The St. Columba Church Mouse Chronicles

All churches have mice. They usually go unnoticed, but Victor and Veronica have a sneaky little habit of slipping into the church bulletin in order to play hide and seek with the Parish children. 

Each week they hide in a different spot!

Veronica and Victor live in St. Columba Church in the beautiful mountain town of Durango, Colorado. The church is lovely and sits on a leafy park on a quiet street in an old neighborhood. The church has both a school and a preschool, filled with rambunctious and smart children and patient, kind teachers. The town library is just next door with beautiful gardens and a lively river rushes past. There is a river trail, busy with walkers and bikers. An eagle lives in a tree nearby and deer meander down the street in front of the church. It’s a great place to live!

We first met Veronica a few weeks ago when she showed up in the bulletin. The next week her brother Victor appeared. They are both named for people in the beautiful stained glass windows in the church. This is their story. It’s also the story of a busy Catholic Parish and how we all need each other! 

The St. Columba Church Mouse Chronicles: Piano Trouble

It has come to our attention that Victor and Veronica are causing a bit of trouble in the church. This week, Mr. Kehrer, our Director of Music & Liturgy, made a surprising discovery. He was preparing for choir practice when he noticed some debris under his piano. It looked like straw, leaves, and maybe a bit of wool. He did a quick check, playing a hasty version of  'This Little Light of Mine' to see if all was well with his beloved piano. When he hit the trusty middle C, he knew. It was off. He shook his head in consternation and greeted Bonnie as she arrived for practice.

"Hi, Kris. You look a little troubled," she said as she put her coat on the first pew.

He nodded slowly. "You're right, Bonnie. I am. I've got an announcement to make, and it's not good."

Everyone was arriving. Clayton, Jemma, Jeff, Joan, Julius, and Margaret shook off the cold and greeted each other. Kit hustled in last; she had just dropped off the youngest kid at soccer practice and made it in the nick of time.

Mr. Kehrer cleared his throat, and everyone looked at him, ready to work on the week's music.

"Before we get started, I've got something to share that affects us all. We have a problem, and we're going to have to remedy it."

"What is it, Kris? What's wrong?" Margaret was beyond worried.

"I've seen it before, and the signs are all there. The straw, wool, and leaves; my middle C is flat. I hate to say it, but we have a mouse problem. I fear they are living in my piano."

The choir collectively gasped, on key and in harmony.

"What will we do?" Julius inquired.

"The mice have to go," said Mr. Kehrer, "they have to go."

The St. Columba Church Mouse Chronicles "A Meeting about Mice

Veronica and Victor are two church mice who live in the church & like to hide in the bulletin. Can you find them?

Mr. Kehrer walked into his weekly meeting with Fr. Novak and sat down with a sigh. After conducting further investigation inside his piano, he had confirmed a pressing issue. He had also taken a moment to inspect the organ, and his worst fears had been realized.

Fr. Novak observed his director of Liturgy and Music and sensed a problem.

"What's bothering you on this fine Tuesday, Kris?" he asked.

"I'll get straight to it, Father. It's bad news. We have mice in the church. I've seen this problem before. Mice can be a true menace. They can chew through the bellows in the organ, munch on the wires in the sound system, or build nests in the piano mechanism. They are capable of destroying our fine instruments. I've found a nest in my piano and another one in the balcony among the organ pipes. I believe that our entire audiovisual system is at risk. Something must be done. I propose that we call in the head of maintenance and prioritize this matter at the very top of his list. Can we agree on this?"

Fr. Novak was shocked. Mice in the church? He had never seen any evidence of mice, but upon reflection, there may have been small signs in the past few months. Just last week in the vestment sacristy, as he was donning his alb and cincture, he had noticed that the end of the rope-like belt was unusually frayed and, well, ratty. Could it be?

"I think that's a very reasonable plan of action." Fr. Kevin agreed. As Kris left the office, he picked up his phone and sent a text to Mr. Gundrey.

“We have a mouse problem in the church. We need you to address it right away, please, to prevent any further damage. Thank you."

