What Paddy Shot At

Sorry to be sending this on Sunday but yesterday got away from me. I concelebrated the funeral Mass of Barbara Sullivan, a very sweet lady who sang in our choir and was one of the first people to welcome me to the parish. I changed my plans, which was to go to Maggie’s Friday afternoon and spend the night; and I’m glad I did. Miss Sullivan and I were related through marriage and some of my cousins – from the Denny branch of our family tree – were here and got to meet some of their children, whom I have not seen in twenty years.

After the funeral, I drove to St. Mary’s county and visited with part of the marriage group that I am a chaplain for. It was a cookies and drink meeting and it was nice to visit with those who could make it.

Then I went to St. Mary’s Nursing home and said a prayer over Matt Blair, whom I’m sorry to say may not have known I was there but I wanted to see him. Also saw Frances Iacombi Krilich, another St. Michael’s parishioner who seems to be doing very well with her therapy and may be home soon. It was great to see them both and pray with them.

Then I went over to Calvert County and met with Kerri, my niece and her fiance, Tim and then they, Maggie and Marie and I ate a wonderful Italian meal at Mama Lucia’s. We returned to Maggie’s and played card. I know this will be hard to believe but I think I was the loser in all three games. We didn’t play till 2am as we often do, because I had to get to sleep so I could get up at 5am to drive back to Blessed Sacrament for the 7:30am Mass.

Happy Feast to all the Barbaras in my life and if you know a Barbara, wish her a Happy Day after your Feast Day!

I slept last night for almost 10 hours. It was a real treat to wake at 7:00am, turn on the Today Show and then fall asleep again to wake 3 hours later. I am tired a lot and I suppose that is why my doctor told me to go and buy B complex. I did that today and maybe I’ll have more energy.

At noon, I took my oils and went to visit the Cullen family. Mrs. Cullen called me yesterday to ask me to come today and give her mom the Sacrament of the Sick. Her name is Mary Jordan and she is from Scranton, Pa. Her son is also visiting her as I think it will only be a few more days till she goes peacefully home. She was conscious and could speak. I always like the prayer “Lord, in St. James’ epistle, he says ‘if there are ill among you, call for the priest. He shall lays hands on them and anoint them and the Lord will give them peace’.” I think it is consoling for all of us to feel the presence of the Lord and His angels hovering about. We laughed and talk about the Jesuits since the children had gone to their high school and the University. Well not the son, he left to go under the influence of Holy Cross at Notre Dame. It was a lovely visit.

I had the 5:30 Mass and I preached about St. Francis Xavier. There was a portion of a letter he wrote to Ignatius about how he wished he could go to the universities of Europe and encourage young people to come to Asia as missionaries. I talked and prayed for all those young college students who today answer that call by joining the Jesuit Volunteer program. We all prayed for them and former volunteers.

I called Barry Fitzpatrick to wish him a happy St. Francis Day. I have such happy memories of the 8 wonderful years I was chaplain at Good Counsel and worked with the Xavierian brothers and the great community we had there.

It was a very pleasant surprise that today I also recieved my first Christmas card. It was from the Collins family and was a great picture of the four children, most of whom I baptized. I also married Kevin and Quinn. I always enjoy the pictures I get at Christmas and I love to post them on my bulletin board in my office. I think I might have gotten this one so early because I complained to Kevin that I didn’t get one last year. He is dean of admissions at GC now and stopped in to see me when he came to visit our 8th graders before the open house. So now the first and only picture I have so far is up on the wall waiting for company.

I am remembering in my prayers all day today, those wonderful people that God brought into my life through the years at Good Counsel High. May Our Lady of Good Counsel wrap them in the mantle of her love.

Finished the book, St. Patrick’s Day with a couple of tears in my eyes. Am going to meet the author for coffee on Saturday, the 11th.

