What Paddy Shot At

Just finished being the “Light is on for you” priest. It’s a program where in evey church in the Archdiocese of Washington, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and the Diocese of Arlington, there will be a priest in the confessional from 6:30 till 8pm. There were only a few people because it was also the last night of the Mission. But I was glad to be there.

I had the 8:00am and 11:00am Masses and my homily was about Jonah and his hatred of the people of Nineveh. If we have some unresolved “hatred” of someone, only with God’s grace can it be healed.

I did some bank stuff and went to hear the confession of a 99 year ols lady. It was such a nice visit.

Then I took a nice long nap. (it was a rainy day and perfect for getting under the comforter) and then “the light…

Last night I realized how quick time is. After the mission, I went to watch some TV and on came CSI – LA. I remember on what I thought we the other day – that I was enjoying watching it when it suddenly said, “to be continued next week”. – and then it came on as Part 2 and I realized that when I was watching it and getting annoyed was last Tuesday. Where did that week go????

Oh well, back to the rectory, some TV, and bed. I have the 6:30 & 8:00am Masses
on Thursday.

Had a visit with an elderly parishioner today. He drove here but as we spoke, it was obvious that he gets confused and can not carry on a conversation that flows. Please keep him in your prayers.
After he left, I went to the school gym to listen to the band and chorus from St. John’s College High School. They were very good and a number of our graduates performed. All the students from 4th to 8th grade came and were the audience. I really enjoyed it and sat with the 4th graders.
Then I had the 11:00am Mass. The scriptures were about “The Our Father”. I love that when Jesus was asked to teach his disciples how to pray; that he chose to say not “God, Who lives in unapproachable light” but to say “Our Father”.
Then I went an anointed a lady in her daughter’s home. She has hospice and I’m not sure she knew I was there but Keep Sarah in your prayers.
Then I went to see Patrick Mullan. He is very sick – Oh not to death but that flue type thing that is around. So added him to your prayers.
Then I had exposition and worked at the desk.
Then we had confessions for the School of Religion from 4 to 5.
Then I joined Msgrs Duffy and Beattie and Fr. Clark for spagetti at DeCarlo’s.
Then I got home by 7pm and went to the second night of the Mission. The theme was Good Friday and his talk was great. I’m sure I’ll steal lots of his comments for later homilies.
So now it’s 9pm and I am off to the rectory, some TV, and sleep.

Sunday was very nice. I had the 10:30 Mass in the church and we enrolled our Candidates and Catechumens because next Sunday they will go to the Shrine and meet with the Cardinal. We have three catechumens and 8 candidates. I just read that 150000 people will enter the church this Easter in the U.S. God’s grace is so amazing.
After Mass, I drove out to Ranson, West Virginia and visited Marlynn and Frank Cavallaro. The moved there about two years ago. Frank has been working on a book about violent crime in the DC area since 1994. He shared some of his research with me and it was interesting but sad. After that discussion, Mary Alice McGreevy and her daughter, Sarah and her daughter, Isabelle, joined us and we all went out to supper at an Italian restaurant. We had a great visit and meal.
Afterwards, Mal, Frank and I went to their house and visited some more. Frank went to bed around 8pm and Mal and I began watching The Oscars. It was a good show and I think it ended around 11:30pm. Then, fortified by hot chocolate, Marlynn and I sat up and talked till 5:15am. We really “caught up” and had a great time. We decided that it was time for bed – and I think I was asleep in 5 minutes. I woke up around 9:30am and came out and Mal was already up and at the table. Frank had gone out around 7 as he had some doctor appointment. He came home around 9:30 and Mal made breakfast for the three of us and again we talked.

Around 11am, I left and headed home. It was such a beautiful day that I called Sister Natalie in Baltimore and invited her to lunch. I got there at Villa Julie around 12:30 and we went to the Peppermill restaurant and had a delightful (and healthy) lunch. She broke her elbow a few days before Christmas – although she didn’t go to the doctor till sometime in January. She was put in a cast and although that is now off, she had to do therapy and can’t lift her right arm up very high. She was very upset because she didn’t get any Christmas cards out last year.
I find that very amusing as I am still working on my Christmas letter for 2008 thru 2011.
I came home and took a nap and just finished attending the first night of our mission. Fr. DeLillio was very good and I got some good stuff to reflect on for Lent.
Now I’m gonna get something to eat and go to bed.
Hope you are having a good Lent

