Saint Francis of Assisi
The Rule of 1223
Chapter 8
T
The Portiuncula, located in Jerusalem, Ohio, in the Diocese of Steubenville, is home to the Franciscan Lay Apostolate. We are humbly committed to imitating the Gospel life of Christ, and observing the Sacraments. Placing ourselves under strict and holy obedience to the Bishop of Steubenville, the Magisterium, and Father Nick Ward, we follow the Medieval Penitential First Rule of the Third Order of St. Francis, dated 1221 A.D.
"Only say the word Lord, and I shall be healed"
We are a
Franciscan Prayer Ministry
located in Jerusalem, Ohio.
Through prayer and Adoration before our Eucharistic Lord, we seek His awesome power, grace, and mercy, to bring His divine healing and peace into your life.
To receive prayer simply e-mail your Prayer Requests to:
We encourage you to participate in our
Healing Services
and
Retreats
Thank you for visiting.
Pax Et Bonum!
T
A man is driving down the road and breaks down near a monastery. He
goes to the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, My car broke
down. Do you think I could stay the night?
The monks graciously accept him, feed him dinner, and even fix his
car. As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound; a
sound like no other that he has ever heard. The next morning, he
asks the monks what the sound was, but they say, We can't tell you
because you're not a monk.
The man is disappointed but thanks them anyway and goes about his
merry way. Some years later, the same man breaks down in front of
the same monastery.
The monks again accept him, feed him, and even fix his car..
That night, he hears the same strange mesmerizing sound that he
had heard years earlier.
The next morning, he asks what the sound was, but the monks reply,
We can't tell you because you're not a monk.
The man says, all right, all right. I'm dying to know.
If the only way I can find out what that sound was is to become
a monk, how do I become a monk?
The monks reply, you must travel the earth and tell us how many
blades of grass there are and the exact number of sand pebbles.
When you find these numbers, you will become a monk.
The man sets about his task. Some forty-five years later, he
returns and knocks on the door of the monastery. He says, I have
travelled the earth and devoted my life to the task demanded and
have found what you had asked for. There are 371,145,236,284,232
blades of grass and 231,281,219,999,129,382 sand pebbles on the
earth.
The monks reply, congratulations, you are correct, and you are
now considered a monk .
We shall now show you the way to the sound.
The monks lead the man to a wooden door, where the head monk says,
the sound is behind that door..
The man reaches for the knob, but the door is locked. He asks,
May I have the key ?
The monks give him the key, and he opens the door.
Behind the wooden door is another door made of stone... The man
requests the key to the stone door.
The monks give him the key, and he opens it, only to find a door
made of ruby. He demands another key from the monks, who provide
it. Behind that door is another door, this one made of sapphire.
And so it went on until the man had gone through doors of emerald,...
...silver, topaz, and amethyst.
Finally, the monks say, This is the key to the last door .
The man is relieved to be at the end. He unlocks the door, turns
the knob, and behind that door he is astonished to find the source
of that strange sound. It is truly an amazing and unbelievable sight
.. But I can't tell you what it is because you're not a monk.
Everett proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1944-1946 during World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart.
He graduated from IU Bloomington in pre-med. In 1952, he graduated from the St. Louis University School of Dentistry. He practiced in Richmond, Ind., from1952-1990. He then continued to practice, part-time, with his son, Dr. Tom Ringenberg, commuting from North Carolina until his retirement in 1993. Everett was elected to the International College of Dentists in1971. He was appointed to the Indiana Board of Dental Examiners by Governor Otis Bowen and served for six years.
The Ringenbergs lived in North Carolina for 10 years and four years in Columbus, Ind., before locating in Plymouth two years ago. Everett was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Plymouth.
Everett is survived by his loving wife, Joyce Ringenberg of Plymouth; his sons, Stephen and Nancy Ringenberg of Richmond, Ind., Paul and Carolea Ringenberg of Tampa, Fla., Tim Ringenberg of Fort Wayne, Ind., Dr. Tom and Hayley Ringenberg of Richmond, Ind., and Mark and Brenda Ringenberg of Plymouth; his daughter, Janis and Gary Monroe of New York; his son-in-law, John Clark of Melbourne, Fla.; 14 greatly loved grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; four great-grandchildren; his sisters, Betty and Herbert Weisshart of Las Vegas, Nev., and Ilene McLauchlin of Winter Haven, Fla. Also many nieces, nephews and cousins survive.
Everett was preceded in death by his daughter, Cathy Stout Clark, in 2005; his grandson, Garrison O.P. Ringenberg, in 2009; his grandson-in-law, Tim Hartman; his brothers, Quentin R. and Miles Ringenberg; and his sister, Charlotte Dasher.
A memorial service in honor of Everett will be held on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, at 3:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 401 Walnut St., Plymouth, IN 46563, with the Rev. Jean Sparks officiating. A time of greeting the family will be from 3:00 -3:30 p.m., before the service. A private internment will be held a later date in Richmond, Ind.
In lieu of flowers, the family would like for you to remember your local food pantry, hospice or church.
The Van Gilder Funeral Home, 300 W. Madison St., Plymouth, IN 46563, has been entrusted with the arrangements.
"Only say the word Lord, and I shall be healed"
We are a
Franciscan Prayer Ministry
located in Jerusalem, Ohio.
Through prayer and Adoration before our Eucharistic Lord, we seek His awesome power, grace, and mercy, to bring His divine healing and peace into your life.
To receive prayer simply e-mail your Prayer Requests to:
We encourage you to participate in our
Healing Services
and
Retreats
Thank you for visiting.
Pax Et Bonum!
T