I know that some of you must be worried that I haven’t written lately. I thought I wrote in late June or early July but I can’t find them and so I guess I didn’t. I am sorry but there has been a lot going on and lots of “loose ends” in my life. I learned of 4 deaths of friends. I am unable to participate in their funerals and that is a sadness for me. Please keep Bob Luczak, who has been a friend since St. Vincent’s. Marie Wallace, whose husband, Bob, died a few months ago and I was able to preach at his funeral. They were parishioners at St. Camillus and in my Teams of Our Lady. I wasn’t able to be at her funeral. Margaret Smith, another Camillus parishioner and who with her husband were also in our Team. And Betty Neary, a dear friend from St. Bernard’s, who helped me with choreography for the musicals at St. Camillus and Good Counsel. I did get up to visit her with Joan Beall about three weeks before her death. Rose (and Patty Petrone, who come and shop for me or take me for a ride) drove Joan and me up and we had a great visit. Please keep these beloved dead and their families in your prayers.
Since I can’t go very far because of the oxygen, some friends have taken to come and visit me and we “picnic in”. I love it because I just sit in the chair and can leave the big tank on #2 and it will last for hours. I do have to get them picked up and replaced but the small tanks I can fill again from the machine in my room. I am still able to go across to the church for Mass, baptisms, and confessions. I haven’t been staying in the office at the parish center because of the weather. I prefer my suite (where the AC is in the sixties) Among my visitors were former students from GC ( Bob and Sue Chambers, their son, Joe and Domenico and Jane Sofia and Barry Fitz) Pat McGrath came to report on a 7 months job loan out to California. Rev. Mr. Patrick Mullan (who was ordained a deacon in June) came by so I could ask for his blessing. Kate Menting and her daughter, Kim came down from Wisconsin to visit Kim’s son, who is stationed in the Air Force. They are the family of my classmate, Roger. He died last year. We had a lovely visit. I talked by phone to Carmen and John Bohrer (both in New Jersey)Pat Berry in Chicago and Steve O’Gara in Minneapolis. And I regularly contact my Pittsburgh and Greensburg “family”.
I talked last night to Joe Stoutz to see how Mary’s knee surgery went and it sounds good. He is going to have surgery in August. Bill Berry is also having some tests. So keep all my friends (and all the people on my “prayer list” in your prayers as well.
I am still working on my 2017 Christmas news, so don’t give up on me. Maybe staying close to the oxygen will help me finish. Some of you know that every 4 months or so, I have been meeting 4 priest friends for dinner and solving the problems of the church. I think they might come here and “picnic in”. Also Barb Ostrye and Barry and I are planning a picnic. In late August, the Separated and Divorced group will come for Mass and a dinner in the rectory. We tried the dinner part in June (Sister Agnes came from Pa) and we had a great time. So I guess I’ll start being like “Auntie Mame” and have gatherings like she had.
I’m really tired and I have to take a nap as I have the 5:30pm Mass, I know that I’ve missed a lot of things (Like Fr. Mike Roach’s birthday, Mary Mudd’s birthday, Tish Rossi’s birthday and Frances Sampogna’s birthdays).Keep Fr. Ray Wadas, Fr. Trancone, and all the priests at the O’Boyle residence in your prayers. A wonderful priest of the Archdiocese, Mike Fisher, was made our auxiliary bishop. And still I’ve forgotten stuff.
So I will try to keep up the rest of July.