Three things: Something good, something sad and something tragic. It has been a hard week and a wonderful week. There is much joy and anticipation around our parish campus as we continue to work of evangelization, serving the poor and vulnerable and celebrating the blessing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Old friends: We will start with the good. This weekend our parish welcomes Unbound Ministry. The guest priest this weekend is Msgr. Aldolfo Valdivia. I have known Msgr. Valdivia for over 15 years. He was my supervisor at St. Maria Goretti Parish during my deacon year. When I was able to be at the parish during my final year at St. Patrick Seminary, I followed Msgr. Valdivia around seeing what a priest did and learning the routines so when I was ordained a deacon I at least had some vague idea of how to celebrate the great number of baptisms the parish had each weekend. This weekend as he visits us will give me one more chance to thank him for his kindness and example of priesthood. To remember his graciousness in sharing his wisdom and answering the questions posed by a newly ordained deacon.

Home: This past week my mother left the house she helped build almost 50 years ago. The house where she raised the gaggle of nine children. The house of my childhood and the place where our family has celebrated the joys and sorrows of life. At 84 years old she decided to move to an assisted living facility. In various ways I am happy and sad. Happy in the security and safety she will have living in community and not isolated not the farm. Sad, in the reality that the place of refuge we called home is no longer there. The physical building, the memories and soil remains but it is no longer our home. I know that my brothers and sisters who worked so hard with her this past month to pack up and clean out our family home and to sort out what she wished to take with her, what they wished to take to their homes has been a struggle of emotions…in all that the sadness of leaving something behind is a reality we are all asked to embrace. The quiet mornings of vacation with my breviary and a cup of coffee looking out onto the pasture and fields of the farm are no more. The going home is now gone. But, a new day has begun, with sadness and a tear…a new day has begun.

The Cross and McCarrick: Lastly the tragic…I was in seminary in 2002 when the full force of the sexual abuse crisis hit the Catholic Church. There was shock, anger, dismay, frustration and every other emotion felt as many of us watched and read about priests we loved and respected being listed as men who had abused the children and young people of our Church. It was a reality we were all faced with in our formation to the priesthood and many people question if we would leave. Over the last 18 years we have had the slow dripping of more information as we continue to seek the best ways to protect the vulnerable of the Church and share the joy of the Gospel.

This week as the report of the crimes and abuse of then “Cardinal McCarrick” became public the questions were asked how could he rise to such prominence in the Church when the open secret of his abuse of children, seminarians and young priests was known by so many? I don’t have an answer for this, although I wish I did, but God gave me three things this week that has helped me to digest and live with the reality of the sin of abuse. First was the celebration of two of the great bishops of the Church: St. Martin of Tours and St. Josaphat. I was reminded of the role the bishop has in our faith. On the day of my ordination, as it is with all priests, we place our hands in the hands of the bishop and vow obedience. It is a vow not to some middle manager in a large organization but a vow to a spiritual father in the example of the two great saints who battled for healing, unity and peace within the faith. I believe most bishops seek to live this holy example and with each of the two great saints, they seek to embrace the cross given to them and work diligently and faithfully for the holiness within the people of God.
It is the Cross of Jesus Christ we are called to embrace. St. Paul in his Letter to Philemon in the reading from Thursday (the memorial of St. Josaphat) wrote these words, “And if he has done you any injustice or owes you anything, charge it to me.” (Philemon 1:18) St. Paul asks us to be more like Jesus, to embrace the cross as the only way to bring about healing and peace.

It may not be a cross we desire but we embrace it because Jesus is with us and is already embracing the cross as a healing gift of love. We must join together in praying and working for the healing of God’s holy catholic Church.
God Bless
Fr. Mark