What Paddy Shot At

I love this feast because it reminds me that St. Anthony’s, St. Martin’s, St. Matthew’s, St. Camillus, St. Bernard’s, St. Michael’s and Blessed Sacrament are living symbols of The Church building where my family and I have been “watered, fed, forgiven, ordained, and celebrated the fullness of life, which is The Church. I feel very close St Pope Francis’ cathedral church today.

I am down at Maggie’s and leaving tomorrow for Myrtle Beach until Thursday. Mary, Marie’s daughter is driving us (Maggie, Marie, JoAnn, and me) down in the morning. We will meet Rick and Anita (driving up from Colombia, S.C. Marie’s son and daughter – law). Also Mary Beth (Maggie’s daughter is riding down with Jimmy (Marie’s son). Rick and Shirley are coming up from Warner Robins and a friend of theirs, Jimmy and his wife are coming also. So listen to the news and see what happens in Myrtle Beach. Mostly, I think it will be cards and laughs but who knows!!

I am glad to be getting away as I was “trapped” in the rectory most of last week. My “double vision” stayed with me all week and although I did do some con-celebrating, I mostly sat on the side or napped. I did have a baptism on Saturday, please keep Nathaniel Prescott and his family in your prayers. Part of the family was from Wisconsin and I had a great time with them. Saturday night, one of my parishioners picked me up and drove me to his parent’s house for a 90th birthday celebration for his Dad. I had a great time and mostly sat and talked.

On reflection, I did hear some confessions and was driven to dinner with Barry and Barb. Also a dear friend, Merve O’Connor, from Leisure World died. Brian had driven me out to see her a couple of weeks ago and we had a good visit. Brian also drove me to the annual Mass for deceased priests that was held at the Pastoral center on Tuesday. I was very grateful to be able to participate. I knew a number of those who died this year: An Vu, Bill Hines, John Pennington, Mike Blackwell, and Lorenzo Albacete.

Yesterday, Saturday, I got my single vision back. I spent the day relaxing and letting it go back to normal. This morning, I presided at the 9am Mass and then drove to Annapolis. I met Mary and Marie there and we went to a luncheon at my cousin, Helen Nolan. Members of her family were there and we had a great time. Then we went to the club house at Heritage Harbor and were entertained by a musical revue that another cousin, Mary Ellen O’Brian wrote, directed and starred in. Other relatives were in it as well. I think the cast was over 30. We really enjoyed the whole experience. I also saw Dolores Vita, a St. Bernard’s parishioner. It was a good day – although my double vision came back for awhile. It’s OK now but I’ll have to watch it in Carolina.

So now, I’m going to bed. Will be back at the parish Thursday night. I also received word yesterdaym that Mary Kennedy, a dear friend from St. Bernard’s in going into hospice. Please keep her family in your prayers.

Just to bring you “up-to-date”:

The eyes are not changed but the drugs have taken away the stuffed head and sinus pain, so I am very hopeful that with rest the eyes will heal. I wear an eye patch over the left eye and some think I look like a pirate; others think I look like Moshe Dyan. It is difficult to read; so I just nap or “listen to TV”. I do also do sudukos. I did sit at the rectory door on Halloween and waited for kids to “trick or treat”. No one came and I said the Rosary (and ate some of the Reese Peanut butter cups!!

This last week has seemed like a dream; I don’t know one day from the next because I just hang around my suite or go over to the office for some human contact.

I have concelebrated Mass a few times. Because I have no “depth perception”, I just sit in the choir stalls and Communion is brought to me. I did have four baptisms on Saturday. One at Noon and twins and their cousin at 4pm. They were both great families and were very understanding about my lack of mobility. Please keep William Addison, Rory Thomas, Jack Rogers and Emma Elizabeth and their families in your prayers.

On Sunday, we had our traditional Mass for All Souls. We have an orchestra with brass, violin, and harp. The choir sings a beautiful Latin Mass and the names of those who died in the parish in the last year are read out and a candle is lit for them. Fr. Ron gave a great homily and there was a reception in the center afterwards. It is a vey popular event.