Today I had the 8:00am Mass and the intention was for Dr. Carl McCartee. A lot of his family was there and after Mass, I stopped to speak with them to see if it was the anniversary of his death. His son, Bill said, “No, it’s my birthday and a family that is close to us, had it offered for Dad”. Then I met some of his family and his two sons, who are students in our school. They were allowed to go late to school to attend the Mass. It reminded me of the wonderful days when our family would go to Mass on the anniversary of one of my grandparents death and afterwards we went to breakfast. Some of the rituals of my youth are still good!

I gave a reflection on Advent and Our Lady to the Sodality at the end of their Christmas luncheon. Just before the luncheon, the kindgarten students came over and sang for us. Bill’s son, Stephen was one of the students and he was so happy that I remembered him and was able to tell the ladies I had just met Stephen this morning. Ah, the joys of a senior priest!

I’m just returning now from a talk by Fr. Jim Greenfield, the provincial of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. As part of our year long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the parish, a group of parishioners has scheduled 6 gatherings that are similar to the “Theology on Tap” program, which are a series that are usually held at bars in the Washington area and invite young adults to come and hear someone speak about a particular spiritual topic. We are going to hold ours in our auditorium, which they set up with a bar, a buffet, short tables and bar high tables and chairs. There were about 70 people there – babysitting was in a room nearby. Jim was excellent and his talk was about “Why be a Catholic?”. I loved it and got a lot to reflect on for Advent and my spiritual state.  He is coming again in Lent to give, with a confrere, our parish mission. I am looking forward to that. 

Off to bed early although I have the 5;30pm Mass tomorrow. Maybe I’ll try to clean my desk

Once again, I had the 11:00 am Mass. The scriptures were about Jesus feeding a multitude. Years ago I read a poem by Carol Houselander entitled “Philip speaks”. In it we learn that Philip resented that he and the other apostles never seemed to have time for themselves together. He described the “always out-strenched hand, always the upward gaze seeking the healing hand of Jesus”.  But he describes this miracle by stressing that while Jesus did the blessing, he handed it to the apostles and as they gave away the bread or the fish, it repleneshed itself in the hands of the apostles. Philip says that now when he see the “outstretched” hands, he is eager to give them whatever he has. I wonder if we realize how often Jesus uses our hands or our tongue to respond to those in need. Maybe we would be less afraid if we knew that Jesus is still here with us feeding the body and soul of so many.

I also went to see the hemalogist who did a bone marrow procedure on me a few weeks ago. She reported, that although my white cells are still high, I do not have lukemia and I don’t have to come back to see her till sometime in February. One more thing off the list of medical questions that surfaced during my last bout of pneumonia. Praise God.

I had a wonderful hour long talk by phone with Mr. Milton “Mac” McGreevy in Colorado. He turned 90 in August and except as he says, “my legs give out on me and I can’t climb ladders like I use to.”  His mind and tongue are as sharp as ever. He is the father of Regina, who was a classmate of mine at St. Bernard’s and I first real date in my sophomore year of high school. Their whole family has been like family to me.

I also spoke to Frances Krilich, a parishioner from St. Michael’s whom I had the priviledge of blessing her and Jim’s marriage a few years ago. She is at the nursing home in Leonardtown as she has been battling cancer for a long time. Please keep them in your prayers.

Heard from Eileen Lee Baughan today and she has gotten a job in her field of counseling, which is great news.

Tonight, we three priest ate supper together. It was such fun. We are trying to do that a couple of days a week during Advent. The others are so busy but we are going to try to do it.

I will go to bed early tonight as I have 8:00am Mass tomorrow and then I am giving a reflection to the Sodality about Our Lady after the 11:00 Mass. Say a prayer to the Spirit for me.

I think you can make comments now.

Yesterday, I presided at the 11:00am Mass. Fr. Jim, who makes the schedule is very kind to me in that he seldom assigns me the 6:30am Mass because he knows I am not a “morning person” Even the 8:00am Mass is only once or twice a week. I usually have the 11 or the 5:30pm.