Wonderful morning. Drove up to Darnestown to Our Lady of the Visitation and did a “teaching Mass” for about 50 children and their parents. The children are the ones I went out there to celebrate First Penance with a few weeks ago. Today, I showed them the vestments and explained the parts of the Mass. They were so good and then we practiced receiving Communion under both species. They knew it wasn’t Jesus but they were very devout!
Then I came back and baptized Daniel William McCoy III. It was great to see Danny and Susan. I married them and baptized their little girl, Ayla a few years ago and now little Danny. Both Susan’s and Danny’s families were here and we had a small reception afterwards in the center. I caught up on all the McCoy family news. You may remember that Beth McCoy, the matriarch was a dear friend of mine while I was at St. Michael’s and she and her family “adopted” me. What a nice day.

I just finished the 5:30pm Mass. Fr. Richard Dililio, an Oblate, who is giving our mission this week, preached. He was very good and I hope the response is good. He and I met years ago through TEAMS. I haven’t seen him in a long time. Now I’m gonna get some food and go to bed.
Fr. Ron’s mom is not doing well, so we switched Masses for tomorrow. He’ll do the 7:30am and I’ll take his 10:30. That way he can head down to Southern Maryland and spend most of the day.

After Mass, I’m going to West Virginia to visit Marlynn and Frank Cavallaro. I’m going to stay over and I may not write again till Monday night.

Don’t know what happened to Thursday.
I had 8:00am Mass and then went to visit Joan Beall, she had her teeth pulled today and so I stopped by to visit. We also had a nice visit with Mary Mudd. She gave me a new copy of the St. Camillus photo directory, which I love having.
Then I came home and had soup and grilled cheese and a nap. At 3pm, I had some more confirmandi interviews. They are all done now. I had supper with the priests and then went to my room and feel asleep. Woke a couple of times but never set the alarm and woke this morning at 9:25am. Body must still be recovering.
Today I spent the whole day at my desk trying to “catch up”. Had a nice long phone call to Betty Neary and also one to Jerry Hudder. He is out of ICU but keep him in your prayers. Talked to Joe, who is still recovering from his back surgery but is feeling better. Called Sr. Natalie, who is also recovering. She had a broken elbow and is now doing therapy. Sounds like we could all go on the good ship, Hope and recover.
I had the 5:30pm Mass, which was a special Hunger Mass. Well attended and a lady from Catholic Charities spoke and we took a collection. Afterwards, we had Stations of the Cross – also well attended. We use Fr. John Enzler’s dad’s book and it is very powerful. Then we had pizza and lots of people stayed for that in the parish center. Steve and Stephanie, whom I married three years ago were there with their 6 month old daughter, Sophia, whom I baptized sat with me and the Hagerups, a family from the Bay Retreaters, the group I went on retreat with the last two Julys – I’m going this year too.
Now I’m heading over to the house. I have a full day tomorrow.

A really busy day:
Had the 8:00am Mass and the church was full. Then I helped with the school Mass at 9:15am – again full. Had the 11:00am Mass and the church was full. Fortunately, we have lots of parisioners who are willing to help with ashes and Communion.
I went and had some soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and took a nap. Returned at 3pm and had 5 confirmandi interviews. Then I helped with the 5:30pm and the 7:00pm. I don’t know where they all came from but the place was packed. Good sign!!
As part of my Lenten program, I am trying to catch up on loose ends and calling or contacting friends that I’ve been wanting to be in touch with. Talked to Regina Housel today as it is her birthday. She is very busy being principal in Florida. I talked to Maureen, who is doing OK and looking forward to Maggie and Marie’s visit in March. I also called Carmen. He is coming along very well and actually went up to the hospital, where he is chaplain just to say hi. Total recovery is a way off. Also spoke with Jerry Hudder, who is in the hospital in Arkansas. Keep him in your prayers. tonight I will call Fr. Dan and Joe and see how they are doing. So I hope you all have a very Happy and Blessed Lent.

