Since I wrote that belated message, I have been busy again today. As we were going to bed early this morning, Fr. Jim offered to take the 7:30 Mass that I was scheduled for; I was happy to let him do so. So I slept in till 8:00am.
Then I went to my office and looked through some files to find some material. I made copies and took them with me to a 9:00am Communion call. Her name is Nancy Clarke and she is 90 years old. I went to see her after another priests from Delaware called and asked me to visit her. We had two great visits and then I couldn’t get any responses to my phone calls and messages. Yesterday, I called her and she answered and she hadn’t received any of my attempts. So I went today. On our first visit, she mentioned that she had gone to St. Cecilia’s High School and that led me to ask if she might have known Sister Victoria, CSC. Well she was thrilled “Oh yes, she was my music teacher and taught me to play the harp” So today I took her any old photo of sister in her habit from 1935 and some pictures of her at her 100th birthday in March of 2001 at St. Mary’s in Indiana. I also gave her a copy of the homily at her funeral in November of 2001. She use to run Camp St. Vincent de Paul in Annapolis where I worked in the summers when I was in the seminary.
I had the 12:30pm Mass and it was standing room. I told them I was “stealing the homily from Cardinal McCarrick” because I thought it was so wonderful. I don’t think I did justice to it, but I think they liked the message.
Then I took a nap and at 5pm, I met Fr. Trancone for dinner and we went to see the movie, “Burlesque”. It was a musical with Cher and Christina Augilar and very splashy and loud but I enjoyed it.
And now, I just finished working on my homily for tomorrow, the feast of the Holy Family, and I think I’ll go to bed.
On the radio in the car they were calling for lots of snow tomorrow. I have the 7:30am and the 12:30pm, so I only have to walk a couple of hundred feet from the rectory over to the church. We’ll see what happens. Merry Christmas everyone.
Merry Christmas to you! I, too, am awaiting the snow. Not planning to leave Charlestown today or tomorrow so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
A sister in my community is working in Haiti. We hear about the pain and suffering, but this shows us another side. Clarice writes:
Midnight Mass was awesome. The Church rocked, the people swayed, the singing was enthusiastic, the Church was packed.
The trumpets played a solemn “O HOLY NIGHT”. The people in the Church were silent.
The procession started with the choir who were wearing white gowns and a light blue shoulder cape with a blue waist band. They did not march in but they danced into Church.
The choir was followed by the pastor, Father Wilner, carrying a Haitian baby Jesus lying on a white cloth. He carried it so gently one would think that it was a real baby. He placed it in the crib made of cardboard then read the Christmas story at the crib. A vigil light was put in the manger.
At the Gloria thirteen young girls (ages about 10-12) came out of the doors leading to the sacristy. They were dressed in white dresses, red bow in hair and red socks. No shoes. They danced..the most graceful dances you ever want to see. Each carried several branches with leaves and as they raised their arms the branches together appeared like a tree.
The music was playing through all of this. They danced for 15 minutes. After the Gloria “Silent Night” was sung by the choir and all in the Church.
During the homily Father spoke of the meaning of Christmas and in the middle of the homily he started to sing a Haitian Christmas song and all the people joined in the singing…”Every day is Christmas…Christmas is love etc” then he continued the homily. I have never met a Haitian who could not sing.
Then another group of eight girls came out dancing (ages about 14-15) wearing blue skirts, white tee shirts, a red band around their heads and barefoot. They did another beautiful and graceful dance. The music was joyful. All of the music and readings were in the Haitian language….Creole.
The kiss of peace took a while because everyone greeted everyone else.
As we left the Church many of my patients came to greet me. I was moved.