It is so impressive that at any of those daily Masses, there are regularly 40 or 50 people. Some come on the way to work or coming home. Others come with small children when they drop off the older children at school and a lot of the older parishioners come to the 11, although again, some of the workers nearby will come on their lunch hour. It is a very prayerful community.

Spent much of yesterday in the waiting rooms of doctors and had a chance to begin a new book that is a sequel to one I just finished. The first book was called, “Swampoodle” and was set in the area around Gonzaga and Sts. Aloysius and Dominic churches, where much of my ancestors lived and worshiped.  I enjoyed it greatly.

In the Providence of God, my friend, Fr. Michael Roach met the author and told him how much I enjoyed the book. The author, P.D. St. Claire contacted me and sent me a copy of the sequel, which is called “St. Patrick’s Day” and is set in this parish, the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament.

So yesterday, I was able to read a great deal of it and am enjoying it as much a the first. I hope to meet the author in the next few weeks.

Last night, I gave a presentation on prayer to our RCIA group. I enjoyed preparing for it because I realized that I do lots of different manners of prayer in my own life and I enjoyed answering questions and sharing ideas about the different types and styles of prayer.

I just finished presiding at the 8:00am Mass for the feast of St. Andrew. I prayed for all the Andrews I know – and I know quite a few!

I have always thought that Andrew was a “good brother” because he found something good and he could hardly wait to share the knowledge with his brother, Peter. The first reading said that “how can they know unless someone tells them”, and that reminded me of the Pope’s call for a “new evangelization”. We Christians have a lot of work to do if we want to be good siblings and see that everyone knows about Jesus.

Today is the first anniversary of the death of Linda, the daughter of my long time gradeschool friend, Gail. So we are going to meet later today. Please keep her in your prayers. I think it was John Kennedy who said, “It is a sin against nature for a parent to bury their child.” I have always thought that such a situation must be really difficult for a person and they must have great strength and equal faith.

Happy feast day to all you Andrews!!!

I have just returned from presiding at the 5:30pm Mass. It is a very popular Mass for families and young people. The music is done by a great group who sing beautifully and are most inviting for participation.

The Little Sisters of the Poor were at the doors as people left. One of them, Sister Pauline spoke after Communion. They are a wonderful group of women who provide a home for the elderly poor. Sister had two young women with her who are postulates. It was good to see that they are still young women open to God’s call to committed relilgious life. They were happy and friendly. I saw some of our young people talking to them after Mass.
As we began this new liturgical “year of grace”, I shared in my homily what a marvelous Thanksgiving Day I had.

Many of you know that I have three sisters, Marie, Maggie, and Maureen. Marie and Maggie and most of their children live in this area. Maureen lives in Georgia with her husband, Rick and two of her sons live nearby. Her other son, his wife and five children live in Florida.

In 2007, Maureen was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis. It is a hardening of the fibrosos in your lung and limited the ability to breathe. They don’t know the cause and there is no treatment but as the fibrosos harden, it is necessary to rely on oxygen. Maureen uses oxygen in a limited manner but she runs out of “steam” if she moves to much.

When she was diagnosed, she made an interesting decision. She told her sons and daughters in laws and grandchildren that she would like them all to come up to Maryland for Thanksgiving 2010. My other two sisters told their children as well. The cousins from the South stayed in the homes of some of the local cousins. My sisters, Rick, and I all stayed at my sister, Maggie’s home in Dunkirk and we got the use of the volunteer Fire Department for the dinner.

Some came in to the area starting on Sunday, the 21st and did things like the Aquarium in Baltimore and sightseeing in Washington. My sisters and their children prepared list of foods that we needed and there was cooking and baking going on all week. Uncle Maury brought Honeybaked hams and people cooked three turkeys and lots of side dishes and deserts.