Mr. Gundrey was busy cleaning the gym floors when the message pinged on his phone. He read it, and his heart sank as a knot formed in his stomach. He knew that he wouldn't be able to help Fr. Kevin with this request. He might lose his job…What was he going to do?"

The St. Columba Church Mouse Chronicles: Meet Veronica and Victor 

The two little mice scurried about early on Sunday morning. They had lived in St. Columba Church all their lives; it was home. Their names could be found in the stained glass windows, and they had been tending to this space for as long as they could remember. The vast and beautiful building was empty, but they knew it would soon be filled with people, and they had a little work to do. Veronica wanted to clean up some fallen leaves from the altar flowers, and Victor was busy trimming wicks on the candles so that they would burn evenly and brightly. They had already made sure that the ribbons in the pulpit Lectionary were placed exactly where they needed to be so that the readings would be quick and easy to access. 

They finished their jobs and scurried up the stairs. Victor wanted to check one more thing. He felt that it was his responsibility to look at the wiring that connects everything in the church. After all, he was the only one who could actually squeeze into the narrow, old passages. He made his way to the spot where he knew all the wires came together for a quick check and gasped.

“Come quick, Veronica!” he squeaked. She saw it, too. The old wires looked wrong; they were frayed and exposed. “Oh dear! That’s not good, Victor. We need to tell someone, but I’m not sure how…”

They watched from above as their people began to arrive. They saw the man from the church office and his two children, the woman who worked so hard on the beautiful altar flowers, and the family with the nice kids who sat up front. The woman who read the Rosary was there, and the man who had been a faithful usher for years was laughing and welcoming others in. Such good people.

The mice felt blessed by the soaring white ceilings, the bright colorful windows, and the cool mountain morning. Their home was special, and Victor and Veronica knew that they had to figure out a way to get help with the problem in the balcony. After Mass, they hatched a plan. 

The St. Columba Church Mouse Chronicles Part 6: Little Mysteries

Mr. Gundrey was usually able to handle anything that came his way around the parish buildings. He prided himself on this. But the text from Fr. Kevin about the mice unnerved him. This was the one thing that he simply couldn’t do. He needed to respond to Fr. Novak and let him know that he wouldn’t be getting rid of the mice as requested. In fact, he didn’t even want to go into the building. He could shovel two tons of snow, or fix an 80 year old boiler, or prepare for a diocesan gathering of 600 people, but not this. And he couldn’t tell anyone his secret….. He was terrified of mice.

Joan was in the empty church working on the altar flowers. She positioned a vase of beautiful lilies, roses, tulips, and freesia that someone had donated in thanksgiving for the Catholic Daughters. She could have sworn that there was a red bow on the arrangement last week, but maybe not. She quickly forgot about it and got back to the work of readying the altar for the weekend. 

Sabine often checked in on the votives behind the Baptismal font. She wanted to make sure that there were plenty as Advent was just around the corner. She tidied the area and took comfort in the glow of the red candles and then she saw it, a little pile of something tucked behind the statue of the Virgin Mary. What was that? She’d have to tell Michael in the church office. 

Suzy bustled into the sanctuary. She was volunteering at the preschool and one of the children had lost a mitten that morning at the school Mass. She wanted to find it, as it looked special. It was obviously lovingly hand knit from a thick warm red wool. She didn’t see it anywhere.

Mrs. Romero, the director of Faith Formation and Ms. Herrin, the preschool director, were chatting and laughing in the office kitchen. They hardly had a moment to spare, but took the time to check in and see how they might help each other. A door slammed and Mr. Gundrey charged through the kitchen and then he was gone. 

‘He seemed stressed,”  Mrs. Romero noted, “I’m going to add him to my prayer list.” 

The St. Columba Church Mouse Chronicles Part 7: Advent is here!

The mice loved Advent. What a special time it was. They loved the music, the candles, the decorations and the bustle of the church staff as they prepared for the big night. The big beautiful trees from the Fincher’s property were their favorite! Each year the mice eagerly anticipated Christmas Eve and the beauty of that Holy night but this year they were worried sick! 

They were placing all of their faith in the maintenance man, because they knew he was always on top of everything in the church.

