I have started at least three messages and then got distracted and I lost them some how. Today, I am staying here in the parish center as I have some interviews for First Communion around 4pm and then the 5:30pm and then my cousins from New York are going to pick me up and we’ll go out to dinner.
But since last I wrote on March 7th, I have been busy. I did hear confession that night and was busy but I loved it. I came home and went right to bed as I had the 8am Mass on Thursday and I have discovered that I need to get up at 6am to be ready for getting dressed and over to the parish center so I am breathing normally by the 8am Mass. After Mass, I worked in the office because Joe Stoutz and his new wife, Mary were coming by to pick me up for lunch. It turned out that Fr. John Bohrer came down with them; and Joe’s son, Tim (who lives here in DC) joined us at Clyde’s for lunch. We has a great time and John (in honor of my sister Marie) picked up the tab. That’s a story I told at her funeral Mass. I had a few more interviews and again I went to bed early.
On Friday, March 9th (the feast of St. Frances of Rome) I preached about her at the 8am and at the 5:30pm Mass. She was my Mom’s patron saint. I went out to lunch with the Petrones and we had a lot of laughs.
On Saturday, the 10th, Fr. Matthew Carroll, O.P. came to visit me at the rectory. He was assigned here in 2009, while a seminarian to help with RCIA. He was delightful and I found out that he was the nephew of Mary Carroll Pendergraph Smith, a dear friend from St. Camillus days. He was in town for the deaconate ordinations at the Shrine and came by around 3pm. He is now stationed in New York at a high school. We had a wonderful “catch up” time together. I went to bed early because this was the night we lose an hour.
I woke up on Sunday and it was still dark at 7am. They tell me that it will change. I had the 10:30am Mass in the gym. I don’t think I told you that the Cardinal asked all the priests of the diocese to preach on Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ exhortation after the synods that were held in 2014 and 2015. He asked us to use the A year readings and I have to admit they fit well with my homilies at the 5:30pm Masses on Saturday, March 3rd and Sunday, March 4th. It was the woman at the well – one of my favorite Gospels. At the gym Mass, the reading was the man born blind and again, it fit well with my homily about the Pope’s letter to encourage priests, bishops, and laity to “accompany” families that may be experiencing problems. It is a wonderful letter and very “readable”.
I slept in on Monday because it was soooo cold. I came over for the 5 :30pm Mass and then returned home quickly and went to bed.
I had a funeral on Tuesday. Please keep Sissi and her family in your prayers. She lived in the parish all her life and went to the school. Then she lived a very exciting life (which I heard about from her sister’s reflection) in Disney World and the city government. She had a home in Delaware and that is where she died. But she wanted to come home to SBS. There must have been 300 people here. I didn’t feel up to going out so I missed the funereal luncheon but I hear it was great. I met with someone for confessions and then heard the School of Religion confessions.
Although Wednesday, the 14th was mi Dia de libre, I did come over at 8:30 and heard school confessions till 11:30. Then the ladies and I went out. When I came home, I ate and went to bed. I had planned to hear the evening confessions but it was so cold outside that all I wanted to do was get in a warm bed and sleep.
Thursday, I had the 8am Mass and then we heard more school confessions for a couple of hours. I met someone in my office. and then had some interviews. I went home and worked on the Christmas cards and went to bed early.
I’ve been having such a hard time getting my breathing back to normal; I asked Joan to bring me the cart to the rectory and I rode over; said the 11am Mass and rode back to the rectory.
On Saturday, I wasn’t scheduled for anything and I stayed in the suite all morning. It was NOT my usual St. Patrick’s Day celebration. I was planning to attend a retreat for special needs families but Fr. Bill was doing it and he also had confessions; so I took the confessions. My favorite thing to do. You meet people as they are trying to do better.
Sunday, the 18th, I had the 7:30am Mass and the 12:30PM Mass. The Gospel was Lazarus. Again, it was so appropriate to Amoris Laetitia. I hope lots of people will read it. Fr. Bill told me and I told them, that we’d have nice copies for them after Easter. Again it was cold and I was glad to get home. I made macaroni and cheese.
Today, I had the 11am Mass and I will have the 5:30pm. I love St. Joseph and I prayed for all the wonderful Josephs that God has put in my life. After Mass, I went to the senior group for a combined St. Patrick and St. Joseph celebration. I wasn’t feeling well so I came home early. I had a very nice boy, Jack to interview and as my second had to cancel, I am finishing up this message before I go up for the 5:30pm Mass. I’m looking forward to being with my cousins. I’ll write about that next time.
Since I’ve been staying in because of the cold, I have used the phone a lot. I was glad to “catch up” on family and friends. Please keep Fr. Beattie and Betty Neary in your prayers. Also, by chance I called Maggie and it’s good I did she left this morning with JoAnn to spend 5 days in Puerto Rico. She gets it from my mother!
Don’t give up on the Christmas Cards. They should be there around Easter. Keep me in your prayers and know that you are in mine.