Each family wore a particular color, Marie’s wore White, Maggie’s wore Blue, Maureen’s wore Red, and Uncle Maury wore Black. We took lots of pictures. Cousins came from New York and Florida. Other relatives came from Kansas and members of our extended family came from the neighborhood. One grandson, who is a Marine in Okanawa wasn’t able to be there but we had his picture. In total we were 73. 

During grace, we thanked God for our parents and grandparents who gave us life and faith. We thanked God for the many blessings we have recieved and especially for the opportunity to come together and celebrate this feast. We thanked Him for the safe arrival of all and asked His protection as people returned to their home. We asked God to bless those who prepared for this feast and to be with all the sick in our family and community. Lastly, as we share this good food and our company, we asked Him to bless those who have little to eat and no one to share it with.

In my homily, I mentioned that the Gospel tells us to be prepared for the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus and to be prepared for the next coming of Jesus. It will be at the end of time and also for the end of our own lives. 

I closed my homily by this reflection.  As I looked over my family – and like most of you we have a “real” family, I realized that as different as we are on such topics as diverse as religion, politics, lifestyles, to the type of dressing for the turkey, we are united in love and acceptance of each other. We try to live as Jesus commanded us “to have love, one for another”. May that love touch each of us so that Jesus will find us waiting with joy for His coming.

Dear friends, it has been my intention to write this blog almost as a journal so that people who read  it will have an “inside view” of the life of a priest.   My life as a priest has been filled with laughter and blessings, travel and surprises, and marvelous human beings. I want people, especially my friends and young people to see what a great life a priest’s life can be.

I often think of my good friend and confessor, Fr. Peter Holden, S. T. and the last few visits I had with him before he died. Once, I was sitting by his bed, reading in a chair when I noticed he was crying. I asked him if he was in pain and he laughingly said to me, “These are not tears of sadness, they are tears of gratitude for all the wonderful people God has put into my life as gifts. I am running them through my mind and I am remembering the joy we had.”

I am going to try to make this blog a journal in which I can record some of the blessing that God keeps pouring into my life.
Today, is the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year 2010. I have spent thirty eight liturgical years as a priest. Next Sunday will be the First Sunday of Advent for the Liturgical Year 2011. I will make a very serious attempt to write daily starting on November 28th, 2010.

I am sorry that I still don’t know how to alllow you to respond or make comments about the blog; but you can write to me at moconnell@blessedsacramentdc.org. I am working on a way that I can write, you can respond, I can read, and I can share with others all at this sight; but I haven’t figured that out as yet.

Know that you and all of your beloved dead has been in my prayers and Masses this Month of the Holy Souls.

Fr. O

Christ is Risen, Alleluia
Truly he is risen, Alleluia

Explain about the custom if I don’t get the response. Do it again.

As some of you know, from 1968 to 1972, I was a seminarian at St. Vincent’s Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The seminary was part of a Benedictine Archabbey and I loved being there. However, every year we students tried to convince our rector to allow us to begin our Easter vacation during Holy Week and he refused. We had to stay at the seminary till after the Vigil Mass and many of us had to drive home to Washington, New York, and New Jersey in the early hours of Easter Sunday. The rector use to tell us that we needed to stay there and participate in the beautiful and meaningful liturgies of Holy Week. They would be the culmination of a really well spent Lent.

He told us that if we went home, our priest would have us be in charge of the servers at Mass, We would spend much of Good Friday practicing for the evening services and during the service, we would be wondering why there were only five servers rather than the six we practiced with, and we would not hear the passion read because of our distractions. We would be responsible to see that all the lilies came out on the altar at the right time and in the right place and we would be constantly checking to make sure that no one in the congregation or on the altar was dangerously near a lighted taper.

In 1972, I was ordained and sent to a wonderful “beltway” parish that had about 1500 families. I loved it and was in charge of the youth group, the servers, the Sodality, the CCD, and the liturgy. April 16 thru 22nd was Holy Week 1973 and the week afterwards I went on a short vacation where I wrote to Fr. Demetrius, my former rector and told him how right he was to keep us at the seminary till Easter.

