What Paddy Shot At

Today, we had a confessions for our school children from 8:30 till 10:00am. They were as always delightful. Then I had the (At this point, the computer in the rectory froze up and I just unplugged it!)

To continue:

I had the 11:00am Mass and I wore the vestment that the Spanish community at St. Bernard’s had given me as a farewell gift. It is the image of Nuestra Senora. I preached about the feast and after Mass invited parishioners to come up and see the image. I answered questions and closed with a blessing in Spanish.

Then I had a relaxing rest of the day. Had lunch and supper with the pastor. Met a couple for marriage prep at 7pm and then drove over and visited Joan Beall. We had a nice long talk. I was home by 9:30 and tried to write a message. I went to bed before 11pm.
I will write about today (Dec. 13th) later today (from the office computer)

Have had a wonderful day. Had the 7:30am Mass and I preached about the “last Gospel” from the pre-Vatican II Mass and why it was so great and what it said to us. It is the prologue to today’s Gospel, where we hear John the Baptist preaching in fullfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy about the voice of one crying in the wilderness. The Beginning of John’s gospel was read just before we left Mass to share with us the totality of who Jesus is. He is the Word that was there at the beginning. He came to bring the light. I told them we heard just before Mass ended so we could go out to share that light. That command hasn’t changed even though we don’t say “Ite, Missa est”!
Then my wonderful cousins, Rick and Peg Jensen, who had come to the Mass and I headed to the local diner and had breakfast. Then we headed out to Gate of Heaven and visited Ann O’Connell Treadway and Dwayne Treadway. Then her brother Ed O’Connell, who was also my Godfather.
Peg and Rick had brought wreaths to place on certain graves. We also said, an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and the blessing “Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord and let perpetual light shine on them. May they and all the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace”.
Next we went to Mt. Olivet, where many of our older ancestor are buried. We went to see Rick’s maternal grandparents – Josie and Will O’Connell, his uncle, Bill and some “unknown” Hazel relatives. We went by Nellie O’Brien, her parents and her brother, Joe. Then we went to see my paternal grandparents, Maurice and Ella O’Connell. We also went to see the Lohmeyers – Peggy was Rick’s Godmother. We stopped to pray for Aunt Mamie and the Dennys. I mentioned that Nana (Ellen Lynch – our mutual great, great grandmother) is buried there also but I need to find the plot for our next visit.

Then we went to Arlington. It was so impressive. Over the last few days, volunteers have put wreaths on almost all the graves (I looked it up when I got home and that is over 90,000 graves.) We went to visit Rick’s parents, Ray and Catherine O’Connell Jensen. And Peg’s sister in Law, Hildreth, who is in the columbarium. That visit was very interesting and the symbols on the graves covered all and no religious affiliations. Then we went to Peggy’s parents, Col Frank and Katherine Brophy. They were a lovely couple and I was privledge to officiate at their funerals. It was another privledge to pray at their grave today.

In a conversation, I mentioned that I had officiated at a very sad burial at Arlington in 2008. Ryan Patrick Baumann, at whose wedding I was to officiate in January 2009 was killed by an IUD in Afaganistan in August 2008. I didn’t remember where his grave was but Peggy went on her something berry and found where his grave was. We went to visit. It was one of 90,000 that had recieved a wreath but we said our prayers and it was so good to be with Ryan again.

Then we headed over to Clyde’s and had a little lunch and just talked. They dropped me off at Blessed Sacrament and I had the 5:30pm Mass. It was very nice and packed! I think the homily still worked. Joan, our office manager was at the Mass and so I asked her to ride with me down to the Kennedy Center and she picked up the tickets I had ordered for Pat Berry (who is coming at Christmas to visit), his brother Bill and his wife, Kate (all part of the cruise group), Joan Beall and Betty Neary – and as of today, Rick and Peg and me. We are all going to the center on December 28th at see “Anne”. It is a one woman show about Anne Richardson (I think). She was governor of Texas and very colorful. The lady portraying her is Something Taylor, who plays the mother in Two and a Half Men. I saw her last night on Arch Campbell and she was delightful. I’m sure we’ll all love the show.
Before we could leave for the center, some strange lady came to the office window and knocked. It was Maggie and JoAnn. They were returning from a party and were dropping off some ornaments for me. We had a nice visit but I threw them out so Joan and I could head out to the JFK center.
We got the tickets and then I dropped Joan at her house and headed home. And now I am heading to bed. I think we have school confessions in the morning. I think I have the 11:00am Mass so I am turning in