After the reception, I stopped in to see those couples who were attending our parent – led baptismal prep. I knew them all and wanted to be sure they found the room as it had to moved because of the reception. Then I came home and had a wonderful afternoon. My cousins, Rick and Peg Jensen brought wine, cheese, bread and meats and we sat at our dining room table and ate and laughed for about 3 hours. I can sick why visit the sick is such an important work of charity. They just lifted my spirit. We also talked about a river cruise for 2015 that looks “doable” and fun.

I do try to phone some friends and I do some work on arranging for baptisms. I’ve had a few people come to the office for confessions and so I still feel useful. I got the last of the Swampoodle trilogy and am enjoying reading it – even with one eye.

Today is the feast of St. Martin, so I concelebrated. He is one of my favorite saints and one that Catherine Dougherty loved and talked about when I was at Madonna House in Canada, 36 years ago.

Tomorrow is the annual Mass for deceased priest at the Pastoral center. I was disappointed that I might have to miss it; but, God love Brian Mulholland. He is going to pick me up around 8:45am and I’ll ride with him to Holy Name pantry and then he’ll go with me to the Mass and we’ll go out to lunch. He is such a good man and has been a great friend to me.

I voted by absentee ballot last week, so I guess I’ll just watch TV on Tuesday night and see how all that turns out. I’ll be glad to be finished with all the negative adds.

I go to see the Ophthalmologist on Thursday, so I’ll bring you up to date after that. Keep praying – I think it is helping. I am a better patient.

I didn’t get to “post this” till Tuesday, sorry

Today is the centenary of the birth of Frances Anastasia Crory O’Connell Stoddard, my Mom. It was my intention to have a nice supper out with my two sisters and toast our mother and share stories about her.
My eye situation made that impossible; so I concelebrated the 5:30pm and offered it for her and for Blanche Borowski Crony and Arthur John Crory, her parents. When my sisters, my brother-in-law (Rick Thompson), and assorted relatives are in Myrtle Beach around the 11th Of November, we’ll celebrate our Mom.
My eye situation is a kind of “wait and see” solution. I now am on anti-biotics and steroids and maybe in the next week or so, the “double vision” might disappear. Because I am wearing an eye patch, it is difficult for me to read and/or type; so I think I’ll skip writing till things change. I will try to just hang out in my suite, take naps, and listen to TV. Keep me in your prayers that I can use this “quieting” time to pray and be at peace.

I am sorry to report that there is no change in my “double vision”. With each doctor I see, I learn more about what could cause this but nothing to make it stop. I am very limited in what I can do.

I’m wearing a patch over one eye. I still have that “stuffed head” and that makes it hard to sleep. I have had to cancel participating in a retreat this week and although I did say Mass yesterday, I’ve been removed from the schedule till next week. I am so bored and yet reading or going on the computer is hard on my eye.

I just wanted you all to know that I am not in any danger of a stroke or anything like that; I just have to be quiet and wait for my blood vessel to “loosen up” and let my left eye return to the center, so it can join my right eye and have only one sight. I think that’s what we’re waiting for.

Please keep me in your prayers that God’s grace will make me a better patient.

I’ll try to keep you updated.

I am just sending this out to let you know that I am suffering with double vision. It started on Friday and I have been to the emergency room and tested for a stroke or tumor and all of that (6 hours worth) and I have an appointment with my doctor on Monday. I have been staying in my room and trying to sleep through it. Just don’t worry if you can’t reach me by phone. I will update you after I see the doctor.

Also please keep in your prayers, Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete, a dear friend, who died on Friday, His funeral will be in NYC on Tuesday. Please keep his brother, Manuel and his many friends in your prayers as well.

Keep me in your prayers as I am not a very good patient.

