Today is Thursday – and in some places, it is Ascension Thursday but it seems it isn’t here – More about that later. I want to bring you up to speed on what has been happening since Saturday, May 17th.
I wrote that day that I had just finished a baptism and was heading down to Maggie’s to spend the night. Well, I didn’t! Right after I sent off Paddy, I got a phone call from Paul and Ellen. They wanted to know if I was still coming to the luncheon meeting that I thought was scheduled for Sunday but was on Saturday. I told them I had another baptism and so I wouldn’t be there. Then I called Maggie and told her I wasn’t coming down as I didn’t have a meeting on Sunday in St. Mary’s County. I then told Fr. Ron that I would be around so I could take another Mass on Sunday. So I had the 12:30 and the 5:30. I did have the Confirmation Enrollment, which was very nice. I had a very easy day! Maggie, Sue and Mike, and Pat Dulaney, a friend from Florida, and I all went to a Portuguese restaurant downtown. They have all these extra foods and then they bring around lots of different kinds of meats on poles and you turn your little circle to green until you want a break and you turn the circle (like a drink coaster) to red and they stop. Mike and Sue treated us and it was great and we all had a wonderful time.
On Monday, the 19th, I had the 11am Mass and then we had moved “Tuesdays with Fr. Maury” to Monday because we had to. Our topic was “Our Lady and many people brought statues and we talked about family customs. That night there was a catered supper for the RCIA group but I wasn’t feeling so good in the afternoon and went to bed early.
Tuesday, I still didn’t feel so good; so I said the 11am, got some soup and went back to bed. That night I did get up and go over to the library for the Play reading group. I didn’t read but I enjoyed the others. We had a great discussion afterwards.
On Wednesday, I went to St. Elizabeth’s for school confessions. I had exposition at 3 and Mass at 5:30. I went to bed early again.
On Thursday, I met with a lady who is not a Catholic but wants her two children to be baptized. We had a very good discussion and will meet again. Then I met Ann Sheridan for lunch and then went to St. Luke’s for confessions. I got there early (around 1:30) and walked to the elevator in the back. It had a sign that it was being repaired and wouldn’t be usable for 8 weeks. I was sure there was another one nearby and I walked to it and took it to the second floor. I walked back to the front and ran into a wall that would not allow me to go to the office I usually went to. So I walked back down the hall and then down two flights of steps and walked to the front and ask them to call the Sister who arranged for me to come. She came and was so apologetic because I was perspiring like a fountain. She arranged for a room on that hall and put up a note so people could find me. She also got me a glass of water and very soon my breathing was normal. Confessions were, as always, a time of grace. I drove home, had dinner with the guys and went to bed.
On Friday, I had the 8am Mass and went to Leisure World to visit a friend and have lunch. Then I headed to Southern Maryland. The traffic on 301 was bumper to bumper and I didn’t get to Loyola Retreat House till after 5pm. I was joining 27 other people for a retreat. They are members of Separated and Divorced Catholics and have an annual retreat over Memorial Day. It was my first experience and I want to say what a grace filled weekend it was.
Over the three days, I gave some reflections and they broke into small groups and discussed. I learned a lot. I heard of the pain, they experienced when they discovered that something they said vows in front of God to a person they loved, was over. Some people were divorced twenty years ago and some were just finishing up the separation and facing a divorce. Sadly, they also shared that the church and some of it members (as well as priests) had told them they were not welcome and couldn’t receive Communion and other erroneous statements. We had great liturgies and mealtime sharing. I felt honored to be with them.
One thing they mentioned was that they never heard about their situations at church. So I came home to the 5;30pm on Sunday and changed my homily. The second reading says, “Be prepared to share with other the reasons for your joy”. So I told them about the weekend and I ended by saying “if you know someone who is in this situation and they don’t feel welcome at church; you tell them to come here. This is their parish and they belong with us. The Pope wrote a letter in which he said to share the joy of the Gospel. You do that and give people hope.” As I walked to my chair, they applauded; and while I stood at the back of the church as they left, at least six people said they were divorced and they thanked me for making them feel welcomed. Ah, God is good. How good is the Good God!
Monday was Memorial Day and I was planning just to relax; fortunately, Sunday night I got a message from Fr. Bill Feeney. He was spending a week with his cousins in Columbia and was free Monday morning. I called him. We were roommates (in bunk beds) almost 50 years ago and have stayed “good friend”. I drove out to the McKayhill’s and visited with Mary and Bill. Kevin had to work. Then Bill and I went to Double T diner and had a sumptuous breakfast and sat and talked for almost three hours. I drove home and spent the evening watching a replay of the Memorial Day concert at the Capital. I cried a lot and I watched the Pope’s trip to the Holy Land. I mostly rejoiced but I think I cried too.
Also I received a phone call from Pat Powell. She and Dave moved out to Nevada a couple of years ago. She is Betty Neary’s cousin and was calling to tell me that Betty had a fall and was in the hospital in York, Pennsylvania. We had a good talk and I got Betty’s phone number.
I called her and she was in good spirits and NO PAIN. We talked for an hour
Tuesday was very interesting. We had our annual meeting for all the retired priests, the Cardinal, and the Retirement Board. We met at the St. John Vianney House and had a good meal. I always enjoy seeing the other retirees. I had Exposition at 3 and the 5:30pm Mass. I did call Betty again and she was still waiting to see about re-hab. I went to bed early because I knew that Wednesday would be full.
And Wednesday was, I met Pat Waters at the Bob Evan’s in Bowie at 9am. We had a delicious breakfast and I caught up on her situation. The doctors have cleared her and she learned a few more things about her diabetes. We went to see “Captain America”. It was exciting and full of those action scenes I love; but when it was over, I suggested we not go to another movie but instead go visit Barbara Ostrye. We did and she joined us by coming to the 5:30pm Mass at Blessed Sacrament. During the Mass, which had about 60 people there, it occurred to me that they might have come thinking it was the Vigil Mass for Ascension Thursday. I had done the readings and the prayers for Wednesday of the 6th Week of Easter. So I made an announcement that if they had come intending to celebrate Ascension; they were dispensed from the need to come the next day. After Mass, I learned that almost 12 years ago, the Cardinal moved the celebration of the Ascension to a Sunday and it will be June 1st. It good I retired!! Then, the three of us had supper at Savannah’s in Kensington. We took Barbara home and went and Pat picked up her car from Bob Evan’s parking lot and then I drove home. I had forgot to tell Pat to call me; so around 10pm, I called her brother Terry just to be sure she got home – and she did! She is leaving Sunday to drive back to Newfoundland.
Today, I slept in (it was not a Holy Day!!) and at Noon, Brian Mulholland picked me up and we went to Maggiano’s and met my cousin, Mike Caruso. His birthday is April 1st and we have been trying since then to get together. We had a great time and many laughs! We intend to do it again sooner than later. I interviewed a student from the school and am going over to have supper with the guys.
And now you know why the days just fly by. I’ve also been on the phone a lot; but I will try to be more regular in writing.