I was so uptight during the week in the parish that I fell asleep Easter Sunday afternoon and missed dinner at my Mom’s house. I did not enjoy one event of Holy Week except the children’s Mass on Easter. I worked and worried all week. I was determined to never have a Holy Week like that again, and I tried to get lots of others involved and to distribute the various liturgies among the other priests and deacons I lived with; but I could not capture that sense of praying and participating in the liturgies of Holy Week like I had as a seminarian at St. Vincent’s.

I mention this today because it is Holy Saturday and I have had a wonderful and prayerful Lent and Holy Week as a senior priest in this parish. I wasn’t responsible for anything. Even when I was the presider at a liturgy, there was Fathers John and Jim or the seminarians to help move me around and through the prayers and actions.
I joined the congregation for Morning Prayer and I especially enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with so many people who did so during Lent. I was impressed by the hundreds who came to daily Mass and by how full the church was at the different celebrations.

I have a headline from the paper that I want to share with you.
(Hold up headline) TENS OF THOUSANDS TO ENTER CATHOLIC CHURCH ON EASTER.

This was the heading on an article in a Minneapolis, Minnesota Newspaper in which it gave many statistics and a wonderful story about an 89 year old former atheist.

It tells of Jean Henry of Easton, Md., who was raised a Methodist and “drifted” into the Episcopal Church, but rejected Christianity more than four decades ago after a major spat in the women’s guild.

“I tried to heal it but I could not,” Henry told The Dialog, newspaper of the Diocese of Wilmington, Del., which includes Maryland’s Eastern Shore. “I thought I had a good, strong faith, but it was too shallow.”

Henry, who turns 90 April 16, said she “started out agnostic and went on to become an atheist because I never do things by halves. If I was going to doubt, I was going to doubt all the way.”

But she found that “this life is hell if you’re an atheist,” she said. “I had gotten to the point where life didn’t seem worth living. I’m not suicidal, so I’m not saying that, but why be here if you’re an atheist?”

She reached that point shortly before she turned 89 last year. But she also found hope and new life through what she considers “an intervention by God.”

“It was as if all of this atheism was gathered up on both shoulders as if it were a loose garment, and it simply fell onto the floor,” recalled Henry, who will become Catholic at Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Easton. “I sort of figuratively stepped out of it. Since that garment of atheism fell off of me, I have never thought of it, questioned it, had one argument in my head about it.”

As she was preparing to become Catholic, Henry said she believes “the true story is the strength and persistence of God’s faith. I was in his arms all the time, but I was too stupid, too stubborn, too focused to realize that was always there, every minute.” Now she realizes all she has to do is accept God’s love.

The article is full of reports from dioceses through the U.S.
(Read some of these)
In Texas, the Diocese of Dallas will welcome more than 3,000 new Catholics into the church this Easter. The Archdiocese of San Antonio reports more than 1,100 new members, including nearly 340 children. The Diocese of Fort Worth will welcome approximately 1,000 catechumens and candidates, and the Diocese of Victoria will welcome 132 new Catholics from 14 parishes.

The Archdiocese of Atlanta reported that more than 1,800 people will join the Catholic Church at Easter. This is the largest group of new Catholics registered in Atlanta in any year on record. Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta presided over the Rite of Election and Call to Continued Conversion, when catechumens and candidates are formally presented to the local bishop, at a ceremony conducted in 11 languages at the Atlanta Civic Center.

The nation’s largest archdiocese, Los Angeles, reported that nearly 2,400 catechumens and candidates will be received into the church on Easter. The Archdiocese of Seattle will welcome 682 catechumens and 479 candidates, for a total of 1,161 people.

In other areas of the country, the Archdiocese of Detroit will welcome 1,225 people. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati reported a combined number of 1,049 catechumens and candidates. The Archdiocese of Denver said it expects 1,102 new Catholics, and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis reported 182 catechumens and 515 candidates.

In the Diocese of Arlington, Va., an estimated 1,100 people will be brought into the church.

