What Paddy Shot At

Some days I really get frustrated with this program. I had written almost 150 words and then hit some key and it disappeared. I’ll try again tomorrowQ!

I just got in from a very pleasant dinner with Joan Haven and her husband, Wally, and a friend of theirs, Mary Crawford. Joan was in our RCIA program last year but broke her leg and wasn’t able to come into the Church at Easter; so tonight at the 5:30pm Mass, she made a perfession of faith and I confirmed her and she recieved the Eucharist. It was very nice.

Earlier today, I met Barbara Ostrye and we picked up Ursula Lemanski, who use to work with us at G.C. and went to lunch. Ursula is 91 and as sharp as a tack. He had lots of laughs.
In the morning, I wrote my last message and tried to clear up papers on my desk. It looks a lot neater. And I am going to bed as I have to get up early. I have an 8:15am Mass at Stone Ridge.

Once again, time gets away from me!
I did spend most of Sunday night choosing more books to give to the library fare. I put them in boxes or suitcases that the men in facillities can bring over to the center.
On Monday, I came to the center early so that I could choose some more books from the bookcase over here and hopefully be done. It is so difficult to let go of a book that I have enjoyed or used but they’ll get a new home and be enjoyed by more people. I do have a lot of Church History books.
Then I had the 11:00am and took a nap. I think making decisions always tires me out.
I met with the daughters of a Spanish man from the parish, who had died and I will have his funeral on Tuesday. They would lilke as much Spanish in the service as possible. I think I shall to brush up on my Spanish.
At lunch, Fr. Ron told me that he had to go out to a dinner honoring our chancellor and that he was concerned that he might not get back in time for RCIA. I offered to take it and so I had to prepare my presentation. Also at 6:30, Ida, who is in our RCIA and couldn’t make the class when I spoke on Scripture and Tradition, came to get a personal presentation. Then I went up at 7:30 and led the discussion on the person of Jesus. It led us into some very interesting questions and discussion. When I got home, I was ready for bed.

On Tuesday, I had the 11:00am Mass, which was the Spanish funeral. I read the Gospel in Spanish and did the Consecration in Spanish. The son gave the eugelegy in English and Spanish. The family seemed pleased and the usual 11:00am Mass crowd was surprised how well I spoke Spanish. I told them “That’s because you don’t speak Spanish or you would have noticed my mispronunciations”. To be honest though, it was nice to be able to make the family and friends comfortable. His body was being taken back to Spain on Wednesday.
That meant, no burial; which was fortunate, since I had my third session of “Tuesdays with (FR.) Maury with the senior citizens. Our topic for the day was “The world of my youth”. I do so enjoy these sessions as I hear the people share on the topic. We have a real cross section of circumstances and so the stories are different and just similar.
After that , I drove out to Laurel and did the burial of Mr. Courtois, who lived across the street from me when I was growing up. His daughter and I were good friend and her Mom, who died about three weeks ago, were both at my Monsignorship party. I had done the funeral for her Mom but because I had my Spanish funeral, I couldn’t come to her Dad’s. However, I did his burial and had a chance to visit with her and her brother. When I got home, I headed upstairs to take a nap.

At 5:15, Andrea came and we discussed the topic from RCIA that she had missed the night before. Then Fr. Jim Beattie and Fr. Tom Duffy came and we all rode together to havae dinner with Fr. Paul Hill at Sergio’s. I always enjoy those time together but when I got home, I was ready for bed. And that is why there were no messages for the last two days. I have a full day today, so I shall try to write something else tonight.

I slept very well last night and woke around 6am. It gave me to time to get ready and I was over at the center by 6:30. Yesterday I went to the St. Vincent web page and looked for Fr. Demetrius’s hints for the readings but it still had last week’s homily. I was forced to think about the readings myself. The Gospel was should one pay the tax or not. I think I got some reflective ideas about the struggle that underlies that question. Is God first or not? I think it went OK.
I helped with Communion at the 9am; so between my Mass and that, I got a lot of my desk cleaned up. Filed a lot and threw away lots.
Then I drove over to a lovely high rise next to St. Jane de Chantel parish. I joined Antonia and John Bass for the brunch. They were in my second Team, when they lived in Potomac. They have a very nice and comfortable apartment, with a great view. It was great to “catch up” with them.
When I got home, I came right to the rectory and cleaned. There are two pieces of luggage full of books to come over to the center tomorrow. There are also three piles of trash waiting to go outside. There is probably one more going through the bookshelf before I am done. Next will be going through the closet and getting some clothing for the poor. There are lots of poor men, who are big boned like me and would appreciate some of my clothes from the “big and tall man” shop! You think???
I’m going down stairs to get some supper; check and make sure that I have the 11am Mass tomorrow and then a couple of sudukos and then bed. See you tomorrow

