Just finished the 8am Mass and as I am not scheduled for anything else today and have the 10:30am on Sunday (but the deacon will preach); I am determined to write a nice long message for Paddy today. I did write on August 9th but a lot has happened since; so, here goes.
I wrote during the day that Maggie and Mary Ann had come and picnicked in with me for Mary Ann’s birthday. It was lovely and after they left, I went and celebrated the 5:30pm Mass. Around 7pm, Tom Favret and his wife, who was born in Poland, and Loretta Favret, his sister came and brought pictures of the family. Tom and Silvia had been in Ottawa, Canada where Tom was stationed in our embassy there. They are being transferred to Mexico City. their three children, who are in college and high school will be in schools in Canada, the USA, and France. They will be living in 4 countries but they tell me that Scip (spelling?) will keep them in touch. Their family photo is now on my Wall of Memories. Loretta is the new principal of Little Flower parish in Bethesda. She has been in education positions in Montgomery county for years and on retiring, decided to go to the Catholic system, of which she is a product of elementary, high school, and college Catholic schools. she will be great. It was a fun evening of stories and laughter.
We are back to 4 priests, so I only had one Mass a day. It has been hot and rainy again, so I came back to the suite as soon as Mass was over. My air conditioning runs all the time and I often get in bed with extra covers. The cool air helps my breathing. I still meet with people for spiritual direction and/or confessions; but we often do that downstairs in one of the parlors. Gail Battle came and we picnicked in and caught up on all the news. Her parents had a good visit out to Missouri and she told me that Fr. Ray Wadas may have to have his back surgery redone and then he’ll be in shady Grove for rehab. It’s a good place and where Joan Beall went for her recovery. I saw the Petrones and they brought Father T out and we went to lunch. They are so good to both of us. They (and Colleen and Monty) also do some shopping for me.
On the 18th, we had a Mass at 4pm in the fireplace room for about 25 members of the SDC (Separated and Divorced Catholic) group of which I am chaplain. We had a pot luck supper afterwards and there was food to be taken home (just like the baskets left over after the feeding of the 5,000). I really enjoyed myself because they put me in a chair with one of the large oxygen canisters and I sat for over 4 hours (with the canister set at 2) and they brought me food and drink and I just had great conversations with so many friends and caught up on their lives and families. I am spoiled by such goodness.
We were asked to preach at the Weekend Masses about the horrible things that we are leaning about in our Church. It was difficult but people were very supportive. Our young assistant, Fr. Alec gave a great homily (that even made the Washington Post in a positive essay). He spoke of the importance of a compass (that for us is Jesus and the Eucharist). It was greeted with applause. He was a little embarrassed by the notice but we are all proud of him. Please keep all of this in your prayers.
Staying in my suite has given me the opportunity to call a lot of friends and catch up. Please keep Fr. Steve O’Gara, Mrs. Cecil Fecteau, Carol Bleistine, Mr and Mrs Curro, Joe and Mary Stoutzenberger, Doug and Kathleen Hanratty, and Tina Petrecelli in your prayer for their health and recovery from surgeries.
I was asked to preside at a welcome back to school prayer service for our faculty on Wednesday, the 22nd. I really enjoyed it and I think they had a good time. Sandra, one of our staff set the theme and organized the program. She chose Cranes as the focal point as it is a symbol of community support. In Japan, it is a sign of longevity and hope. She had about 50 origami cranes with small lights around them on a table in the main aisle. I had read about a 12 year old girl who had leukemia as a result of the bomb at Hiroshima and that she was told if you make a 1000 origami cranes, your wish will be granted. They are very time consuming because the folds must go exactly; but she did it before she died and she said her wish was for world peace. In the name of the thousands of students they have formed, I thanked the faculty and staff and asked peace and mutual support for each of them this coming year. I was too long winded with stories of important teachers I have had but I could see that many of them were remembering special teachers they had and many students they were blessed to have taught. Pray for all teachers.
I guess the biggest news is: I had a great and long day on Thursday, August 23rd. It was my 74th birthday. I received many Facebook, email, phone calls and greetings cards. It has taken me till today to read them all and they were greatly appreciated. I began the day by celebrating the 8am Mass. I offered it for my Dad and Mom on the anniversary of they day they gave me life and faith. Many of you have heard this story but it is such a good story that I love to tell it. When I was in the seminary in wisconsin, an American missionary from Japan came to visit us and told us that in Japan, on your birthday, you don’t get gifts. You give gift to your parents. I just loved that idea. My dad had died when I was 19 so I just remembered him at Mass but my Mom worked at Catholic University as a secretary and so I started sending her flower on that day. She told me that people would come and see the bouquet on her desk and ask if it were her birthday and she would say, “No, they are from my son. Today is his birthday”. She loved telling me her response, that night when we went out to supper. Since her death, I have offered Mass for my Mom and Dad. This year I also included my sisters Marie and Maureen. All of them together in the Communion of saints. The congregation sang “Happy birthday”.
