What Paddy Shot At

I’ve had quite a week.

As last I wrote, I did drive to Pittsburgh on Monday. It was a beautiful day and took about 6 hours with some breaks. Joe and I checked into the Westin Hotel (which is attacked to the convention center) and Pat Berry arrived shortley thereafter. Joe went to the baseball game and Pat and I walked to an Italian restaurant in Market Square. It was good but we took a cab back as it was a long walk down. I rented a cart and it arrived that evening.

On Tuesday, we went to the Opening Liturgy. The presider was the bishop of Pittsburgh, David Zubik. He gave a good homily and the music was great. The hall was full – about 5,000 people. The only thing that was not good was there was not a woman on the altar. Since his homily was about Mary Magdalene and the congregation was almost 90% women, I thought that was a very thoughtless plan. Afterwards, Cardinal Wuerl gave the keynote and it was very good and on “the new evangelization”.
At 2:45, Joe and I gave our presentation on coming into the church. It went very well and I think the people who attended took something away about the communion of saints and the attractiveness of the church. There were many who are involved in RCIA and they shared on why people are joining the church in their communities.
Joe, Pat, Regina and her friend, Pat and I all had supper together. We had a good time and around 9pm, Dwight and all the gang from Wichita finally got here – after a lot of problems with planes. Joe went to see them in their hotel and the rest of us went off to bed.
On Wednesday morning, Joe left by train to go back to Philly. It is the end of the school year at the University and he had to be there for the last classes.
I went to some sessions. I saw lots of old friends – Dan Curtin, Kelly Branamon, Patty Weizel-O’Neil; and met some new ones. I also went to a talk by a Sister Pat McCann. I saw it listed and wondered if it could be an old friend – it was. She is a sister of Mercy and taught me Church History over 40 years ago at St. Vincent’s. We had a great visit.
Went to the Mass in the afternoon and the presider was Bishop Blase Cupich, of Spokane, Washington. He was very good and staying in my hotel. I met him in the lobby and we had a chance to talk. One of his seminarians, who was just ordained a deacon and is studying at Catholic University, helps us at the parish. I told the bishop what a great preacher, David is. He told me that when he was stationed in Washington at the Vatican Embassy, he use to help out here at Blessed Sacrament in the days of Monsignor Duffy and how much he enjoyed it. He had been glad to hear that Deacon David was here also.
Tom Kredel came to the Mass and afterwards drove Dwight, me, Pat, and Fr. John O’Keefe from Lincoln out to a restaurant and Bob Norton came and joined us. We had a great time.

On Thursday, I picked up Regina and we headed back to Philly. Pat took the shuttle out to the airport and headed home to Chicago. The trip to Philly was easy and we were there in time for Regina’ family to give us a nice Carbonara meal. I left around 6pm and was home by 9. It was good to be in my own bed.

Friday was a day of recovery and catching up.

On Saturday, I had the funeral of one of my Communion Calls. She was a lovely lady who three year’s ago was diagnosed with Lou Kehig’s. She went through it with dignity and faith. Her funeral was well attended by friends in the news field. Please keep Sally and Bill (her husband) in your prayers.
I spent much of Saturday watching the show in Rome. It was so exciting and I’m glad I got a chance to see much of it.

On Sunday, I concelebrated the 9am Mass and then met with a former student of mine. That was nice.
Then I picked up my sister, Marie, and we went down to Jesus the Good Shepherd parish for Cathleen’s (Maggie’ grandchild) Frist Communion. They do it by family and it is so nice. Afterwards, we went to a great seafood retaurant and I ate crabs – how I have missed them this year!!
I was home before dark and glad to get to bed.

Today, I had the 11am Mass and tried to get all the baptisms aranged and filed. I also have been on the phone a lot. Catching up. Please keep Doug Hanratty, my roomate from the seminary and a close friend over the years, in your prayers. He will have surgery on Wednesday.

This week is also Gail Douglas and Sr. Kass Collin’s birthdays. So keep them in your prayers.

I think I am caught up. So I will say Goodnight.

All week long, I’ve been meaning to write but the time just flew by. We just finished our Easter Vigil service. It began at 8pm and took over 2 hours; but it was beautiful and moving. But tothe week.

On Monday, I had the stations with the middle school at 9:15am. I just love that practice and especially with the kids. Then I heard a confession and had 11am Mass. Then I met with Lisa, who is taking instructions with me because she can’t come to RCIA on Mondays. That evening, I went up to give a talk at RCIA but it was the night for the rehearsal for Easter and it got all confused. I went to bed early.

I had the 8:00am Mass on Tuesday because I had to take my taxes to my dear, Mary Rose. She made it work and I don’t think I’m going to jail I then went to the Manning Center and said Mass at noon for the senior citizens. Many of the group from “Tuesdays with Fr. Maury” were there. We had a nice lunch afterwards. Since it was a rainy day afterwards, I went and took a long nap.
I had supper with the guys and then heard confessions for about an hour. Then I stopped in to the play reading group and once again was in bed early.