I know!!!! Where have I been? The truth is I don’t know. I get up in the morning, do a few things and have supper, watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, lay down and suddenly it is the next morning. Have they taken some hours out of the 24 I use to have? Let me bring you up to date.

Fasten your seatbelts, this could be a “bumpy ride”.

When last I wrote, I was travelling up the Bay on the cruise ship, The Grandeur of the Seas having spent a delightful trip out of Baltimore on Oct 2nd. We went to Portland, Maine, where a woman who taught with Maggie years ago met us at the ship and took us for a wonderful tour of the city – capped off with lunch at “Betsy” and a delicious (and inexpensive lobster roll.
Then we went to Bar Harbor, Maine. Marie, Maggie and I took a great tour to see Cadillac Mountain. It was already cool up here and the leaves are changing and sometimes it looks like the hills are ablaze. Just beautiful.
Our next stops were St. John’s New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia. I just remember that the seacoasts were rough and rocky and the towns were pretty modern.
I mentioned in my last message, who was on the cruise and I think everyone had a great time. We all went off on trips and tours but were together for supper. Except that Claire wasn’t always up to coming but she tells me she still had a good time being with us. Supper was always fun and we caught up on everyone’s activities.

We got back to Baltimore on Friday, October 10th. 8 of us had met at Blessed Sacrament on the 2nd and took a bus to the port. It met us again on the 10th and took us back. It was very convenient. We got back to the rectory around 10:30am.

Now there were some problems. The night before, vandals had gone through the parish parking lot and broke into two cars – Fr. Bill Feeney’s and mine. They broke the window in the back seat of Bill’s and didn’t take anything. They broke the back window of my car and took a tabernacle, which I was going to send to Pittsburgh with Bill. It was annoying and could have put a pall over the trip but it didn’t.
After a while, Fr. Bill headed off to home with plastic over his window. Sheila and Keith headed back to Pittsburgh. Claire was picked up by a friend. I drove Peggy home with my plastic blowing in the wind. MaryAnn came and picked up Marie and Maggie. On my return, I took a nap. I called the Pittsburgh gang later that evening and all returned home in one piece. Bill was at the casino!! I went to bed!!

On Saturday, the 11th. I had the 8am Mass and then a funeral Mass at 9:30 for my cousins. It was a very nice Mass and relatives (Ann Brown O’Connell, Rick and Peg Jensen, Kate Jensen and Peg’s brother, Frank) and about 10 of the neighbors came. We had a chance to talk afterwards about Ethel and her daughter, Peggy. Then some of us went to Mt. Olivet cemetery, where many of the O’Connell clan are buried and we laid them to rest with Bill, Ethel’s husband and the father of Peg and Bill parents. Then in typical O’Connell tradition we went out to lunch. Then I came home and went to bed.

On Sunday, the 12th, I had the 7:30am Mass and the 5:30pm Mass. I think I spent most the day relaxing in my suite, watching TV and napping.

Monday, the 13th was Columbus Day and the office was closed. I had the chance to visit with a friend and “catch up” about her health issues and then I had the 5:30pm Mass. As I wasn’t able to drive my car, a parishioner took me over to Safeway so I could buy some white bread (we have 18 grain stuff!!!) and I wanted a real peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then to bed.

On Tuesday, I had the 11am Mass and met with my people for Tuesdays with Fr. Maury. Our topic was the Synod of the Family. Lots of people called or saw me to say it was the “best we ever had”. Well, it was interesting. Based on TV and newspaper accounts there was much to talk about – and to get cleared up. These are “exciting times” to be Catholic.
While the session was going on, they came and repaired my window. They did it in the driveway and cleaned up all the glass. It looks great! And I can drive again!!

On Wednesday, I slept in till noon and then met someone for counseling and had exposition and the 5:30pm Mass. It was the feast of St. Teresa of Avila and I talked all about this young girl who with her “tangerine skirt and bare feet shook a world of Carmels” Sr. Therese, my English teacher wrote that!!

