A letter from a student on behalf of the students

Beside a side bar with the words "Papa D / Fr. Daren" superimposed over images of the Dr Pepper, Facebook and Buffalo Wild Wings logos, together with a soccer player, one of the students penned this touching letter:

I figured since this was the last Bulldog Bark you would ever be reading, we should dedicate a little part of it to you. On May 8, 2009 at the end of the Parents' Mass you announced you had some devastating news for us. I'm of those people that isn't a fan of surprises, so as you were announcing some information about the festivities that would be taking place at Fast Stop the next day, I was trying to figure out what this devastating piece of information could be. I figured either someone had died, someone was on the verge of dying, or maybe your Apples to Apples game had been stolen. However, nothing could have prepared me for what you were about to announce.

As you started off with, "My dear young friends," my heart started to beat faster as I tried to convince myself you weren't going to say what I thought you were going too. As you contined on with, "Four years ago, Bishop Lucas sent me here to proclaim the Good News..." I felt the tears well up in my eyes. "Don't cry," I told myself. "You're going to embarrass yourself," I thought. But as you continued on with your news, I didn't care who saw me cry, because the tears were coming whether I wanted them to or not. As I looked around everyone else seemd to be just as saddened as I was. I really don't want to go into detail about how I and the people around me cried our eyes out, but the purpose of the last couple of statements was to let you know how much you will be missed by not only the parish, but especially the student body.

Not only are you our priest, but for many of us you are our best friend. You are always there for us, whether if it's to coach the soccer and wrestling teams, play a game of Apples to Apples, lecture the Spanish classes on their behavior towards the ex-Spanish teacher, travel restless hours with a restless woman all the way to the East Coast, or even just to talk over a can of Dr Pepper. Whatever the situation may be, you have been there fore all of us at least one time or another.

You leaving us is something nobody wanted to think about and quite honestly never imagined would happen. I know that some of us still do not know how to take the news. However, I believe the only thing we can do is relive and recreate new memories for ourselves and for you. I am encouraging the student body, and whoever else has felt as close to you as we have to spend every moment we have left in your presence somehow. I'm sure the boys will take you to Buffalo Wild Wings more than a couple times before you leave, there could possibly be a massive game of dodgeball, I'm vowing to come to all your Sunday [M]asses, and for those people who you haven't yet introduced to Apples to Apples, do it. I'm sure they'll be addicted just like me. For those of you who don't know what to do to keep Papa D in your life everyday, just drink a can of Dr Pepper or eat a few sour balls, I'm sure that will be
satisfactory. And even when you are gone you're only a text message or Facebook post away.

But, before we say goodbye for good I stll have a little ounce of hope that the Bishop could change his mind. I and a few others are still plotting our revenge on him for taking you away from us and plan to bombard him with a series of letters. So if we have anything to do with it, we'll be seeing you next year behind the desk in the office working on papers, just like we usually do. However, since I am 98% positive the Bishop isn't going to change his mind, I promise you a group of students to help you pack and an even larger group of students to follow you all the way to wherever you're going. Who knows, it could be our new vacation spot. Winter break anyone? Well, Papa D, no matter where you are don't forget us, and no matter who you meet up there let know you['re] ours, and they can't have you. Because we all know if you had the CHOICE you would stay here forever. We miss you already.