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.
so glad all went will in Pittsburgh, we did remember you were there and know you had many things to do, but know that i had you in my prayer. please take care and hope to talk soon. tish
Three cheers for caring about women. Let’s all pray (very hard) that NCEA refuses to host future conferences in places where women are not respected as equals and totally involved in liturgy and prayer.