Stories With a Purpose
"Stories With a Purpose" is a regular feature of the St. Patrick Catholic Church Web site. It is edited by Ronnie Muro, the St. Patrick Family Life Coordinator and the co-author of the book "Stories with a Purpose: Lessons for the Spirit, Lessons for the Heart" that was published by St. Mary's Press in 2006. If you have any inspirational stories that you would like to submit for consideration, click here to send an e-mail to Ronnie.
If you would like to order a copy of this book from St. Mary's Press, click here.
A Few Good Men
"I need a few good men."
When you heard that, it meant there was some heavy lifting to do. Back in the early days of Springfest, the men of the church would show up on Saturday and prepare the church grounds for the festival which was to be held the next day. That involved lots of lifting, moving, stacking, unstacking, arranging, whatever was needed. It was a long and physically demanding day with much work to be done. Fortunately, there were many men to help get it done.
Some of our group had a knack for avoiding work (never me!), so when Tom Marks came out with his familiar “I need a few good men,” they would wander off to another imagined or unnecessary task. I may have been guilty of that myself on occasion. But the call usually meant that a few of the “younger” guys were needed to handle the task. At the time, I suppose I was part of that group. So, on occasion, I would step up and help.
“A few good men.”
I thought about that recently and realized how many good men there were in those days - good women, too, of course. All were willing to give up a weekend and spend their time working for the church.
Tom Marks was one of those good men. He was a constant presence – the kind you might take for granted since he was always around. But there was not much chance of that with Tom. We liked to say that Tom was not actually in charge, but nobody bothered to tell him. So, we just sat back and grinned as Tom moved from one task to another – supervising in his own, inimitable way.
He kept our spirits up with a quick quip or a joke, and always had a smile on his face. That smile was contagious. As soon as Tom walked away from someone after sharing a joke or an observation, they too would be sporting a big smile. I guess you could say Tom created lots of smiles.
That group of men was special, and I was blessed to be a part of many days like that. Learning from, and working alongside men, young and old, was a gift I still look back upon fondly.
In 1991, my father, Louis Muro, had the great vision to form a Knights of Columbus Council at St. Patrick. More than a few good men became Knights, and we had one of the fastest growing councils in the state of Alabama.
Knights soon took over responsibility for the Springfest setup, but participated in many other projects, not only at church, but in the community. Men, working side by side, for the greater good. The Knights council at St. Patrick, though smaller in numbers today, continues to do great work. A few good men.
I’m not sure what happened but I like to imagine that St. Peter recently looked to the Lord in Heaven and said, “I need a few good men.”
The Lord looked around and then called Tom’s name. Tom may have thought about it a bit, but then decided it was his time. On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, Tom Marks answered that call, joining more than a few good men and women in heaven. (Hopefully, someone told him he’s not in charge!)
Tribute by Ronnie Muro
In memory of Thomas Bailey Marks (May 21, 1942 – September 17, 2024)
A good man.