What Paddy Shot At

Hello, I am in hopes that above this message, you were able to see a picture of Joe Stoutz, me, John Bohrer, and Dwight Birket sitting on a bench in the 30th Street train station. If not, I’ll try it again later.

I had a great Thanksgiving. It was balmy here and so around 9:30AM, I drove to the New Carrolton Train and parked my car in a spot on the first floor and walked about a quarter of a football field to the station. I was very early so I read three America magazines that I had brought with me. At 11:37, I went up to the platform. I thought I’d be smart and I had paid the little extra to be in the “business” coach because it stops right near the elevator. Well yesterday, it was the last car and I had to walk down the platform for a ways. It was OK and as soon as I sat down, I took out the electrical cords and plugged my oxygen in. By the time I got to Philly, the battery was full again.

For the first time in about 40 years I didn’t have Mass on Thanksgiving. Always during. before and after Mass, I use to call to mind by name all the wonderful people that God has “peppered my life with” – and asked God to bless them. It was easy to do and calling to mind a person or a family, or a parish or GC, would call to mind other names. I did that all the way to Philly – about an hour and a half. I just looked out the window and the faces came to me and I said their name. I must have said about 800 names. What a special prayer of Thanksgiving.

When I got to the 30th Street station, I walked out to the “pick up” area and Joe Stoutzenberger was there. (This is in case, you don’t know) Joe is a professor of Theology at Holy Family University. He is a published author of many books and he and I wrote the Church History book that has been used in Catholic High Schools and in RCIA programs. We met at Mt. St. Paul Seminary in Waukesha, Wisconsin over 50 years ago. Joe has three children and four grandchildren. You can’t tell from the picture but he is 6 foot 5.

We drove over to Ponzio’s, a diner near Cherry Hill that we had eaten at many times. I have always liked New Jersey diners.

There we met John Bohrer and Dwight Birket. John is a priest of Camden and is pastor of Mother Teresa parish made of two former parishes in nearby Haddon Heights and Westmont. It is a great and lively parish, with a great website.

Dwight, who is a “retired” priest of Wichita, Kansas. Although I learned that day, that he is anything by retired! He covers parishes and teaches in Catholic High schools. It was so good of him to come out East to have supper together. We three met at St. Nazianz’s seminary in 1963. We’ve all stayed friends over the years.

The diner was full and although it seems to hold over 200 people, people kept going and going and we were seated early. We had a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings and laughed and talked. Oh, we prayed too. John had a wonderful prayer for us and we said it together. We finished eating around 4:30 and they all took me back to the train station and waited to see if I could take an earlier train. I could and so I left around 6:15. I was back in New Carrolton by 8:30 and home in the rectory by 9:15. There wasn’t much traffic and I was in bed and asleep by 10pm. It was a great way to spend Thanksgiving.

This morning I took the 6:30AM and met with my friend, Ellen’s brothers. They had called me last night to let me know that she had died peacefully on Thanksgiving. Her funeral will be next Saturday and we made some plans. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. The office is closed today so I went back to the rectory and took a nap. I am now over here because I had exposition at 3pm and will have the 5:30pm Mass. I wanted to share my day with you and to say I hope that the day was for you, full of family, friends and laughter. Know how grateful I am to call you friends and family.

I just checked and the photo worked. Praise God and in the future I shall try to add photos.

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