Pentecost XXIII
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Tuesday’s crisp cold morning, the snow’s white gleaming in the sun, was certainly a surprise after green Brazil’s warm humidity. But, they say Fall is coming back, and I hope it will be a long mellow one, since was have now payed our tribute to Jack Frost.
Father McGuire was joined by about thirty of our devout Rosarians at St. Joseph’s Cemetery last Sunday afternoon. It was sunny, a good day for this annual act of devotion for the Poor Souls. Father Lehtoranta, having offered Mass for the McGuire family in Chillicothe, came back to join them, and then go on to church for the 5:45. They visited Katie Bischak’s grave, her parents’, and several others.
Then, Monday afternoon, the weather came in. It was a pretty quite week. Father Cekada was teaching the seminarians, Father Lehtoranta teaching too, here at St. Gertrude, in spite of a bad cold. Father McGuire was faithful to his appointments, mission work, and sick calls. Viola Ripperger passed into eternity at 97, and was buried by Father and the school children on Friday. I remember visiting her and her husband Ken with Holy Communion decades ago, with good old Paulina at the wheel.
The cupboard was bare last week, once the your Fathers fished off Monday’s chicken. We were all too sick or too busy, or both, to organize shopping for meals. This is where the supreme evangelical act of charity comes in ever so handy. I was hungry and you gave me to eat. Drop off a meal. But not three at once. use the Cucina site, or give us a call or an email so we can coordinate things. The ideal is two midweek meals, like Tuesday and Thursday, or so. If I’m around, and the food is not too hidden, I’ll organize things. But if I’m off to an exotic locale, often food does get wasted. If you bring something, say something. Well, God sees the desires of the heart.
So, I was in Brazil last week, a quick trip, but quite intense, of six days or so. I met with four priests, four Franciscan seminarians, once secular seminary student and one brother. And of course the faithful, small still in numbers, but great in faith and charity, who support the seminary/parish, and are spiritually fed in turn.
We had Tonsure again, for two of the Franciscans, and Minor Orders and Subdiaconate for another, and also a dozen Confirmations. I was again impressed at the quality of the singing, the impeccable serving for the full Pontifical Mass, and the fine hospitable organization of everything. It was as if they had been doing all of this for years instead of for months. Father Rodrigo, the superior, is less than two years ordained. He was with the Pius X “Resistance” movement, but saw the illogic of their schism, and sought us out. O happy day, indeed!
Speaking of traveling, two of our devoted young people, Theresa Simpson, our church secretary, and her brother Joseph, are on their first air trip, and it is a big one, to far away Australia. Far away and exotic in its own way, but close to us, too, for the multitudinous Omlor Cousins and Aunties, and the devoted ministrations of young Father Philip Eldracher, himself rather recently ordained.
Jim Soli, is an office veteran of ours, and was still willing to return and help out in the office, brave soul, during Theresa’s absence. We are grateful for his devotion. God reward him.
It only remains for me to wish you all a happy St. Gertrude’s Day, and to hope you’ll have a donut on us. “We love St. Gertrude the Great so much,” you might very well say, “whatever could we do to help?” Glad you asked. We’re always in need of help cleaning and doing fix it types of repairs, and more. Pretty near anything. We have no janitor, or permanent maintenance staff. It’s a big place. So, let us know, and you could dig right in.
Of course, many of you do help, and in so many way. As a matter of fact, that’s what makes us great. After St. Gertrude the Great, of course. Blessed feast day and anniversary.
–Bp. Dolan