Thursday was my “DAY OFF” and I drove up to visit Loretta and Andy Favret up near Frederick, Md. I had a great time and I “caught up” on their 11 children and the grand-children and Rosie, the first great grandchild. I went to lunch and met many of their friends in the senior community they live in. It was fun and I went home. Worked on genealogy, had supper and relaxed.

On Friday, I had the 11am Mass, exposition, and the 5:30pm Mass. There was a welcome dinner for “new parishioner” afterwards. I met some very nice people.

On Saturday, the 18th, I had the 8AM Mass and at 2pm, I baptized twins. Please keep Adalia Marie and Madden Jolee and their family in your prayers.
At 4pm, I drove over to St. John the Evangelist parish for a celebration of 75 years of TEAMS OF OUR LADY. I saw so many old friends and sat with a delightful couple and their three children, Joshua, Maria and Sophia. Please keep them, their family, and all those in TEAMS in your prayers. Although I had a great time, I came home around 8pm.

On Sunday, the 19th, I had the 9 and 10:30 AM Masses in the church. The deacons preached, which was nice for me as I sat through most of everything. Afterwards, we had a walks around the block to support Catholic Charities. I didn’t walk but I met them for refreshments afterward. I relaxed in my suite all afternoon.

Today is the 20th of October, I have the 11am Mass and then will join four of my cousins, Betty Brown Price, Eileen Brown Borowoski, Helen O’Brien Nolan, and MaryAnn Hayden DePaul for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Should be lots of laughs.

As I re-read this, I am reminded that interspersed with these actions are lots of phone calls, emails, and “little projects”. For example, I received word that Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete, a dear friend was quite ill and in hospice. I spent much time getting and passing on information about that. Please keep him in your prayers. He does seem to be doing better.
I also learned that Jean Langlois, the husband of Pat Sinclair, a classmate from St. Bernard’s died in Oklahoma. Please keep them in your prayers.
Ida Moorman, a great friend and former parishioner from Our Lady, Queen of Peace also died this week. Please keep her family in your prayers.
I also got all the baptisms for November and December settled, so I think I can relax a bit.

It is our last night on board and I have to go and pack and put my luggage outside of my room but I just wanted to say that we all had a great time. I am looking forward to getting home on Friday and sleeping in my own bed. Real messages will start up again over the weekend.

I am in Halifax, Nova Scotia and just wanted to say hi. The trip has been lovely. There are 10 0f us: Maggie and Marie, Sheila and Keith Morris, Peggy Dee, Fr. Bill Feeney, Anna Marie Kienery, Claire Sheehan, and Sr. Kass Collins.
The weather was bad at first. Rainy and foggy and the sea was rough. But since we got to Portand, Maine, we’ve had good skies and easy seas.
Will be home on Friday, the 10th.

I didn’t get back to this on 9/23 but I will try to finish off my “ride around” and bring you up to date.

On Thursday, September 18th, I spent the day recovering! I had a great room at the Taj and except for lunch and dinner, I stayed in the room reading, watching TV, or sleeping. I didn’t even go into the casino!!!! I’m reading a good book called “Still Alice” It is about a college professor who is beginning to see that she has dementia or Alzheimer’s. It is fascinating.

On Friday, the 19th, I stopped at Ed and Jeanne O’Flynn. They had been parishioners at St. Michael’s and once they left to come back to Jersey; I kept threating to visit – but only did once! They gave me lunch and we had a great time catching up on the family and talking about the Church. Then I had heard there was a fund raiser at St. Mary’s in Williamstown for a 16 year old who has cancer. Her grandparents are friends of mine and lots of people that I’ve come to know through Carmen were going to be there. I had a wonderful time and met Taylor (who is just lovely and has a great face), Keep her in your prayers. Then I drove to Joe’s and spent the night.