I slept in till about 10am and then came to the office. I feel like my old self and I’m sure it’s due to catching up on sleep.
Had the 11:00am Mass and then spent the day trying to straighten up the office. Had exposition at 3pm and then 4 Confirmandi interviews. Had the 5:30pm Mass and then headed over to DeCarlo’s for supper with the Monsignors Beattie and Duffy and Fr. John Clark. That is always so pleasant and Frs. Regis and Mike came in with Msgr. Paul Lenz, who is a graduate of St. Vincent’s and I’m known him for years. He was the head of the Indian and Black Missions Office here in DC. As we were leaving, I saw Fr. Godfrey, pastor of St. Ann’s. So it was like a priests’ meeting.

So I’m off to bed early as tomorrow will be very busy – Ash Wednesday! Have a good and holy Lent!!!

The last two days were almost like “days off”. They were “recovery days”. After spending some time Saturday at the desk; I went home and went to bed. I slept well and got up in time to go to dinner with Nabil and Libby. We went to a mid-east restaurant and I had some strange foods – but I enjoyed them! I think they would qualify as “structured” because they were meats and vegetables. We had a very pleasant evening. I was in bed by 9pm

On Sunday, I had the 7:30 Mass and preached about the paralytic whose friend put him through the roof. We sometimes get caught up in the engineering of the exercise when what is most important is the Jesus is telling us the Kingdom had arrived and sin can be forgiven. I had a good time.

Then I had the 10:30am Mass in the church during which I baptized Liv Lotta. It weent well and the people were very supportive and stopped by to congratulate her family. Then I went shopping and ate out. Around 5, I went to bed and slept on and off till 7am this morning. It was like being a beach bum!

I had the 8:00am Mass and preached on Raphael’s painting, “The Transfiguration”. and what is at the bottom of the painting. It went well. Then I met a couple for doing FOCUS, a pre-marriage inventory instrument. They just finished and I’ll mail it out tomorrow for evaluation. Just finished talking with Ann Brown O’Connell, my cousin who was to ill to join us last week. She feels a lot better and we “caught up” on the family.

At 1:30, a young man who is in RCIA will come and we’ll go over three topics he missed and then I have exposition at 3pm and the Mass at 5:30. Then home to get a bite and then early to bed.

Yesterday was almost a “day off”. I had slept very well and had the 8:ooam Mass. Then I met with a parishioner who is having treatment for cancer. She is doing well and will get some results of the treatment next Thursday. I had a very nice phone talk with both Dan, whom I missed the other night, and Terry, whom I hope to see in early March with John and Joe.
Then I joined Ann for lunch and had a steak salad. Very good and satisfying – and structured. Then I went to get my hair cut and beard trimmed. Then I came home and relaxed in my suite and went to bed early. I feel 100% well. A very relaxing day!

Today, I had the 8:00am Mass and I worked on my homily for Sunday. After I finished typing this, I’ll return to my room and relaxing and nap. I have a dinner date with Nabil and Libby at 6:30pm. He is the man from Egypt whom I brought into the church two weeks ago. Another relaxing day as I recover. I am feeling so much better.

I slept very well last night. Don’t think I coughed much at all. I went to bed around 10pm when I had returned from the Pre-Cana meeting and although I set the TV to go off around midnight. I didn’t see the end of “Unforgetable”, which is a neat show about a woman who remembered everything she ever saw.

I came over to the office around 9 because I had a 10am appointment but he wrote that he didn’t feel well and cancelled.
At 11am I had a funeral for a woman who was born in 1919 in Hungary. She lived through two world wars and the Communist takeover. She left in 1958 by pretending that she and her daughters were attending the World’s Fair in Brussel. She came to this country and raised her daughter. She has grandchildren and great grandchildren. I was impressed by her strength and faith and talked about that at her Mass. A neighbor also spoke and told more about her faith. She was cremated and we went to Rock Creek Cemetery for the burial. It was raining and seemed most appropriate that even creation would be saddened by her death.
When I came home, I took a short nap and then had three Confirmation interviews – all students that I had taught in their 6th grade. It was nice to see how grownup they are. All are awaiting the letters that will be mailed out next Thursday telling them by what Catholic High School they have been accepted. They are excited.

I had a couple that were suppose to come and see me tonight but I called and told them not to come. I spoke with the deacon from their parish and he met with them last night and went over what I would have talked about. I figured that with all they have to do, they didn’t need one more meeting about stuff that they already knew. I will say the Mass at the Cathedral on March 17th but the deacon will preach and officiate at the vows; so he has done all the work.

Instead, I’m off to supper at the rectory, watch a little TV, take my magic elixer and hopefully sleep through the night.