The Archdiocese of Washington, which includes the District of Columbia and part of Maryland, will receive approximately 1,150 people, as well 18 students from St. Augustine School, the oldest African-American school in the district.

We are part of the report about Washington because here at Blessed Sacrament we welcome three people who will be baptized and five people who will come into full Communion. These eight new brother and sisters will come for the first time to join us at the Eucharistic banquet. We have prayed for them since last September as they discerned God’s call to them. They have joined us for the Liturgy of the Word and have studied and reflected on what it is to be a disciple of Jesus in experience called RCIA. Our brothers and sisters have answered the invitation of Jesus, “Come and see” in many cases because they have known you. They have seen your relationship with Jesus and the church and they were attracted to it.

Perhaps because you have lived and been a part of this community of faith for a long time; you may not realize what a gift it is to be Blessed Sacrament Parish. Not to be “in Blessed Sacrament Parish” but to “be” Blessed Sacrament Parish. As one of its newer members, let me share some of what I see and I believe many who call it “home” see.
The faith is lived, nurtured, and proclaimed in this community. The bulletin is full of opportunities for “being involved”. You have only to remember the terrible snow storms we had and how the bushes and flowers around the property were “beat down” by the weight of the snow. Look now and see what lots of people have done to make it beautiful and welcoming around the church buildings. Many people spend hours and months of preparing for liturgies.
On Ash Wednesday, it was so striking to see all the flowers and greenery gone and simple candles in a few well placed holders to speak of the austere period we were entering. Tonight, we are surrounded by the signs of new life and spring. I stopped to look at the lilies that were going to be placed in the church and that were in the hallway in the parish center. I noticed that someone had gone through and removed many of the yellow stamens. I remembered hearing once that if you do that the lily will last longer. I saw a lady who works on the environment for the church and I asked if I was correct. She said, “I don’t know. We do that because it is pollen and so many people with allergies would be suffering with sneezing and runny eyes. We want them to be comfortable while they are here.” Again, it’s home and something for the family members.

On Holy Thursday, Father John spoke of “presence” in terms of the God who entered history through Moses and led the people from slavery to the Promised Land. He also reminded us that that “presence” that St. Paul spoke of in the Eucharist was the gift of Jesus to us. And he spoke of the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper. He said that St. John in his gospel speaks of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. and that we come to church to hear his word, receive his body, and go out to the world as a “presence” that makes it holy by service and example. We are the people of the towel and basin. It is to those people that ten of thousands have been attracted.

Tonight, we are doing what families love to do. We have come together and have told stories of our ancestors, we will welcome new members to our parish family and we will share the Banquet of Life. Then we shall go out as people of the towel and basin to share the timeless message of hope. “Christ is Risen, Alleluia”. (Hopefully a response will come)

I had intended to make writing in this blog part of my Lenten discipline but as you can see, I didn’t get very far with that plan. I was going to write Ash Wednesday evening but suddenly it was the weekend. Then I thought I would write on the Sunday nights of Lent but that got away from me also. So, here it is the 2nd Sunday of Lent, and I am finally writing.

IT IS NOW FRIDAY, MARCH 5TH AND I DISCOVERED I HADN’T POSTED THIS, SO I’LL JUST DO THAT NOW.

Ash Wednesday was very busy and there were lots of services and lots of foreheads to mark with “the sign of our humanity”. I suppose I am a little strange – a little?? – in that I have always liked Lent. It is a time for me to reflect and hopefully grow in my spiritual life. I try to read more Scripture and Spiritual Reading, I try to give up things (like Snickers) and I try to make some financial decisions that give me more money for almsgiving. I always think that if I can’t do those things for only 40 days, then my life is really out of control. I shall use this blog to keep me accountable.