On Wednesday, I switched and said the 6:30am Mass so that I could take my sister, Marie to have a MRI in Laurel. It went smoothly but we were there about 2 hours. She won’t get the results for a week or so, but keep her in your prayers. We had a nice time and went to lunch at Boston Market.
At 230pm, the girls from St. John’s came again and helped me straighten up my office. They got the bookcases all organized and neat looking.
We had confessions again and it was well attended and people needed to come. Again, early to bed.

On Thursday, I picked up Pat Waters and we went to see two movie, Noah, and The Grand Hotel of Budapesh. They were different but I’m glad we went. We had lunch and then I dropped her off at Joan B’s and then came home, spent some time with Bishop Holley, and then concelebrated our Holy Thursday night liturgy. It was beautiful but as soon as it was done; I got in the car and picked up Joan and Pat and we went visiting 7 churches. (two were closed but we counted them!!). I got home around 1am and went to bed quickly.

On Good Friday, I had the stations at Noon and spent much of the rest of the time, calling people on the phone. I had a great time and I think they did too. I was on the altar for the service at 7pm and then I went to bed.

Today, I took my car to Jiffy Lube and worked at my desk. I took a couple of naps and was ready for the service at 8pm. So now your up to date. I have the 12:30pm Mass tomorrow and then I head up to Philly to spend the night at Joe’s.
On Monday, he, Regina Housel, and I will drive out to Pittsburgh to attend the NCEA convention from Tuesday to Thursday. May not get a chance to write again till Friday, when I’ll be home.
Know that you and yours were in my prayers throughout Holy Week. Christ is Risen, truly He is risen, Alleluia.

Before I get back to the trip; I wanted to update you on this last week.

Bill’s funeral went very well and at the luncheon afterwards, I had the chance to sit with Stephen (the youngest son) and his wife and met their children. It is hard to believe that his children are teenagers.
On the way home, I stopped by to visit Dot Witte Furnary. I had gone to see her when she was in the nursing home near Leisure World; but she was too ill to visit. Now she is at a rehab place near Good Counsel. Bill’s wife, Joanne was also visiting her so I gave Dot the Sacrament of the Sick and Communion for them both. It was so good to see how well she has recovered.
Later, I stopped in to Knollwood and anointed Tom. He has hospice and was unresponsive; but as they told us in the seminary, you never know what they can hear – so be loud and clear!!

On Sunday, the 6th, I had the 12:30pm Mass and then went to speak with a couple who was coming to the baptismal prep meeting. I ended up giving the class as Fr. Justin hadn’t gotten the schedule, which was published last Fall. I had a ball and met lots of the people whose paperwork I’ve been working with.

On Monday, I had the 11am Mass and then met with Lisa, who is interested in coming into the church but came too late for RCIA.
She is using Joe’s book and loves it.
Then I picked up Fr. Beattie and drove with him to Margaret Morse’s wake near here. Both her husband and her son died late last year and her family has had enough sorrow.
That night, I drove to Virginia and met a couple who would like to get an anullment and were referred to me by a priest in Pittsburgh. It was a delightful meeting and I will be working with them on this.

On Tuesday, I had Margaret’s funeral at the chapel in Rock Creek Cemetary. It was well attended and Mike Jone’s acted as my server, chauffer, and aide. He also told me that Fr. Edson Wood, an Augustinian priest who taught at Good Counsel, had had a stroke and died. Please keep him in your prayers. He taught Latin. Requiescat in Pace.
That night I said Mass for all the deceased members of the Queen of Peace group of the Sodality. It was a very nice crowd. They invited me for some refreshments but I went home and went to bed.

On Wednesday, I had confessions for school children at St. Elizabeth’s; then I had the 11am Mass. Then I headed out to Philly to visit Joe, John and Terry. As I drove through the toll booth, the notice told me that my tags were invalid. I just drove on. Then I went to get gas and I realized that I would drive through three more booths before I got to Philly. I figured that at some point, the police would pull me over; so I turned around and went back through the tunnel and went home. I went to bed as I was quite shaken by all this.

On Thursday, I spent 2 hours on the phone trying to straighten this out. It turns out that on March 10th in Chicago, I used my credit card at a Walgreens and my credit union put a hold on my card. I was never informed and as I used up the money on my ezpass went down, they tried to replesh it but my credit card wouldn’t work and so my tags became invalid. I thought I would scream but I didn’t!!!! At the end, it got straightened out but it took its’ TOLL on me. I spent much of the rest of the day in bed!!

On Friday, I went to Our Lady of Victory for school confessions and then came home and met with a parishion. I spent the afternoon with Sarah to clean my room. Maggie Scott, another girl from my 6th greade class, joined her and we “caught up” on all the other students – where they are in high schools, how tall they’ve gotten, etc.!!!!
Then I had the 5:30pm Mass, and then Stations. Well attended. There was pizza afterwards. I didn’t go but someone brought me two pieces.

