Old Friends, a Wedding, and Recuperations

I had never been to Ireland. To Irish folk, I brag of my Irish heritage (one great-grandfather, James J. Kelley, who immigrated to New York), but church pilgrimages and my love of pasta had always won out and brought me to Italy. But this time, I was drawn by the daughter of some old friends who went to college in Galway and “never returned.” Kayleigh & Lee’s invitation finally brought me to the Emerald Isle to celebrate their nuptial Mass after enjoying some post Holy Week “recuperation”.

It was a wonderful vacation. I got to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Knock, the Cliffs of Moher, and many other sites on the west coast. I also had several visits with our old friend (Fr.) Bill Lohan who now lives in Ireland. While, sadly, he is no longer ministering as a priest, he remembers his time here fondly: your love helped him to recuperate from a difficult prior assignment. Bill is now happy and doing well in Ireland. He is still very grateful for his time here with you, and he asked me to extend his very best to the people of St. Martha and St. Mary parishes.

It was a wonderful wedding on the Connemara coast for the lovely couple, and Irish wedding receptions are known for going late into the night. As I was packing to fly home, I began to have cold symptoms, but it was not until I was at the airport that I discovered I was positive for Covid. Bill Lohan drove across Ireland to collect me and find me a place to stay through the Diocese of Galway. My trip ended up being extended eight days until after my fever subsided and a doctor cleared me to travel. Being sick abroad isn’t fun, but many others had it much worse - and I had good weather for walking in the fresh air.

We postponed this weekend’s Anniversary Jubilee due to the uncertainty of when I would be back and whether I would feel up to celebrating, but we will soon reschedule it. I owe an immense thank you to Fr. Lambert and the entire Pastoral Team, along with our many volunteers, who not only continued the ministries of our parishes but also gave me peace of mind while recuperating, knowing you were in their good hands.

This Easter season, I was reminded that our God is a God of surprises! Yet the gift of old friends, new experiences, and the new life than comes with recuperation are blessings from our Risen Lord, who is our strength and our joy. It is so good to be home!