BUT it continued because at 11:30, Brian picked me up and we went to THE AVENUE, a new restaurant nearby on Connecticut Ave, where we were joined by Fr. Foley, our pastor, Fr. Percy, the other retired priest from the house, Fr. Jim Boccabella, pastor of Our lady of Grace in Leisure World, his brother Paul, a dear friend, my cousin Michael Caruso, (whom Brian always arranges a luncheon for the three of us near our birthdays), and David Gardiner, a close friend from the parish who shared his love of liturgical treasures of the Church with me and the parish and is the head of the liturgy committee. We had a great time with lots of laughter and stories. Brian is so good to me. BUT..
It continued because at 2:30, Carolyn Beimis, a parishioner and my friend whom I call every weekday evening to see how we did at Jeopardy, picked up me and Joan Ward, a friend and the office manager of the parish center and we rode (with oxygen and my cart) to Stoney’s restaurant in Prince Frederick, about 75 miles from Blessed Sacrament. Traffic was terrible but Carolyn is a great driver and we three laughed and talked for the 2 hours it took us to get there. Friends and relatives came in drips and drabs until we had 45 of us there to celebrate my birthday with drinks, laughter and stories, and food – especially crabs!!
I am going to tell you who was there even if it makes this message VERY LONG. – my sister, Maggie and her son Mike, her daughter, Mary Beth and her husband Phil and their daughter Jordan, and Maggie’s youngest daughter, Kerry Keith and the newest grandchild, Quinn Margaret. A few of the McLaughlin clan were on vacation or working and couldn’t join us. Marie’s children were Mary Ann and her son Nicholas, Danny and Tina and their son Ryan, Camille and Sony (Jimmy and Trevor had a ball game), Peanut called as did Rick and Anita from South Carolina. I couldn’t talk to them because of all the Old Bay seasoning on my fingers. Again some were on vacation and some of the grandkids live far away. Of course, Jo Ann Adams, “my 4th sister” was there as were my cousins, Rick and Peg Jensen and their son-in-law (James Collins) whom I married to Kate (who had to work) and their son, William (Will) whom I baptized. Also with them was Sheila Reilly, with whom I am the Godparents for Kate. Sad to say we don’t get together often enough because she is a counselor and administrator at the Madeira School and it’s way over in Virginia.
Friends from St. Bernard’s were Rose and Patty Petrone, Sharon Laurich, whose father was principal of Bladensburg High School and whom I have know since she was in grade school, and Joan Beall, who was my business manager at St. Bernard and a friend since the St. Camilllus days. Sister Kass, who taught 4th grade at Camillus and has been a close friend for years and Fr. John Dakes, who was in the teen club at Camillus and is now the pastor of Jesus, the Divine Word parish near by.There were a number of people from St. Michael’s in Ridge, Lila Hoffmeister, who is principal of the school (which is celebrating their 100th anniversary in September) and Brenda Ridgell at whose home, I ate great meals and played a lot of cards, her daughter, Cristy and her husband, Bryan Leach and their adorable son, Mason, whom I baptized, Rev. Mr. Pat Mullan, who was my summer seminarian at St. Mike’s and is now a transitional deacon for the Archdiocese of Washington, also came all the way from Catholic U to join us. Fr. Mike Dolan, a retired priest of the diocese, who now is chaplain of a high school in Georgia but is up “covering” a parish in St. Mary’s county also joined us. He was pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary in Lexington Park when I was at Ridge and we had many a good meal together. Colleen and Monty, whom I write about often because they take good care of me and visit me a lot, drove down Barbara Ostrye, who was the principal’s secretary at Good Counsel when Colleen’s mom, Doris Hickson was the school nurse.
Well, this has taken me almost four hours to write, so take your time and take a break. As Bob Norton loves to say “it takes two drinks to get through your missives!” Please know that I am grateful for all your messages and I will respond to them – but not real soon as I still have Christmas cards to send out. Thanks for the cookies, which I don’t need but enjoy (and sometimes share with my housemates.)
I will write again soon. Know of my love and prayers for you and yours.