On Saturday, I met a young couple to help them set up their wedding in 2015. Lovely couple!!
I also prayed for Marie and Ken on this their wedding day. I wasn’t up to doing it but I greatly enjoyed them. May God bless them and their families.

Today, I had the 7:30am Mass. I did preach a short homily inviting the parishions to come to the services during Holy Week.
I didn’t read Jesus in the passion and didn’t help with Communion. I love that Spring is finally here and the flowers look great; however the pollen is terrible and my lungs keep filling up. When I finish this, I’m off to my room (and the airconditioning!!)

Know that all of you and your families will be in my prayers and services during Holy Week.

I do apologize again that it has been so long since I wrote. I don’t know where the time goes! A month ago, I left on the train from Chicago to go to California. Our train left at 3pm from Union Station. It left on time. We were shown our “sleepette”, which was up a very steep staircase. I did not come down it again till we got off in Los Angeles. Our room was about 11 feet by 6 feet. It has a sofa against one wall that came up to the window. Past the window was a chair that swiveled. The wall behind it separated us from and the people next door. Then a door that led into a space that can only be described as a closet, with a toilet, just the size of a seated person, and a shower head that moved back and forth and sometime, hit against a pipe, causing the shower to go on and pour water on anyone in its field of vision. I did this a few time!!

We settled in, and signed in for dinner at 6:30pm. We relaxed and watched the scenery pass by. When dinner was announced, we went to the dining car. It was two very long train cars away. Also, it had gotten dark and the train was tossing along. We sat with a lovely lady named Gloria, who was taking the train to visit her son in California. She was very interesting and had a daughter, who is an artist. We got back to our cabin and our beds were “made up”. Mine was easy as it was basically the sofa with the back cushions pulled down and sheets put on it. Poor Pat, had to climb up a ladder and sleep in, what he described as “a coffin that had your head about 6 inches from the roof”. He also had to get into and out of a contraption that was to keep him from falling out during the night. As bad as it was, he chose the top after I said to him, “Do you really want to be in this bottom bunk, knowing that I (and my over 300 lb body could come down upon you as you sleep?” We both read for while and then went off to sleep.

During the night (around 2am), John Bohrer and Dwight Birket, two priests friends who were with Pat and me in the seminary in Wisconsin in September, 1963, came onto the train in Kansas. We all met for breakfast and laughed and laughed. During the rest of the day, we sat together in the observation car or we visited in our rooms or ate meals together. It was great to be with all.

The next morning, we arrived at Union Station and Patricia Horan and Mike Granados, two close friends from the old days at St. Bernard’s, met us and took us on a little tour of the old city and we had a great Mexican lunch. Then, they had arranged a tour of the new Cathedral. It is about six years old, the other one was over 300 years old but was damaged by earthquakes and so this new one was built. I won’t do justice to the great tour our docent gave us but let me say, that if you get a chance to visit it; do so! Notice the tapestries on the sides that seem to be moving towards the altar. A local artist did sketches from life and made them models for some of the saints that you would know – Sts. Ignatius, Dominic, Francis, Catherine of Siena, Therese, and so many others. He also has 12 people (young, old, men, women, small children) who are dressed in contemporary clothes among them; for he says those are the saints of the third millennium. His final drawings were sent to Belgium, where they were woven into the tapestries. Just magnificent!!!

Also there is a fountain in the out of doors as you come onto the property. ”Welcome” is written in 43 languages at the base of the fountain because Mass is celebrated in 43 different languages in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. After this great visit, Pat and Mike drove us to Anaheim, where the LACongress was being held. We arrived the day before and there were 15,000 young people participating in Youth Day. The congress started on Friday. There were 40,000 participants. A story for another day.

I have a few moments before I go and pick up Joan B for the trip up to Hickory for Bill Jones’ funeral. Bill was a parishioner at St. Camillus and could built or repair anything. He built all the scenery for the musicals that the teen club did. He was the cook for the CYO sports camp and for our retreats. His family was involved in all the parish activities and I was a guest at their home for lots of celebrations. He and Marylu moved away but I kept in touch and baptized great grandchildren. His family is very special to me and it will be good to see them. Please keep all of them in your prayers. It was a long dying!

I am sorry about not writing. I have been really busy since I returned on Monday, April 24th. As soon of you know, I am not the contact person for the Baptisms here. It is a lot of paperwork (never my strong suite!) and you have to do emails, phone calls, and making reservations in the church book – and changing them! There are 32 baptisms in the book between now and August. Everyday, someone contacts me. So that’s why I haven’t written. I am well and still “high” about the trip – which I will write about soon.

Thanks for your comments and your concern. As I often say when someone comments on my homily, “I’m just glad to know someone is listening”. Well, I’m glad someone is reading and I will do some writing over the weekend.