“Veronica, what if your plan doesn’t work? What if Mr. Gundrey doesn’t understand our clues? What if all of the lights, the sound and video system, and the heat don’t work on Christmas Eve? That’s what will happen if those wires don’t get fixed very soon. It will be disastrous!” Victor felt helpless, but he did believe that Veronica’s idea was a good one. He’d have to have faith!

The mice now had a big pile of red ribbon that they had gently pulled out of an altar arrangement and they felt like it was a tiny miracle when they found a beautiful hand knit red mitten tucked under a kneeler after school Mass. They felt bad as they were dragging it up to the balcony, but both knew that the red mitten was a big part of their plan. Veronica set herself to the task of  unraveling the mitten and soon had a large ball of thick red wool yarn. 

Mr. Gundrey avoided the church these days. He had plenty of other work to do and only went there to worship, it felt safe because there were so many people. He really needed to go in there today and adjust the settings on the heat after fixing the boiler, but he was terrified. He stood outside the side door, hoping for some courage, but found none. He turned around and there was Fr. John. 

“Good morning! How are you today?” His deep voice sounded so warm and confident. 

“I’m ok, Father.” He replied, and walked away quickly. He didn’t want Fr. John to know his secret. 

Father John sensed something was wrong. He paused on the step, then turned. 

“Mr. Gundrey!” he yelled across the parking lot. 

The maintenance man froze in his tracks, feeling guilty for something he was unable to do. “Yes, Father?” 

His booming voice rang out in his beautiful Nigerian accent. “I am praying for you, my friend!” 

The St. Columba Church Mouse Chronicles Part 7: Flickering Lights

Mr. Kehrer entered the dark church early Wednesday morning. He was getting ready for the school Mass and had a few last minute things to check off his list. He flipped the switch in the Sacristy and it flickered a bit before illuminating the small room. He barely noticed, but not much gets past Mr. Kehrer. He made a mental note as he moved to his sound and video board to turn it all on. This was ‘mission control’ for the whole of the service. Not really of course, the Tabernacle and the Cross were true Mission Control, but as far as lights, camera and action (and music) went, this was it! The monitor came to life as he flipped the controls to the on position and when he came to the audio knob he noticed it. How very strange, he thought. How very, very strange. A tiny red ribbon was tied tightly around the small, but vital little lever. It almost felt like a warning…but for what? And from whom?

The St. Columba Church Mouse Chronicles Part 8: Prayer Works

Mr. Gundrey worked up his nerve and opened the side door to the church. He couldn’t put it off any longer. He had to check the thermostat and make sure that everything was in tip top shape for the busy week leading up to Christmas. The trees were arriving later today and they required lots of extension cords, lights and rearranging. He had awoken this morning with an unusual peace and calm and was ready to face his fears. The early morning was his favorite time of day and he typically loved being in the church alone in the dark early light, but that was before all of this mouse business. He said a quick prayer, took a deep breath, unlocked the door, walked in and switched on a long row of lights. They flickered and dimmed and then finally lit the large church. He looked out over the sanctuary and couldn’t believe his eyes. He turned and left as fast as he could. He had to go and tell Father Kevin and Father John. He was going to need some help.

The St. Columba Church Mouse Chronicles Part 9: Mice to the Rescue

Mr. Gundrey ran to the church office to tell Michael and the rest of the staff what he had seen. Mrs. Romero and Mr. Kehrer was there and Fr. Kevin and Fr. John heard the chatter and came down to see what was going on. Mr. Gundrey looked around the room and realized that everyone was gathered. He decided to tell them all EVERYTHING. He also smelled coffee. 

He asked Michael, “Is that a fresh pot of coffee I smell?” 

“It sure is. I just made it and we also have some cinnamon rolls from Margaret and an amazing Chex mix from Jacqui in the kitchen. It’s Father Jim's recipe.”

“Can we go in there and talk? I have something I’d like to share with you all  and I need your help.”

After everyone had poured a cup of coffee and gotten a treat, Mrs Romero couldn’t stand it anymore. 