Met the family at Rock Creek Cemetery and we had a very nice service. It was sunny but cold but not windy.

Then I went to Toby’s dinner theatre in Columbia and met Mary Ann, who was our host as this was a Christmas gift from 2010. Marie, Maggie, JoAnn, June, and Linda (Mary’s roomate from College) and her Mom, Dorothy and me. I love being surrounded by beautiful women. The show was “White Christmas”. It was the first matinee that Toby’s ever had. It was full and I think a big success. The show was clever and entertaining. The only bad thing was it ran over time. The buffet began around 10:45 and the show didn’t start till about 12:45. It ran till 3pm. I had to leave immediately as I had the 4pm confessions. I made it!!

Then I helped with Communion at the 5:30pm and have been busy here at the desk filling out the forms for the St. Michael’s School Calendar Raffle. I give it to all my family (and that is getting to be 57) and to the families I give a White House Ornament (that’s getting to be 16). This year I am determined to get them out BEFORE Christmas, so I’ve been busy for the last three hours.

I think now I’ll head over to the rectory as I have the 7:30am Mass tomorrow and then my kind cousins, Rick and Peg are going to take me around with them as we decorate our family’s graves. I’m looking forward to visiting the family and saying a prayer. I have the 5:30pm Mass, so I may write tomorrow and let you know how the pilgrimage went.

I am over in the rectory and since this computer is always “freezing up” on me. I will make this short.

Went to the office around 8:00am to get a good start. My 9:30 appointment came by around 8:30 and we had a great visit. She is taking cemo and we keep in touch by email and visits. Please keep her in your prayers.

Had Hugh Joseph’s funeral at 11:00 and it was a packed church. Three other priests joined me and his son gave a very touching and humorous reflection. My homily touched on what a joy it is for we priests to see a family where there is great love between the couple and faith that is past on and lived by the children and grandchildren. Mary told me that her immediate family is about 100. And there were lots of extended family and friends at the wake last night and the funeral today. There was a luncheon but I had another appointment and couldn’t go. However, I’ll have the interrment tomorrow at 8:30am at Rock Creek. So I’m of to bed now.

I am sitting here in my office waiting for the 8:00pm prayers that I will lead upstairs in the chapel for Hugh’s wake. After I am through there, I will head back to the rectory and go to bed.

Got up at 7am and finished up all the prep for the Mass. I took my copy of Magnificat to use for the prayers and my binder for everything else. The Mass at Stone Ridge was at 9:05 and for the middle school. It was very nice and those young ladies give me hope for the church.

Afterwards I came home and I tried to clear up 16 new voice mails. Then I had the 11:00am Mass, which was very well attended. Fr. Ron and I were talking at lunch that all the Masses were full today. We had a school Mass and there were so many people here that I had to park on Western Avenue.

I took a three hour nap and it was very refreshing. I drove Joan home and on the way we pick up some prescriptions ( One is still there and I forgot it). I hope to get it tomorrow and be back on track with my medicines.

Got an email from Sr. Kass. Her Dad is having some problems with his circulation. Please keep him and her in your prayers.
Also heard from Pat Watters. She is back in Newfoundland and continuing her recovery by trying to take it easy. Keep her in your prayers also

I had supper with Fr. Ron and we talked about Christmas week and January. We’re going to be very busy as Fr. Percy will be in India most of January. Life is full but it was sunny today.

