Monday, May 5, 2014

Another year

     Last year at this time I spent a great deal of time remembering and telling stories of the assignments that I have been privileged to have served in the forty years of my priesthood.  And here it is, a year later, and today I am celebrating my forty first year since ordination.  It was at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 5, 1973 that our ordination ceremony began.  Four of us were ordained that day by the late Bishop William G. Connare, and all four of us are still active serving parishes in the Diocese of Greensburg.  We are each different and yet each blessed by the Lord with the gift of ministry as priests.  Our journeys have taken us many places and allowed us to touch many lives over the years, and I know that I speak for my ordination brothers in expressing gratitude to God.

    This forty first anniversary began with the celebration of the Eucharist, as I have done nearly every day over the years.  It never becomes ordinary.  Then an out of the ordinary visit to the retinal surgeon for a follow up visit to deal with some issues as a result of my diabetes.  This took most of the morning.  Once the eye sight began to clear, I was able to attend a meeting of the clergy from of Deanery (one of the geographical areas of the Diocese) for updates, input and discussion for about two and a half hours - good, but less than exciting.  Then a late lunch/early supper, and now to the computer for this post.

     On top of all of this, today is also my sister, Janie's, birthday.  She forbids me to tell you how young she is, but suffice it to say that she was born in XXXX (oops, it almost slipped out).  I couldn't get home, but I did send her roses for her birthday (I'm such a good brother).

     The Lord has been good to me, and for that I am deeply grateful.   To my ordination mates and my seminary classmates from other dioceses, especially Pittsburgh who share the same day ... Happy Anniversary!

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