CCCXXVI TUESDAY QUOTE OF THE WEEK

FINDING TRUTH WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND:  "Each particular Church should encourage the use of the arts in evangelization, building on the treasures of the past but also drawing upon the wide variety of contemporary expressions so as to transmit the faith in a new "language of parables." We must be bold enough to discover new signs and new symbols, new flesh to embody and communicate the word, and different forms of beauty which are valued in different cultural settings, including those conventional modes of beauty which may mean little to the evangelizers, yet prove particularly attractive for others."  from Pope Francis', "The Joy of the Gospel"

IN OTHER NEWS:

Today is St. Pope Leo Day!

You know what THAT means don't you?

It is the end of my first six year term at St. Sebastian.  Six years ago today I was sitting in the bishop's office in the CVS building in downtown Cleveland and he handed me the official declaration naming me pastor.  BTW - this is when you officially become pastor, not when the bishop comes to the parish and has a celebration of you being named pastor.  For me that would December 8th with Bishop Pevec, late of our company.

I was looking back in my diary about this day 6 years ago.  It wasn't as nice as I remember it.  You know, going in I didn't yet even know if I would be named pastor.  "Trying to remain calm.   I pray not that I will be pastor but that what will be best will happen and that I shall accept that well.

"The day has been less than stellar - I didn't like my morning homily - my first meeting involved a child being picked on in school - my pro-life groups are fighting (Oh!  The Irony) and (two staff members) are having (an argument) over building scheduling."

Later I wrote about the meeting.  In the Bishop's office we talked about the parish and the school, the good things, the challenges, "and then he asked, 'would you like to be pastor?'  He asked what it meant to me and I said, 'Much the same as I said to you before.  On the one hand it like an adoption has gone through and now I can be called, "Dad."  On the other hand I will now be pastor!'  He laughed heartily.  I read and signed the Oath of Fidelity and Faith, he shook m hand and that was about it.

"Leaving I crossed the street to the cathedral to give thanks and ask for direction and a man asked if I could hear his confession.  I estimate that I was named pastor around 2:50PM and by 3:10PM I celebrated my first sacrament as a pastor."

I thought today to look up the parish on line to see if there were any videos and found THIS ONE of the first class taught in Faith Lodge.