During May 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first two people to reach the top of Mount Everest. Most people know that; but when they reached the top, something happened that most people do not know about. Hillary had a small crucifix that was given to him by a Jesuit. On the summit he knelt down and dug a small hole in the snow. Then, still wearing his oxygen mask, he put the little crucifix down in the hole. Tenzing, watching him through his own oxygen mask, started fumbling through his pockets. Then he knelt down and put something in the hole next to the crucifix; it was a chocolate bar.
Two people from different parts of the world, from different cultures, different religions, each thanking God in his own way for reaching the top of the mountain.
This memorial rock isn't Mount Everest, but it has been our personal mountain and we have been climbing it for six years. Today, like Hillary and Tenzing, we thank God in our own way for help climbing this mountain. Later, on their way back down the mountain, Hillary and Tenzing thanked everyone who had helped them on their way up - there were more than 100 of them, both men and women. In fact, this may seem a bit strange, but we ran into a jungle on our way up our mountain (a jungle of red tape and regulations); and it was a woman who "guided" us through. She is here today, there she is over there,
Robin Schaut. Thank you Robin!
Frank Brady has thanked many people already, the main helpers, but we also need to express our gratitude to all of the wives who were OK about the hours we spent at meetings, and writing out the checks to get this done. We also want to thank our friends at Maryknoll up on the hill.
Now we can honestly say that "We have honored the past, we are celebrating the present, and we will pln for the future --- together!"
