I just returned from another Cross Mission in Covington, Georgia, this past weekend where I celebrated and preached at all the masses. The parish of St. Augustine in Covington has four masses: a Saturday Vigil Mass, and three more ( two in English and one in Spanish ) on Sunday.

I have been there twice before and wrote a Travelogue about my first visit. So, the congregation of St. Augustine is used to me, and how!

Before the English, morning mass, a man stuck his head into the sacristy as I was getting ready to say mass and said: “I’m looking forward to this!”

The altar server, Mason, heard him and remarked: “You better not mess up now. You heard what the man said.”

I could only laugh for Mason is just eleven years old.

His father picked me up at the Airport when I arrived on Friday. Mason was with him, and I got to know both of them during the ride to Covington. They were like brothers.

On the way back to the Airport today, Mason’s dad, Bryan, was again my chauffeur. Mason was not with us this time. Bryan’s daughter, Abigale was with us, and she was just as personable and fun-loving as her big brother.

Bryan is a retired cop and he loves his new role as a stay-at-home Dad. I couldn’t wait to tell Bryan what his son said to me yesterday in the sacristy before mass. He was not surprised, in the least, for Mason has a reputation for being a lovable prankster. Abigale totally concurred. Then, he told me a really heartwarming story.

Mason, he said, decided to make a personal donation to Cross Catholic. So, he took the twenty two dollars he had in his wallet and was putting it into the Cross envelope when his father said: “Are you not keeping some for yourself?”

“No,” replied Mason. “I can always make some more.”

“But, this is cash. I’ll hand it to Fr. Duffy on the way to the Airport.”

“ It’s my donation,” answered Mason, “and I want to mail it myself.”

The father took Mason’s envelope and saw what he wrote on the section for Prayer Requests: “For all the children who have nothing.”

Bryan was overwhelmed as he was telling me this story. I was struck speechless. Who could not be touched by a story like this? It made my day.

As we continued our drive to the Airport, Bryan told me that he slipped the $22 into Mason’s wallet without his knowledge and wrote a check to Cross in Mason’s name.

I remarked: “That’s fantastic. Scripture tells us that whatever we give to the least of Christ’s people, we will get it back a hundred fold.”

“Yeah,” said Bryan, “Mason sure got it all back a hundred fold.”

It is things like this that renew our faith in the inherent goodness of God’s people, especially that of a child.

—Fr. Hugh Duffy