... is going slow. Threw out the back this morning. Finally found my brace this evening. Still, with help from one of the choir members, we packed 33 boxes today. It will be Motrin tonight.
Tomorrow is my last time at Bond Chapel. I will miss them.
Happy Pentecost everyone!
Here are are some pictures of St. Edward Parish I took this week on a visit. I am looking forward to working here.
Back home for a brief respite. Greetings from Chicago. I am taking the day off. Our deacon and I are going to a White Sox game. I have been to Wrigley field many times but this is my first time at the South Side American League park.
[UPDATE: Excellent game, The Whites Sox defeated the Texas Rangers 4-0]
Today was spent visiting the parish. I become pastor of St. Edward Parish in Newark, CA on August 1st. I interviewed two applicants for the music job, visited the school and spent some time speaking with the principal, and then had dinner with the current pastor and with the provincial.
Ahem. More that 200 people stopped by here in that past couple of days and only three people posted promises of prayer for Mike and David to see when they log on here from Iraq. Email addresses are not required, and you can post anonymously. Are y'all praying? A few posts here will give some encouragement to a few young men serving your country. Ahem. Ahem.
Mark and Betty Squier serve as the Resource Enrichment Team along with Fr. Jerry Foley. They are here in California serving on the International Board for Retrouvaille. All the while their sons are serving in Iraq. Recently Mike got a chance to cross paths with his brother Dave over in Kirkuk. Please keep these guys in prayer, and say one for their parents too. Mark and Betty are going to send this web address to Dave and Mike so they can see this and I am sure they would appreciate seeing you post prayers for them and their buddies over there.
It is a very busy time. I am at the Board of Directors Meeting for Retrouvaille International here in Pleasanton, CA. Meeting starts at 7:30am tomorrow and finishes with Night Prayer at 9:30pm, so not much blogging to be expected.
I took this picture on his birthday last year during an audience the Holy Father had with the Precious Blood Community on the Canonization of St. Maria de Mattias.
Mountains of mail and email. Just a bit exhausted. I am doing busy work and working on next week's projects. But home after a good Retrouvaille experience. More later.
Oh yes, and today is the anniversary of my ordination to the Diaconate, 1991.
Found over at Mark Shea's:
It's time to re-evaluate our involvement.Every day there are news reports about more deaths. Every night on TV are photos of death and destruction.
Why are we still there?We occupied this land, which we had to take by force, but it causes nothing but trouble.
Why are we still there?Their government is unstable, and they have no leadership.
Why are we still there?Many of their people are uncivilized, or at least don't speak English.
Why are we still there?There are more than 1,000 religious sects and almost as many languages and dialects, many of which we don't understand.
Why are we still there?We can't even secure the borders.
Why are we still there?They are billions of dollars in debt and it will cost billions more to rebuild, which we can't afford.
Why are we still there?It is becoming clear.
WE MUST ABANDON CALIFORNIA.
It was a good for a morning chuckle.
..cleaning, dusting, tossing, packing, and long theological discussions with seminarians who are delaying heading off to school. Oh yeah, and paying bills. ugh!
I had lunch with Fr. Bruce Harbert, the executive Director ICEL, along with Fr. Mike, Melissa, and fellow blogger Aristotle Esguerra. The discussion was fascinating and insightful as we got an inside look into the complexities of translating of the Sacramentary.
One of the things about moving is that it is a trip down memory lane. Many files and papers get tossed. I think I have filled the dumpster once. Half the boxes in storage have been emptied and flattened. But then there are the pictures. I do not ever remember throwing away a picture. I think I have four boxes full.
Here is one I came across today:
It was taken May 17, 1991 before my ordination as a Deacon. It was held at St. Edward Church where I am to become Pastor on August 1st.
When I was a seminarian for the Diocese of Oakland, I was assigned to a year of Pastoral Internship. That was in 1978 and it was at St. Edward. The Pastor was Ricardo Chavez, a Diocesan Priest.
After I left the seminary and worked as a Music Minister, I was employed for four years as Director of Music for Parish and School at St. Edward. That was 1984-88. The Pastor was Marvin Steffes, CPPS.
Since ordination I have preached Missions and Retreats all over this country and in four other countries. In 1999 I preached a Parish Mission at St. Edward. The Pastor was Jeffrey Finley, CPPS.
In 2002 I was invited to give a Evening of Reflection as part of a series of six evenings on Precious Blood Spirituality. The series was designed to invite people to consider being Precious Blood Companions. The series was held at St. Edward.
On August 1, 2004 I become Pastor of St. Edward Parish.
.....left for packing. Today, however, I am back to the dentist, and then back here for a meeting on the budget. (ok, why is all this lenten penance packed into the Easter Season?)
For me it was celebrated May 7th, 1961. This day is also the anniversary of my definitive incorporation as a Missionary of the Precious Blood. The anniversary we observe is generally the day we make our first incorporation (profession). (just a hint: that anniversary is tomorrow).
For those of you who have never heard of a Society of Apostolic Life, that is what we are as Missionaries of the Precious Blood. We do not make a profession of the three vows as Religious do even though the Evangelical Counsels are included in the one act of Incorporation. We make a promise of fidelity to the Bond of Charity and by that act are incorporated into the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. So, Religious celebrate the anniversary of their profession and Missionaries of the Precious Blood celebrate the anniversary of their Incorporation. Sometimes we use the term profession just so people have a sense of what we are talking about. Incorporation sometimes sounds like we are starting a business, but our Incorporation is something very different. We look on it as a fulfillment and completion of our Baptism.
I wasn't a neat freak before, but now the place is a real mess. But this afternoon I will get some time just to lie there and let the dentist work on my teeth.
...still packing, cleaning, tossing, sweeping.
16 Packing days left. I move on June 2nd. I am only in town 16 of those days between now and then. June and July I will be living out a suitcase in several cities. August 1st I land in a new parish, and August 2nd I fly back to Chicago. Go figure.
I am planning my vacation. Does anyone have any ideas? I have a bunch of free tickets and can go just about anywhere in the USA. I am looking for a restful vacation after all the packing and moving and before I become a pastor again.