Yesterday, the feast of St. Ambrose was busy for me. It rained all day and I really don’t like rainy days.

I came over to the center around 7:00am and began to clear my voice mails (16) and my emails (27). I waited till 8:30 to phone people. I must have made 30 phone calls over the day. It was great to talk with Betty Neary, Berta Rohn, Muffin, and others. I didn’t get too much of my desk cleared but I had a productive day. I met with another RCIA person and then I went over to the St. John Vianney house and met with the retired priests. I had a very nice lunch and discussion with Fr. Vince Gatto and Fr. Frank Kasista and of course, saw Frs. Kane, Beattie, and Duffy. I do enjoy those meetings.

Then, I had expostion ( I got a chance to talk with John, the leader of the play reading group. I hadn’t been able to get to the meeting on Tuesday and I wanted to hear how the first reading and discussion of “The Last hours of Judas Iscariot” went. It was lively!)
I had the 5:30pm Mass. I thought it was the feast of St. Ambrose and had a homily on him prepared; but I forgot it was the Vigil Mass of the Immaculate Conception. We had music and about 60 people. My homily was definitely from the Holy Spirit.
Afterwards, I met with my cousin, Elizabeth and her fiance, David. I will officiate at their wedding on March 17th at the Cathedral.

I did some more work on my “missalette” for the Mass at Stone Ridge and then went home. More later today about today.

I woke up in the middle of the night, at 1:24am and wondered where my miter for St. Nicholas was. I looked around and found it in my closet with my red stole. Now I was ready so I went back to bed.
This morning, I got up early around 6:30am and trimmed by beard and showered and came over to the office to get the coins ready. Then I went to the gym for morning prayer with the school children. It was nice and I dressed like St. Nicholas and told them about the coins and doing good deeds. I led them in a prayer for children. I had over 500 coins, so I gave them to the teachers to distribute at a time that was good for them and the children.

Then I came back to the office to prepare for the senior citizens (that’s when I found that I was a day late!!). I called Fr. Damian Shadwell at Holy Family parish in Hillcrest Heights and asked how many students he had. He has 280, so I drove over and gave him 300 coins. It was great to see him. We had some great times in St. Mary’s county.

One thing I did not consider was that it might take me a long time to get back around the beltway. I had to call and Joan arranged for Fr. Percy to take my 11:00am Mass since I couldn’t get back in time. I offered to take his 5:30pm but he has people coming so I am doing his exposition at 3pm.
I had lunch with the other priests and then I went to the church for the 5th grade’s presentation of songs and lessons. It was the presentation for the school community and it was very uplifting to hear the children tell the story of the Jesse family tree in song, readings, and with instruments. There were about 60 performing. I sat with the kindergarden and we loved it – especiially our last song, Felice Navidad!!

I just finished with exposition and now we are getting ready for confessions for the 4th thru 8th in CCD in the church. I will leave a basket with coins near the sanctuary and tell them to take one as they leave as a reminder of the Sacrament and the feast of St. Nicholas.
Then I’ll have supper with the priest, see Andrea about RCIA and then go up to the library for the play reading group. We are beginning to read the Last days of Judas Iscariot. It should be very interesting. I’m sure I’ll be ready for bed when I get there.

HI,
Yesterday, the feast of St.Sabas, wasn’t much better than Sunday. But look him up because he is my new patron saint. He desired to be a hermit – no, I really like silence and reading! He never really got a chance to because the church kept calling on him to do things. I understand that struggle and conflict. Although I am not a saint about it.

I got up around 8:00 and came to the office to try to straighten up. It is a mess! And at 10:15, Dave came and picked me up to drive me to Lisner House for the 10:30am Mass. Our congregation was only 5 but we had a good time. The Mass was a mixture of the old and new as I didn’t have a new missal. They didn’t seem to mind as none of them said, “And with your Spirit”. The staff was beginning to decorate for Christmas and there was Christmas music throughout the home. It was very festive.
Then I had lunch with the pastor and took a nap.