Last week, a dear friend died and I had the privledge of presiding and preaching at his funeral. It was Nick Sampogna. He, his wife Frances (Bim), and their children welcomed me into their home and family when I was a newly ordained priest at St. Camillus in Silver Spring in 1972. We have stayed friendly ever since and his funeral was a celebration of his ninety years of faith. He was ill and finally bedridden for a long time. Bim had a great idea. She wanted the grandchildren to think about and reflect on their remembrances of Grandpop, so they wouldn’t just remember him in his illness. Not all of them could be present but I think about a dozen came up and spoke after Communion about a memory of Nick. It was very impressive and touching. One young boy spoke about how often when he was young and he would be telling his granddad about something he did or made, Nick would say,” Good, and next time you’ll do this and it will be even better”. He said “I use to think that he never thought what I did was good enough but now I realize that he was encouraging me to do always do better and I will.” What wonderful legacies we can give our children and grandchildren.

The evening of Nick’s funeral, I flew down to Florida. Regina Housel, who was the principal of St. Michael’s for 7 of my years as pastor, is now the principal of a Catholic elementary school in Sarasota and asked me to give a day retreat to her faculty. I enjoyed it very much and had a good time – I can’t speak for the faculty’s enjoyment! It was held at the retreat house in Venice and it was a sunny day. The native thought it was cold because the temperature has been in the 50’s and 60’s but as I explained to them compared to Washington’s weather, I thought I was in the tropics.

I also had a chance to see Ann Lee, who lives in Venice. She and Mickey and their six children lived at the end of the driveway at St. Camillus and I spent many a wonderful hour in their home and almost every Christmas Eve till dawn. After Mickey’s death and after Michael, their youngest, died, she moved to Florida. She has a lovely home a few blocks from the Gulf and with a pool right outside of her living room. We had a great visit and caught up on all the news.

I returned on Friday night and learned on Saturday of the death of Mrs. Elizabeth “Beth” McCoy, a very dear friend from St. Michael’s. She is also the aunt of Msgr. John Enzler, my pastor. He funeral will be Thursday at St. Michael’s and I was have the honor of presiding and preaching. She and her husband, Fred had twelve children and thirty some grandchildren. Her birthday was July 19th and there was always a big family gathering at her farm. I was welcomed into this marvelous mob and had many happy moments with them. She was ninety two years young.

The recent blizzard in Washington provided me an opportunity to “clean up my desks”. As many of you know that has been a “Work in Progress” for a long time. However, this long unexpected break in schedule led me to open a number of boxes of things I had brought with me from Southern Maryland and I poured them out on my desk in the rectory. Among the treasures were a number of Christmas cards and letters (unopened) from 2004. So I spent a couple of days opening them and organizing them with the ones I opened last month in Alaska. I read every wonderful letter and looked at every beautiful picture and they are in some order on my desk here in the parish center.

I updated my mailing list on the computer by checking return addresses and getting information from the letters. I think my list is now up to date. There are almost 700 people. I am considering making up a postcard with a short note that tells people my new address and phone number and also my blog. (I still haven’t figured out how to allow comments but I will) and my email address.

I especially want to have people be able to read the blog because I do think it is such a neat way to keep in touch. I didn’t like Face book and so I closed that out but I do so enjoy being in touch with friends and family and knowing what’s up with them.

I am also looking into being able to put my newsletter on line but it will take a few more courses to learn how to do that. Postage is so high and actually that is the reason that “The Sword”, which was the parish newsletter from St. Michael’s (and also a way to keep my friends informed about my life there) is going to try to be an “on line” issue. So I may have to make this blog my Year long Christmas letter.

Today, February 16th is the 19th anniversary of my Mom’s death. It hardly seems that long ago because I feel her presence so often and of course, I see her in my sisters; we were so lucky to have had her as a Mom. I offered two Masses today for her, my Dad, my sisters and their families and all your parents and all who gave us Life and Faith. Requiescat in Pace

Well now I must finish off any candy (especially Snickers) that are around here andd enter into Lent. Know that I will be praying for all of you and your Lenten discipline.
Affectionately,
MO