I had breakfast on Saturday, the 20th, and then hit the road again. I was driving up to Albany to see Sister Mary Xavier McKenna, a daughter of charity who had been my pastoral sister at St. Bernard’s. It took most of the day because of accidents on the Jersey Turnpike and just the distance. It was a beautiful day and the weather was sunny and cool. I got to my hotel around 6pm. Got some food and fell asleep watching TV

On Sunday, I drove to the provincial house and met Sister. We visited for awhile and then joined the sisters at Sunday Mass. They must have been about 80 of them and the singing was beautiful. Then sister and I went out to lunch at a nice little restaurant nearby. We laughed and talked about the past and what is going on now in the church. Sister was born in Albany but has not been stationed there. She is hoping to do tutoring nearby. I left her around 2pm and started towards Canada. I stopped to buy a map of Canada since I hoped to go to Madonna House. However when I saw the map, I realized that I would have to drive about two hours to the border and then I would have to use back roads (not Interstate, which I used always) and in the dark! So I turned around and headed South. It was just getting dark when I arrived back at Joe’s. I called Isabelle Gallagher, who was our receptionist here in the parish but who fell and broke her hip and went to stay in Philly, and invited myself over for a visit on Monday morning. Then I went to bed.

I got up early to visit with Joe on Monday morning as he had class at 10AM. I complemented him on his “bed and breakfast” and then I headed South to Peggy Ann’s, Isabelle sister. We had a nice visit and coffee cake as we sat and laughed and caught up. Isabelle will be staying a while longer as she has some eye issues. I assured her, we’ve kept her desk available. Then I called Maggie from my car phone and told her I thought I might return early to the parish. She said, “No way, you come down here and visit for a few days!!” So I continued South on 301. I realized that I’d be driving by Marie Smith’s home and so I called and went by to visit. She is an old friend from St. Bernard’s and we sat and looked at pictures and caught up on our families and other St. B friends. When I got to Maggie’s, she had made beans and franks and macaroni and cheese for supper. I knew I’d the right choice to come to her house.

On Tuesday, Marie had to have some test done at Calvert hospital; so we spent the morning there. Then we went to Bob Evan’s for brunch. Maggie and I tried to buy me bathing trunk but I think they already put them away and so we couldn’t go swimming. We went to visit JoAnn Adams at her work and then we went to BINGO at Chesapeake Beach. It was so nice to see and talk with Gerri Size, another St. Bernard’s friend who lives down there now. I won $150. Marie and Maggie both won. It was a good night

On Wednesday, Marie had doctors’ appointment, which Mary drove her to Georgetown and Maggie went to On Our Own, a center for people with disabilities that she is involved with. So I spent the day, writing the previous posting on Paddy and then read and relaxed. My niece, Keri and her husband Tim came to visit. Both have lost over a hundred pounds and are looking so good. When Marie and Maggie got home, we went to Ledo’s and had pizza.

On Thursday, (It was the first rainy day in two weeks!) we drove over to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and visited two of our cousins (Margaret Stoner and her son, Eddie). We had a great time and caught up on family news. We had lunch and then we went to visit Jean Pizza. She is my nephew, Rick Walburn’s mother-in-law BUT A LOT MORE. She’s cruised with us and is a close friend. She fell and had to have a shoulder replacement. It didn’t work and so she had to have another. She is in rehab and doing wonderfully. She lives in a senior place and may go back there next week. She lived in Cheverly, Md for 39 years and her kids made her move and she loves it!! Hope my sister, Marie will learn. We had a great time and then I drove Maggie and Marie to a funeral home in Beltsville to see a 44 year old lady friend who died after a 5 year battle with cancer. Please keep Kathy and her family in your prayers.

On Friday morning, I waited till the fog lifted and I drove home. I spent the day, cleaning up my desk and getting stuff out of my car (I had been living out of it for two weeks!) Then I took a nap and went down to supper with Fr. Ron.

