Wednesday

A long day: Left the house at 7:30. Drove to Champaign, arriving at Emmanuel an hour ahead of the 10am funeral liturgy for Fr Alan Herbst. Consulted with Deacon Chris Hopkins, who did a sterling job coordinating the event. Presided, preached, and greeted people at the reception. Pointed the YFNBmobile back west and slightly north at around 12:30, heading for Bloomington. Spent most of the afternoon at St Matthew's, enjoying a substantive visit with Fr Dave Halt over a range of matters, partially processing an impressive stack of email, then meeting and greatly enjoying talking with a potential aspirant to the diaconate. At 6pm, it was my privilege to preside at the official opening and blessing of a recently-constructed annex to their physical plant, providing a new entrance from the parking lot, two up-to-code restrooms on the main floor, and a spacious new sacristy. This was fun. After enjoying a few bites of ham, fried chicken, sloppy joe, and a homemade eclair, I hit the road again, this time north on I-39. This trip concluded about three and a quarter hours later with a check-in at the Hilton Garden in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Tomorrow the Presiding Bishop visits Nashotah House, and I will be there for the occasion in my capacity as chairman of the board.

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