“What is it Glen? I’ve sensed that something was bothering you and you’ve been in my prayers these last few weeks. You haven’t been yourself at all. What’s up?” 

“I agree. I, too, have been praying for you and hoping that you would share with us.” Father John added.

Mr. Gundrey was shocked. They had been praying for him? Did they know about his terrible fear? He thought he’d hidden it pretty well. And even more shocking, he had been feeling bolder and better every day, as though bolstered by an unknown force. Could it be their prayers? 

He spilled everything. He told them about Mr. Kehrer discovering the mice and Fr. Novack 

ordering him to get rid of them before any damage was done. And the worst part…that he had done nothing because he was too scared to even go in the church. 

“Oh dear.” Mr Kehrer shook his head. “Yesterday I noticed that the lights were flickering and my sound board was slow to start. We may be in real trouble. I thought they were gone.” And then he remembered. “And! This is weird, but there was a very small red ribbon on the audio switch…I thought that perhaps you had marked it.

Mr. Gundrey shook his head. “I didn’t do that and it’s even worse than that. I need you all to come with me and see what’s happened in the church. I need a little help with this. It’s crazy over there.

The group made their way over to the church and went in through the back door. Father John hit the lights and they flickered on. They all gasped at the strange sight before them. 

Mr. Kehrer’s video and audio board was covered in tiny red ribbons. Every knob had a strange little red knot on it. Trailing down to the floor and into the sanctuary was a red piece of yarn. The yarn criss-crossed the church from outlet to switch, up to the microphone by the lectern and over to the choir area. From there it went down the side aisle and disappeared up into the balcony.

“This is crazy!” said Mrs. Romero. She was leaning on the lectern and looking out over the scene. “Who on earth would make a trail of yarn all over the church like this? What does it mean?”

The lights flickered and dimmed and then turned off. 

Mrs. Romero felt a little tug on her sleeve and looked down. On the lectern sat a mouse holding a piece of red ribbon. It was Victor and he was so very nervous. She screamed and jumped backwards, but then quickly composed herself. The mouse was actually rather cute.

Mr. Gundrey boldly stepped forward. “I think I see what’s happening here and it’s not what we first suspected. I think this little mouse and all of these red ribbons and yarn are trying to tell us something.” Veronica was hiding under the pew and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally! The people were getting it!

She ran over to Mr. Gundrey and tugged on his shoelace, hoping to lead him to the problem. Mr. Gundrey slowly looked down and said a quick prayer. He hoped it worked. His heart was racing as he stooped down to the small little mouse and held his hand out. Veronica jumped on and pointed the way. 

“Follow us, folks.” Mr. Gundrey called out, “Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of all this.”

And they did. The red yarn unfurled all the way to the top of the stairs and ended at a small hole behind the organ. Mr. Gundrey gently set Veronica down and she scurried straight to the hole. He pulled his flashlight from his pocket and shone it in the hole and immediately saw the mess of frayed wires.

After a collective effort, the wires were fixed, and the church was ready for Christmas Mass. The lights sparkled, the sound system worked perfectly, and the warmth enveloped the entire congregation. The Christmas spirit was evident in the smiling faces, warm greetings, hugs and handshakes.

During the Christmas Mass, Father Kevin acknowledged the extraordinary assistance of Veronica and Victor. The congregation applauded the mice, and the children giggled with delight. The church had a newfound appreciation for the little creatures that had saved their cherished traditions.

After the Mass, as the congregation left the church, Father John approached Veronica and Victor. "You two have a special place in the heart of St. Columba Church. We are so grateful for your help, and we hope you’ll always want to stay here."

Veronica and Victor exchanged glances, feeling a sense of belonging they had never experienced before.

And so it came to be that two small mice saved Christmas Mass in the snowy little town of Durango, Colorado. The old church, an enduring symbol of unity, understanding, and Christ’s love now had something else… a little sprinkle of Christmas magic, thanks to two industrious little mice, a wary maintenance man and the power of prayer. 

P.S. The St. Columba Church Mouse Chronicles will continue, with each chapter revealing the enriching adventures of its newfound furry friends.