Today, Saturday, September 27th was busy. I had an appointment at 9AM and then at 11AM, I had a baptism. Please keep Owen James and his family in your prayers. It was in the chapel and a nice crowd of relatives and lots of little cousins and neighbors’ children. Then I had a very nice funeral service in the chapel at Noon for the uncle of Tonia Essig. Uncle Watson was a person of that “great generation” and we heard some touching and amusing stories of his life. We had good music for the Mass and after Communion, a poem, a history, and a great saxophone performance by his grandson. It was – as we Irish say – “A great sendoff”.
Now, I just finished the 5:30PM Mass. Fr. Ron kindly thought I’d be tired when I returned so he asked the deacon to preach. I was tired and didn’t process in or out and afterwards I heard some confessions and am going home. It was a good “priest day” and I feel good being home.

I’m down at Maggie’s and I just wanted to bring you up to date.

I left for my “ride around” vacation on Saturday, September 13th after the 5:30 pm Mass. I drove to Ranson, West Virginia and visited Marilyn and Frank Cavallaro, old and dear friends. We sat and laughed and caught up. Frank had a serious fall about 7 weeks ago and with therapy and Mal’s good care; he is making a great recovery. He did go to bed around 10:30PM and Mal and I stayed up talking till 3:30AM. We were always good at late night talks. Their home is on a regular street but little noise and so I slept very well.

On Sunday, the 14th, we all went to the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown for a brunch. Mary McGreevy, her daughter Sara, her daughter Bella, her daughter-in-law, Chrisie, her son, Roman, and daughter, Grace were all there and we had a great meal and a wonderful visit. After that, I headed to Cincinnati, Ohio. It was about 400 miles and I got there around 8 PM and checked into a motel and relaxed.

On Monday, the 15th (Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows), I drove over to Mt. Notre Dame Health Center, where Sister Ann Christine (Sister Natalie) is living. She will be 88 in November and moved out to Cincinnati last year as her health required more care. She had been in Baltimore for the last few years and I could go and take her out for a meal and had regular visits. We do talk on the phone but it was so nice to see her. The nurse I spoke to on the phone about coming said, “Father, she’s not as good as she was when last you were here; so I don’t want you to be disappointed if she isn’t sure she knows you.” I said, “I’m not coming for her, I’m coming for me. I just want to see her”. Well, I walked in and she said, “what are you doing here?” I said, “I came to see you”. Then she said to the 6 other sisters who were in the room, “I taught him in kindergarten and first grade” I ended up staying for three hours and we talked about the other kids in the classes and various assignments she has had over the years. I even joined her and the sisters for lunch. It was a great visit. I left and drove about 300 miles to Pittsburgh and had supper with Keith and Sheila Morris.

On Tuesday, the 16th, I had a very interesting day. While talking with the Morrises, I mentioned a problem I had in Ohio. My brakes didn’t work. Eventually they did and so I drove on to Pittsburgh. They felt this was “more than inconvenient, it might be serious”; so we took it to their mechanic to look at. It seems the brake cylinder was shot. It would take a day to replace it. As I was supposed to be at a 4 PM Mass in Latrobe that day. Keith and I went to see a movie, Calvary (I can recommend it because I am glad I saw it; but it is NOT a comedy!!)and then he drove me to St. Vincent’s. Bob Norton, Rich Wesolowski, and Tom Kredel sat together for the dinner and saw lots of old friends. Then Bob, Tom and I stayed the night at the hotel.

On Wednesday the 17th, after breakfast, Tom drove me to the Morrises’ house and Sheila and I went to get my car. Then I headed to Philly. I was suppose to have a fancy dinner with Terry Odien, John Bohrer and Joe Stoutzenberger to celebrate John’s and my 70th birthdays; but I called when I discovered about the brakes and said to cancel the dinner as I didn’t know when I’d be there. So they did. Then it turned out, that I was in Philly by 6 PM, so we all met out in Chestnut Hill and had supper together. It was great as always!! Then I drove to Atlantic City and had comp rooms at the Taj Mahal. I slept very well.

(I THINK I’LL POST THIS AND CONTINUE LATER)