Wouldn’t you know that the St. Nicholas party for the seniors and the pre-K that I was planning to attend and give out chocolate coins was yesterday not on the 6th – and I slept through it!!
They did knock on my door but when I nap I am out!!

Then I had supper and came over to meet with a person from RCIA, who is not sure that she should continue. We talked for an hour and a half and I’m not sure either. Then I went up to the chapel and heard confessions for our Moms group’s Advent Evening of Recollection. We finished about 8:40pm and then I got on the beltway and headed over to Collin’s funeral home. Charlie Smith, a wonderful man who with his wife, Margaret, had 8 kids and was in my first Teams of Our Lady at St. Camillus. I got there in time to see his family and expressed my great love and affection for him and their wonderful family. There are now 25 grandchildren and everyone was there. The funeral will be on Tuesday at Camillus but is at 10:00am and I can’t get there.

Then I came home and read for awhile and went to bed. Thus ended Monday.- December 5th.

I was mistaken! I had the 10:30am Mass today not the 12:30. Fortunately, I did set the alarm because I wanted to see the Sunday Talk Shows and I woke up at 7:30am. I decided to come over to the office since I had slept so well and was anticipating an easy day. WELL!!!
At the 10:30 Mass, we had the Welcoming of the RCIA, the choir, my longer than usual homily, two collections, a talk by a Little Sister of the Poor, a full church with lots of communicants, and my stumbling through the new translation. The Mass did not end until 11:45. I didn’t get back to the office till 12:15. I was expecting to be on the road by 11:35 as I was joining my TEAM (Teams of Our Lady) group for a lunch meeting in Leonardtown at 1pm. I stopped at the CVS to pick up two prescriptions that they didn’t have when I stopped there yesterday. I stood in line for 20 minutes and they could only find one. Then I hit the road and ran into traffic near the beltway as people were going to the Football game. I got off and headed by back roads and found myself in Bowie at 1:15. I tried to call the TEAM but only had home phone numbers on my cell. God love her, Jane Connolly called me as they were looking for me. I told them that I wouldn’t come because I was still an hour and half away. Then I called Maggie because I was suppose to stop there on the way home. She had gone to the parade in Prince Frederick, so I left a message.
I decided to go to get a book that I am suppose to reflect on with students at St. John’s High school next week. I drove to a book store in Bowie and of course, it had been a Border’s and now they are out of business. My OnStar helped me find a Barnes and Noble, so I did get the book, “Night” by Eli Weisel. Then I went and found a CVS and bought a pill splitter that I’ve needed for about three weeks. And I went to a Staples’ and bought a tape dispenser because two weeks ago, I through away the little piece that you put the tapes onto on the dispenser and you can’t just buy them! None of these stores were near each other and so I kept calling OnStar and they helped me to find the stores.
Then I headed home but the traffic was terrible everywhere. Big delay on the Baltimore/Washington parkway so I got off and took another back roqad. At one point I found myself by the Franciscan monastary and I decided I should go to confession because I have really been impatient today. I parked and went inside. The Confessional chapel has been moved; it is now a perpetual adoration chapel. I sat for awhile. There was a choral concert in the main church, so I sat there for awhile. Then I saw a sign and it said there were no confessions on Sundays. Maybe I really didn’t need to go???!!!

I headed home. It is 5:30pm now and in a few moments I am going back to the rectory. I really don’t do well when my plans fall apart and traffic is bad. I’ll just say a good act of contrition and go to bed. I can sleep in tomorrow as I have the nursing home Mass at 10:30am. Good night

Taking the advice of Eileen Lee; I am typing this up on Word and when I finish, I will transfer it over to Paddy. I know this will be long, so I don’t want to lose it like I have before.

