I have liked this saint since I learned about him in the seminary. He is a Bishop/Martyr who died around 310 in Naples. There is a vial that contains his blood and is exposed for veneration of his feast day. It is dried but becomes liquid during the veneration. I like miracles and I will go on line later to see if the blood liquified today.
I didn’t write on Saturday or Sunday because each night I was so tired, I went right to bed. Saturday, I got up around 8:00am and picked up Joan Beall and we drove up to Hickory, Md which is above Baltimore. I was to baptize Elijah Carter Coppney Mullican at St. Ignatius Church. Almost 30 years ago, I married his grandparent in that church and I had baptized his Mom, about 22 years ago. It was no nice to see all the family. His great grandparents, Bill and Mary Lu Jones had been parishioners at St. Camillus and worked with me and the teen club. We went back to the house and had such a nice visit. It was great also to see his Godparents, who are also his aunt and uncle, and to learn how they were doing. His great uncle, officer Mike Jones, was treasure of the teen club and is 8 months from retirement as a police officer. It was so good to see him. Mrs. Beall and I had a great time. But we decided on the way home, while we’re not old, how did all these kids get old enough to be grandparents.
I had the 5:30pm Mass when I got home and I went to bed early.
On Sunday, I got up early and drove over to Baltimore to pick up Sr. Natalie (formerly Sr. Ann Christine, SND) and we went to St. Martin’s on North Capitol Street for their 110th anniversary celebration. My sisters were there as were a number of their classmates. About 12 Sisters of Notre Dame were there and three priests who had been stationed there also came. There must have been another 200 former and present parishioners. At 12:30, we had a lively and Spirit filled Gospel Mass. Only one bad thing is I still have the problem I had at Queen of Peace, I cannot sing and clap at the same time. It must be an Irish thing.
On the way home, Sister and I stopped in to say hi at the first birthday party of a young man, C.A. whom I had baptized a couple of months ago. Our seminarian, Ryan was there and it was great to see him. They made us take a plate of delicious looking food and I made Sister take it to the Villa. Sister and I stopped for dinner as neither of us ate all day and I stayed “Structured”!
As I was driving home, I noticed on my dashboard, I had driven 360 miles over the last three days! I need to slow down and take a day off. I think tomorrow I’ll do that.
Today, Monday, I had the 11:00am Mass and spoke about St. Januarius and then I went to lunch. Took a nap and just finished meeting with a lady who was in our RCIA program last year but broke her leg and didn’t come into the church at that time. We met to see about her being confirmed and being able to receive Communion. That will be another fun activity for me.
As I have just discovered I have a full day tomorrow, I think I’ll go to the rectory, have a light supper and go to bed early. Hope you have had a good weekend.
Bill and Mary Lou are GREAT grandparents?!?!?! And Mike is near retirement?!?!? Good grief! I feel I should grab a walker and stay at the “home.”