People come to the parish from all over the country. It really is very beautiful here. The Great Smoky Mountains are the most visited National Park in the country. The “Anglo” couple that came to the “Spanish Mass” last night, however, were not here for the sightseeing and leaf-lurking now that the colors of the trees are changing gloriously. They arrived at night and left at night. 980 miles 14 hours 26 mins return trip in one day. That’s not as the crow flies, but as the car drives, pretty much, I’m guessing, to the inch, to the second (not counting stops or the Mass), to the pews here at Holy Redeemer Church in Andrews, NC, all the way from […].
Since we’re the tiniest parish in North America, any visitors stand out.
- After Mass, I asked: “Where’re y’all from?”
- […] was the answer.
- “That’s a really long way!” I exclaimed.
- “Yes, we just got here and we’re going back right now. We came just for the Mass. All you for, Father Byers. And thank you for the homily. It was good.”
- “Be safe out there!” I said as they scampered out the door.
They looked alert, but dead tired. Nice couple. The “For you, Father Byers” wasn’t connected with anything I was up to at Mass last night, and surely this wasn’t about the homily. So, that, of course, left me wondering. Theirs was not an easy trip. And they were as old as me, so they would really be tired when they got back sometime on Sunday. I hope they made it back safe and sound.
ARISE! LET US BE GOING! 
They are probably beyond grateful for how God works through you and that was their way of giving thanks…anyways, that would be my reason. Deo gratias!
Very kind, but…………..
and then I thought, “I hope they understand Spanish if they commented on your homily” or do you have an interpreter?
Interpretor