Diary Entry #41: The Priest’s Nun’s Tale I have written before about a young lady, a former student, who wrote to me several years ago to inform me that she had entered a cloistered Carmelite convent. She explained that in part, her decision to become a cloistered nun was influenced by my preaching, teaching, and…
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THE DIARY OF AN INNER-CITY PRIEST #40 – EL DIARIO DE UN SACERDOTE URBANO #40
Diary Entry #40: Gift Card Girl; or, Another Mystery Woman. As we have learned along the way, unusual people show up at inner city Catholic Churches. I realize that they show up everywhere, but I am not everywhere. I have spent the major part of my priesthood in inner city parishes and schools. I can…
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THE DIARY OF AN INNER-CITY PRIEST #39 – EL DIARIO DE UN SACERDOTE URBANO #39
Diary Entry #39: Pizza and Beer with Plumbers on a Super Bowl Sunday I am not much of a sports fan, but I remember a particular Super Bowl Sunday very fondly. I had recently taken charge of an inner-city parish which was bankrupt. Completely bankrupt. So bankrupt that there was no heat in the rectory. …
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THE DIARY OF AN INNER-CITY PRIEST #38 – EL DIARIO DE UN SACERDOTE URBANO #38
Diary Entry #38: Turning Toward the Lord Readers may remember a story I once related of how I avoided being transferred to a parish whose pastor and I had absolutely nothing in common regarding the offering of the Mass (or much of anything else, for that matter). I deliberately wore a cassock to my initial…
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THE DIARY OF AN INNER-CITY PRIEST #37 – EL DIARIO DE UN SACERDOTE URBANO #37
Diary Entry #37: The Eucharistic Minister Weddings can be joyous occasions for priests, couples, and their families. Weddings can also be stressful occasions for priests, couples, and their families. Guests, not knowing what may be going on behind the scenes, generally enjoy the event. After months of preparation and planning, the wedding rehearsal at the…
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THE DIARY OF AN INNER-CITY PRIEST #36 – EL DIARIO DE UN SACERDOTE URBANO #36
Diary Entry #36: A Good Samaritan It was a dark, cold, and rainy night. I was on my way to a gathering of the faithful at a parish in a remote area to which I had never been. I really hate driving at night. I really hate driving in the rain. And I really hate…
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THE DIARY OF AN INNER-CITY PRIEST #35 – EL DIARIO DE UN SACERDOTE URBANO #35
Diary Entry #35 The Angel Plate Experience shows that all sorts of unusual people visit inner-city Catholic churches for a variety of reasons. Some are Catholics who never attend Mass but stop by the church regularly to practice their personal devotions. Others, Catholic or not, come to panhandle from the priest or other people who…
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THE DIARY OF AN INNER-CITY PRIEST #33 – EL DIARIO DE UN SACERDOTE URBANO #33
Diary Entry #33: Walking with Tony In my last entry I wrote that experience suggests that there are two ways that people enter their twilight years: their bodies wear out, while their minds remain lucid; or their minds wear out while their bodies remain vivid. Which is preferable, I will leave to my readers to…
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THE DIARY OF AN INNER-CITY PRIEST #32 – EL DIARIO DE UN SACERDOTE URBANO #32
Diary Entry #32: Walking with Mary Experience seems to suggest that there are two ways that people enter their twilight years: their bodies wear out, while their minds remain lucid; or their minds wear out while their bodies remain vivid. I have seen many examples of both. I offer two stories to illustrate these two…
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THE DIARY OF AN INNER-CITY PRIEST #31 – EL DIARIO DE UN SACERDOTE URBANO #31
Diary Entry #31: Mr. Santa Clause Man This is not really a Christmas story. The event I am about to relate took place on a hot summer day, as I recall. But because it involves an inner-city character that my parochial vicar at the time and I called Mr. Santa Clause Man, it comes to…
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