I didn’t have Mass this morning, so I slept in till 10am. I had some breakfast and then headed over to the center. I took a box of books for the fair. I got a lot done last night. I had no idea how many books I had. Many are church history and maybe the people here will be interested in them.
I also got settled the limo/bus to take us to and from the port in Baltimore. Nine of us will travel together to the port and meet the other 18 cruisers there.
Had a nice long talk with Maureen and Rick. They, lilke all of us are looking forward to the trip.
I did a lot of email and I also filed a lot of the stuff on my desk so that JoEddie will not kill me on Monday.
I had a very nice surprise when Chris Corcoran called and said that he, Adrienne, and Libby were across the circle at All Saint’s Fall Festival and would like to stop by. We had a great visit and Libby plays the bagpipes and after our visit and catching up; we went outside (Chris said, “You can’t play bagpipes inside!!”) and she played two songs for us. And not just for us, but people hung out the windows and applauded. It was so nice. She is 12 and I baptized her and her twin, Shane (who was at Boy Scout camp) and gave them First Eucharist. I also married the parents. I really am getting – I really am old!!
I had a baptism (Jenson Clayton) at 1:30pm in the church. The mother’s family were all from Pittsburgh, so we had a lot of laughs waiting for the great grandparents who came of the MegaBus and were a little late.
After that I stopped into the chapel because Fr. Tom Hagan, an Oblate who works in Hati and had visited me one weekend down at St. Michael’s for a mission appeal, was doing the baptism. He is a great and good priest who works with the poorest. He taught with John Bohrer at North Catholic in Philly years ago. It was great to see him.
Then I had confessions and aftewards tried to visit a lady who was in our RCIA last year and wanted to talk with me. She lives over in Silver Spring and it taking treatment for cancer. I went to her apartment but there was no answer. Maybe she was resting. I left a message and will try her again tomorrow.
I’m back in the rectory and will do some more cleaning and then go to bed. I have the 7:30am Mass tomorrow. If I am old, I’m having a great time with it!!!

I had the 8:00am Mass today and preached about St. Callistus, for whom I have always had a special affection. He was a slave and his master liked him so he gave him an education and actually put him in charge of money. He lost most of it, and fearing that he would be put in jail; he ran away. He was captured and brought back to Rome, where the bishop forgave him and made him a deacon and put him in charge of the cemetaries. He did such a good job, he was chosen Pope. When he was elected, a well known and popular priest of Rome, Hippolytus went off and was elected the first anti-pope. Pope Callistus was too lenient with those who had lapsed in the proclaiming of their faith when faced with prison or torture. He allowed these “Lapsi” to return to the church. Both Hippolytus and Tertullian spoke out against him. Callistus was not put to death but the Church considers him a martyr because of the suffering he experienced in his pontificate. Hippolytus continued his break away through two more popes but while he and Pope Pontian (who was the first Pope to resign) were in exile in the salt mines of Sardinia, hypollotus recanted and died at a martyr and the Church celebrates St. Hippolytus and St. Pontian on their feast day, which is August 13th.

I hope you don’t mind all that. After Mass, I received a lot of thanks for preaching on it; and I decided to write it down and share it with you.

After Mass, I drove up (in driving rain) to Shady Grove hospital and visited with Bob and Jane Connelly. He is recovering from lots of bed health lately. He will go home tomorrow and be in re-hab at a center in Solomons. We had a great visit. Then I drove back and spent most the rest of the day going through books to give to the library book fair next weekend.
Had a nice phone conversation with Joe Stoutz, who is giving serious consideration to back surgery. He has been suffering for awhile and now he needs some relief. Keep him in your prayers.
Had also a nice talk with Keith Morris. I hope to get up there to Pittsburgh for a visit and to go over things for Kathleen’s wedding in January.

Tonight, I am again going through the bookcase in my bedroom and putting aside books for the fair. It is still raining and so I am content to be indoors!

I had a great day yesterday and I just fell into bed when I got home because I had the 6:30am Mass today.
But yesterday:
Marie, Maggie, and I met our cousins and their spouces, Peggy and Phil Caruso and Eileen and Phil Ballenger for lunch. We went to a nice Italian place called Baronessa in Rockville. We had such a great time and lots of laughs. Marie brought lots of photos and we updated our cousins on our branch of the family. Both of our cousins have large families and (although no pictures!) they brought us up to date of kids, and grandkids. I think we spent almost three hours and I hope we can do it again when Maureen is here.
Afterward I discovered I didn’t have Mass since the one I was scheduled for was the Sodality Mass and Fr. Ron took that. So I contacted Patrick Mullen, my seminarian buddy and we went to dinner in Georgtown and then saw the movie, “The Way” with Martin Sheen. It was excellent and I recommend you see it. But as I said, I was up late for me and so that’s why I didn’t write yesterday.