I just finished presiding at the 5:30pm Mass. I think I actually didn’t make any mistakes – which hasn’t been true this last week. The Little Sisters of the Poor are here this weekend. They are such a special group of women who do such tremendous work with the elderly. They had two of their six postulants with them. I am so happy to know that young women are still hearing the call to religious life.
Earlier today I got an email from a lady in Virginia who wanted to know what I thought about the refusal of many pastors in Arlington diocese to allow girls to serve at the altar. There was a demonstration today in front of the Bishop’s residence. He allows girl servers in the diocese; but he also allows pastors to decide in their parishes. It seems a new pastor was named and he decided not to follow the previous pastor’s policy and has not allow any new girl altar servers (those already serving are “grand-mothered” but they wear different robes than the boys). Heavenly Father, forgive us!!!!

Anyway my Mass was lovely and I told them in my homily about the time I went to Israel and the tour guide took us out to Jericho in a hot bus, through the desert and up and down hills and valleys. We spent the day at the Dead Sea and Masada and then had a wonderful dinner at Jericho. Then we got back on the bus and I was dreading the trip back. It was pitch black outside but suddenly we were back in Jerusalem. The guide told us that we went out by the old road from the time of Isaiah (and Jesus) but that we returned by the new highway that was built a year or so before. He said, “You will never hear the Advent reading again that you don’t remember this ride!” He was so right. The mountains were chopped off and the valleys filled in for the Highway of the Lord.

Today was a very busy day. At 8:15am, I drove over to St. Anselm’s Abbey to do a “teaching Mass” for the RCIA retreat. I enjoyed it but I had come over to the office at 6:30 to cut and paste the new Mass so that I didn’t have to try to find things in the new Missal. I hadn’t had much luck at Masses this week. It is the feast of St. Francis Xavier, the patron of the Xaverian brothers, who ran Good Counsel and I always think of them and pray for them on their feast day. It is also the birthday of Betty Neary, whom I remembered at Mass and tried to call on the phone but missed her.

I then had the 11:00am Funeral Mass for McCauley Howard, a parishioners who lived at Knollwood, the military retirement complex where we sometimes have Mass. He also came to daily Mass here and I had anointed him last week. It was a very large funeral with five priests and great pictures of him and his family. He was retired Navy and we closed with the Navy Hymn.Fr. Jim came back and he and I had a nice visit in my office and caught up.

Then I took a little nap before the evening Mass

That covers today

Now this is why I didn’t get a chance to write Thursday or Friday.

On Thursday, I had the 8:00am Mass, which I offered for Gail’s daughter, Linda on the anniversary of her death. Gail was ill – and actually at the emergency room – so she couldn’t come.

I also met with Beth, another RCIA person who can’t make the Monday night meetings. Then I concelebrated the 11:00am, which was for Katherine Mulally O’Boyle. She and her husband, Jim, whose anniversary was just last week, use to have we priests down for breakfast on Christmas morning and both families are great parishioners. I taught one of her grandsons. After, I headed to Maggie’s. Then, she, JoAnn, Gail (one of JoAnn’s clients) and I drove to St. Michael’s to attend the annual Senior Citizens’ Christmas dinner. It was, of course, great food but I just loved seeing and hugging so many great friends, whom I miss daily. We laughed and talked and were entertained by the choir, a home schoolers’ Nativity and Elvis (Msgr. Karl Chimiak). Then I tried to stop at a wake in Leonardtown but I was too late. Got home around 11pm and went right to bed.

On Friday, I had the 8:00am Mass and the 11:00am Mass and then I headed over to Millersville and picked up Pat Watters. She has gotten good news and is heading back to Newfoundland on Monday; so we decided to have a mini movie marathon. When I was at St. Bernard’s and she was working as a social worker, we would take a day off and go and see 4 to 6 movies with lunch and dinner breaks. We loved it!!! This time we only took two movies but still had a lunch and supper break. We saw “The Descendants”, which is about Hawaii and was beautiful! And we saw “Tower Heist”, which was clever and fun, fun, fun. I got home around 9 and was ready for bed!!

So now, you’re up to date and since I have the 12:30pm Mass tomorrow, I am not setting the alarm.