and Mary Lou. We want to say thk you very much for wrapping your warm musical arms around us all these years. And lifting our spirits with your inspiring music. (Julia was one of those sometime vocalists to help you in your efforts.) But now you need to turn your attention to the evolving situation with Mary Lou. Where Mary Lou is, she/they need you and your music. Pls be confident in knowing we support you with all our heart and prayers.</div><div dir="ltr"><br clear="none"></div><div>Thk you, Brian.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>Bill and Julia.</div><div dir="ltr"><br clear="none">c 416-708-6677<br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div></div></div></div><br clear="none"></div><br clear="none"><div class="ydpe35d7b51yiv5055926236ydp5bc6b8d2yiv2908332639gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="ydpe35d7b51yiv5055926236ydp5bc6b8d2yiv2908332639gmail_attr">On Wed, Jan 4, 2023 at 10:33 PM Dave Snelgrove via Sundaycommunity <<a shape="rect" href="mailto:sundaycommunity@lists.integralshift.ca" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sundaycommunity@lists.integralshift.ca</a>> wrote:<br clear="none"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;" class="ydpe35d7b51yiv5055926236ydp5bc6b8d2yiv2908332639gmail_quote"><div>Brian, your message to the Community touches me deeply. I am so sorry that this difficult transition, on many levels, has come upon you and Mary Lou. It seems the pace of our aging is beyond our control, although we can have a little impact on this or that piece. But the heart, the courage, the forbearance required seem to me to be the toughest part of life so far.<div><br clear="none"></div><div>Of course I resonate with your decision to step away from leading the music. The time I was encouraged and then able to join you, Mario, and Michael, was quite wonderful to me. I loved every minute. Just contributing a little bit was a gift. I believe others may come forward. But there's no doubt that your time provided a solid basis for the vibrant musical Worship that characterized the Sunday Community. Bravo, Brian. And MaryLou. May the music live on. And on.</div><div><br clear="none"></div><div>Much love. Rosemary</div><div><br clear="none"></div></div><br clear="none"><div class="ydpe35d7b51yiv5055926236ydp5bc6b8d2yiv2908332639gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="ydpe35d7b51yiv5055926236ydp5bc6b8d2yiv2908332639gmail_attr">On Wed., Jan. 4, 2023, 8:27 p.m. Brian Halferty via Sundaycommunity, <<a shape="rect" href="mailto:sundaycommunity@lists.integralshift.ca" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sundaycommunity@lists.integralshift.ca</a>> wrote:<br clear="none"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex;" class="ydpe35d7b51yiv5055926236ydp5bc6b8d2yiv2908332639gmail_quote"><div><div style="font-family:new times, serif;font-size:16px;"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom:0in;">Dear Members of the Sunday Community,</div>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">t has been quite a few years
since Mary Lou and I, with our family, joined the Sunday Community, down in the
basement of the Catholic Information Centre, beside St. Peter’s Church, on
Bathurst Street in Toronto. We thought
of ourselves at the time as being, in a way, “on pilgrimage” – looking for a
worshipping community that was a real community. We had been searching for a long time. We
found it when we arrived at the CIC.
Monique Newton, one of the earliest and most central members of the
community, spoke to us immediately, and welcomed us, and made us feel at
home. In those days, there were still
families, with their children, who were part of the community. We were so impressed when a phone call came
to our house during the week after we first joined the community, a phone call
not for Mary Lou or I, but for our kids – someone inviting them to come and
join the other young people for a movie later in the week.<br clear="none"></p>
<div style="margin-bottom:0in;"><br clear="none"></div><div style="margin-bottom:0in;">We participated in the Sunday
Eucharist with the community for a couple of years, I think, before I joined
the other musicians in the music ministry. What a group! We had 4 guitarists,
led by Heather, Mike on keyboard, occasionally Mike’s brother David on trumpet,
a flute player, 2 or 3 additional vocalists, and for awhile a tambourine player
as well. Over the years, people moved
out of town to other places, or their lives took different turns, and the
“band” dwindled in size, until it got down to just myself on guitar and Mike on
the keyboard. Even then, for special
occasions like Christmas or Easter, we were able to pull together some of the
old gang to do music together. What fun!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom:0in;"><br clear="none"></div><div style="margin-bottom:0in;">COVID-19, of course, put us in
this very strange situation of having to stay apart while trying to continue to
gather together. Our gathering together
has been on Zoom – we’ve been doing it now for more than 2 ½ years --- and we
have not been able to enjoy the reality of singing together in the same
place. Still, there has been a strong,
spiritual linkage that has continued, something of value to us all.</div>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">Mary Lou and I both worked as lay
Chaplains in Catholic high schools in Toronto, a position of spiritual
leadership in which we each tried to do our best to answer to the spiritual
needs of students and their families, and of the staff as well. I have described
this to people as “the best job I ever had,” a job that was demanding, and
difficult in many ways, and sometimes a source of anguish, but at the same
time, a role in which I felt called, and blessed, and in which I often
experienced success and satisfaction.
Underlying this work of Chaplaincy, for both Mary Lou and I, was the
need to be connected to a source of spiritual inspiration and support for
ourselves personally. And we found that source,
that spring of fresh water, in the Sunday Community, where we felt real
community with others, with God, with the Church. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">In recent weeks, as you know, Mary
Lou has not been well, has not been in a good place physically and
mentally. She has been hospitalized
since November 24<sup>th</sup>, and since Dec. 14<sup>th</sup> has been at
Providence Health Care in an “Interim placement” situation, receiving care
while waiting for a Long-Term Care placement to be approved. Those of you who have been part of the Sunday
Zoom liturgy will know that Mary Lou has, with help, been able to join the Zoom
call from hospital on recent occasions, including Christmas Eve, when I spent
the day and evening with her.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">In order to be with Mary Lou on
Christmas Eve, I had to step away from leading the music that night. And now I
have to tell you that, after a lot of thought, and after talking this over at
length with my family, I will have to step away completely from organizing and
leading the music, at least for the next while. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">Being in a hospital, away from
home and familiar surroundings, is very difficult for Mary Lou. The family and I are committed to trying to
be with her as much as possible through all of this. That includes me, and especially me, because
it is me that Mary Lou most wants to have with her. Mary Lou will not be coming home again to
live. She requires too much care and needs to be in a place where that can be
provided. I can’t explain to you what a
deep heartache this is. It is a painful tragedy all the way around. I am so
grateful for the generous and loving support our family – children, spouses,
their children – have given to Mary Lou through this awful transition, and have
given to me also as I learn to live with what is happening.<br clear="none"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">I am also concerned about the
Sunday Community. I know that the music is an important part of our worship,
and indeed, an important part of my own spiritual and prayer life. I feel badly
about having to stop providing it. May we find the way(s) to continue
worshipping together and being sources of inspiration for each other.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">Love to all of you,<br clear="none"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">Brian</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">PS: Since I started putting this
letter together, Sylvia Skrepichuk has been in touch with me. She has offered
to lead the music for the next couple of months, at least, and I have agreed to
assist her by continuing to send out the weekly Song Programs.<span> </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">Thank you, Sylvia.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in;">B. <span> </span></p></div><br clear="none"></div><div><br clear="none"></div><div><div style="font-family:serif;font-size:16px;"><font color="#4c76a2" size="4"><i>Brian J. Halferty</i><br clear="none">146 Sumach Street, Apt. 214<br clear="none">Toronto, ON M5A 0P7<br clear="none"></font><div dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(76,118,162);font-size:large;">416-431-0038 </span><br clear="none"></div></div></div></div></div>________________________________________<br clear="none">
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