Today, I have the 6:30am Mass and then I went back to bed. At 10:00am I went to a nearby senior resident and met a 96 year old lady who moved there about two weeks ago and a former neighbor, who is a parishioner here, asked me to visit her. We had a fascinating talk as she was born in 1915 in Czechoslovakia and her husband worked for Voice of America and they have lived all over the world. I’ll see her again in about a week.
Then I came home, took a nap and have been sitting here in the center. I just had a nice long phone conversation with Joe Villani, whom I went to St. Vincent’s with. I had met a close friend of his at the reunion here last week and I told him to tell Joe to call me. And he did. It was nice to catch up.
Fr. Bill Byrne just stopped in. He is giving a “Faith on Tap” talk over in our school later tonight and we had a nice chat.
I think I’ll head over to the talk and then to bed.

Yesterday, Tuesday went by very quickly.
I had the 8:00am Mass and as today is the 49th anniversary of the Opening of Vatican II, I spoke about it and Blessed Pope John XXIII. Then I stopped by Joan’s to visit. Sharon, her daughter was also visiting and we all had a great time together. We caught up on all the family and many of our friends from the teen club at St. Camillus. We decided that we need to see those people again. Maybe I will have a celebration in May 1012 for my 40th anniversary. More to follow.
Then I stopped in the library in Hyattsville and read some more of my book, “Sarah’s Key”. I was just taking time before I went to Madonna House at 5pm. I usually take out the staff on the feast of St. Jospeh (March 19th) but just didn’t get a chance to do that this year; so we arranged it for last night. Mark, who is the director of the men in the family is visiting for vacation. He joined Cynthia and Maureen and me for a wonderful dinner at Pier 7 down on the harbour. We had a great time and I was home by around 9pm and then to bed. I have another full day today and I will write more about that tonight.

It was kind of a “holiday” today. We had school and the center was open but the government was off, as we many schools. I had the 11:00am, then I went to Southern Maryland and met Sr. Kass and visited her parish. I also saw Terry and Hal McConnell. Terry was my secretary at St. B’s and is now the CCD secretary at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, where Kass is the Pastoral Associate. I had a nice visit. Then I met Maggie and JoAnn in Prince Frederick for a nice crab salad. I got home and have spent the evening doing Sudukos and relaxing.

Below is an excerp from a story in NCR. I think it is worth reading:

John Allen is a very good reporter, specializing in church news. He was asked by a reporter from the secular press: “What do you think the Catholic church does best and doesn’t get much credit for?”
Here’s what he answered:

“Fundamentally, I don’t think the Catholic church gets enough credit for being a hell of a lot of fun. There’s great warmth and laughter in most Catholic circles, a rich intellectual tradition, a vast body of lore, an incredible range of characters, a deep desire to do good, an abiding faith against all odds, an ability to go anywhere and feel instantly at home, and even a deep love of good food, good drink, and good company. All that is part of the tapestry of Catholic life, but it rarely sees the light of day in commentary and reporting that focuses exclusively on crisis, scandal, and heartache.”

I say: “Ditto!!!”

The place seemed quiet today. I guess everyone was in a “recovery” mode. The party last night was a big sucess and it broke up around 1am. The crew was here today very early and taking down the tent and removing all the equipement. By three in the afternoon, the place was restored to BC (before celebration) and the kids have a playground for tomorrow. We have school tomorrow as they had off Friday.
I had the 10:30am Mass in the Church and we had a large crowd. There was a gentleman there who was at the party last night and had graduated in 1932. He lives in San Diego and his first grade teacher was Sister Pascal, CSC. I knew her when I was pastor at St. Bernard’s. She was the last sister of the Holy Cross to continue to wear the old habit. She was a sweet heart and very funny.
I helped with Communion at the 12:30 and also will help at the 5:30. This afternoon, I went through my bookcases in the rectory to find some books for the library sale. After Mass, I am going to go and see “The Ides of March”. It is a late show but I can sleep in on Monday because I have the 11:00am Mass. Today is the feast of St. Denis, so I prayed for all the Denis in my life. It is also Pat Berry’s birthday, so I called him. All in all, a good day.