|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
He responded with a very gracious note Wow! [impressed e]
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
Fr. Greeley's...
I take it by the "Fr." that this gent is a priest.
Perhaps his view of the Chicago Christian society is coloured by his exposure to his, what's the best word, "flock" or "constituents."
In my experience, I've never known a priest to walk about his parish meeting new folks, or mixing with the crowd. They'll drop by somebody's place if invited, pop in to the hospital to give last rites if requested, but that walk-by you see on television just doesn't happen.
My point is, as nice as he is, maybe his view of the community is limited by what he is exposed to.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
Bel writes: "In my experience, I've never known a priest to walk about his parish meeting new folks, or mixing with the crowd. They'll drop by somebody's place if invited, pop in to the hospital to give last rites if requested, but that walk-by you see on television just doesn't happen."
How sad. I try to be a bit more visible/available to my parishioners, despite having a whole other career on top of being their vicar. That is why you can find me at parties at people's houses, the school play, the ceremony where the kid becomes an Eagle Scout, occasional ball games and the like. And I invite newcomers to go out to lunch near their place of work, so as to get to know them in that manner.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
the priest in my childhood parish did (walk around, etc)
or at least some of them did.. Fr Malone like a good game of pick up basketball, and Fr. Netter socialize too.
my parent belonged to the Catholic Family Movement.. it involved learning real and practical solutions to surving with 5 kids on a blue collar working salery.
one summer, fr netter, the clergy involved with CFM, rented a large summer house in the hamptons (YES, THE HAMPTONS)
he invited all them families in the CFM to spend some time there.
husbands and wives and kids came on the weekend, monday morning, all the hubbies went back to city to get to work, and the house was filled with kids, wives and 1 priest.
boy do i have fond (funny) memories!one day we all piled into the Doyels station wagon.. about 17 kids--aged from infant to 17 or so..
and went to the beach.. on the front bench were my mother (who was fully gray haired by age 30, and now 10years past that.) mrs. Obrien was there too (she was in her 30's, pregnant--very pregnant) with her 4th kid, but could have passed for 22 or 23.
the back of the car was stuffed with wall to wall kids (no seat belt laws in those day!)
we stopped for gas on the way home.. the gas attendent looked at my mother, looked at fr. netter (in street cloths, not with a collar or cassock) looked a Mrs. Obrien, and the at all the kids.. his eyes nearly popped out of his head..
we kids immediately became obnoxious.. and started to call out. Father, father, can you buy ice cream.. they sell icecream here.. please can we have ice cream, please father?
the parent weren't much better.. the summer house had a flag pole and one day the 'flag' was a pair of boxer shorts.. and we posted a sign that we were going to have a intigration rally on the weekend. --that actualy had the cops coming to the door.. we thought it was funny. the neighboors diddn't! (it was a very good lesson for all of us kids..about how pervasive prejudice is.)
Father Doughetty was another priest who was active. we had him over for dinner once.. he came from a large family too.
we started out on best behaviour, but we soon realized fr. neal (first name corneilus) was used to boarding house reaches, and 'played well' and soon it was the usually casual atmosphere of a normal dinner.
i did grow up, some what, in a catholic community. the parish had dances for the kids, (so we had something to do) and dances for the adults (new years, so no one had to drive, and not too much drinking would be done) and the priest were not just in the parish hall, but members of the neighborhood.
(and once when an exchange student form egypt came too early for the start of term (fordham university) he was directed to the local parish by someone in the university, and the parish priest, (fr malone as recall) called my parents, and we ended up putting him up for a weekend..
(poor man!) i am sure he was middle or upper middle class in egypt, (after all he has enough money to come to the university, airfair, tution, etc) and we were barely middle class (we had a 7 room (4 bedroom) apartment, but it was a 5th floor walk up, and we only had one bath!-- what an introduction to live in america.. we treated him as family, not as a guest..
ei, here is the kitchen, here is the stove, you want breakfast, make it yourself.. the only meal you get cooked for you in this house is dinner, and if you cook something for breakfast (eggs for instance) clean up after yourself!
the parish was a large one.. (the parochial school over stuffed with kids) but the priest new must of us kids by name, (or they at least knew our last name and who are parents were..
-'YOU there--the reilly kid.. which one are you? (helen, father..)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
> They'll drop by somebody's place if invited,
In the early 70s, my Dad's Anglican vicar dropped by home without waiting to be invited, to let Dad know that he didn't actually have to come to church, he could just make his contributions by mailing in a cheque.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891 |
Sounds a little like my last experience with the church.
Me: Single parent who's ex has emptied their bank-account, living on a receptionist's salary.
I got my request for the "dīme" (pronounced dim in French) - a yearly fee we pay to the church. It was supposed to be 60$ per household and 10$ per head in the household, so seventy dollars in my case.
I called the church and explained my situation; I barely had enough money for food in those "peanut-butter" days (feed the baby, and a slice of peanut-butter bread for me.) The priest kindly suggested that I could sell one of my possessions to get the money right away.
Mind you, this was the same priest who told me that I couldn't get an annulment on my mariage just because my husband was cheating on me, on drugs and threatening me with a switchblade.
I realize this is probably not typical, but our experiences are what they are.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
Much respect, ma belM - you've survived tough times that would have made many break, and have come though it with increased humanity and wisdom. You're lovely. :)
So is our own exceptional padre here - but grrrrr, about too many other priests I have encountered it is probably better I keep a discreet silence :O
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
>Me: Single parent who's ex has emptied their bank-account, living on a receptionist's salary.
Coincidentally, when this happened to my Dad, he was a single parent raising 3 kids, after his ex had split, and had tried to clean him out (Fortunately, her parents prevented it).
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
When one thinks of a spouse abandoning another, it is probably cultural to assume that it is the man who leaves the woman. When the reverse is true, it seems somehow more noteworthy.
Hence, the Kenny Rogers song of a few years ago:
"You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille
With four hungry children and a crop in the field.
I've had some bad times,
I've lived through some sad times,
But this time the hurtin' won't heal.
You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
I know I posted this a while back but a search turns up no results.
Back when California was getting ready to dump Grey Davis, a friend of mine had a bad dream. In that dream Schwartzenegger and Diane Feinstein were running neck and neck for the governorship, and, in fact, ended up exactly tied. Under the screw constitution in California, a tie vote (according to this friend's dream) is broken by taking a poll among the eared seals off the California coast. My friend woke up screaming, "You picked a Feinstein to lead me, you seals."
TEd
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,328
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
1,226
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
