Time for More "OH's!"

 We have entered those days again - seven days of "OH's!"

These are the days from December 17 to December 23, the days immediately preceding Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and the whole Christmas Season.

These are days, in a sense, specially marked since back sometime in the seventh century which means that their place in our observance of Christmas long predate Santa Claus and his role in Christmas and also the Christmas tree and definitely that phenomenon called Black Friday (followed now by Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday and now some number called Green Monday.

These are the days that try to remind us that Christmas was not always the way we seem to know it today.

As the observance of Christmas began to emerge in the course of our history, it did not involve gifts or cards or decorations. It was a simple, mostly liturgical, recalling of the Incarnation, the fact that God had taken on flesh and blood, become one with us.

As mentioned already, somewhere in the seventh century, in monasteries, there emerged the "OH's!"

Each of the days from December 17th leading up to Christmas Eve began telling the story from both the Gospel of Matthew and that of Luke, the only two Gospels that tell the story of the Incarnation. In these Gospel reading we begin by hearing Matthew's genealogy of Jesus, a very telling read as this listing includes some sharp and significant surprises. Matthew includes women in the listing and while it would be obvious that any true genealogy would include women, back in the day when this Gospel was written, only the male ancestors really mattered. 

But Matthew includes women and among them Jesus had a Gentile ancestor! Yep! Mixed breed!

And there was also a prostitute and an ancestor who slept with her own father-in-law. Not exactly reputable folk but remember, Jesus told us Himself that he had come to heal the broken. Savior is all about coming for those who need saving!

Those Gospel readings then move on to the stories about the coming of John the Baptist and the angel's visit to Mary and the visit of Mary to Elizabeth and so on, right on up to Christmas Eve when we remember that incredible, history-changing night.

In addition to those stories the days from December 17th to 23rd include the "OH's!"

They are now part of the official prayer of the Church, sometimes called the Divine Office or the Breviary.

In evening prayer each of those days we pray an "OH!" As we move to the great prayer of Mary, the Magnificat, we surround that prayer with an "OH!"

Each of the seven "OH's!" is a plea for Jesus to come to us, an invitation and longing from us declaring to Him that we truly need and want Him in our lives. Each invokes Him by one of the Scriptural titles for Him.

And even if, up until now, you think that you have never heard of these "OH's!" truth is you know them very well.

Ever hear of the hymn, Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel?

Yes indeed! Each verse of that very familiar song is one of the "OH's!"

That familiar, traditional Christmas song included on many a Christmas album is, in fact, that traditional custom emerging from the monasteries in the seventh century! The melody is not the ancient Gregorian chant but the words and the longing and the prayer are still the same.

So, in these final days before Christmas, find yourself a copy of that song, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

Stream it; put that CD in your machine, ask Siri or Alexa to locate it for you. Whatever twenty-first century means you have at your disposal, take some time to listen, to reflect on and to pray that song.

Join all those ancestors down through the ages in that great prayer of longing and invitation.

O Come,O Come, Emmanuel!

Meantime, 

Keep Praying

 . . . and Stay Safe! 

O, Tannenbaum, O, Tannenbaum!

Oh! Just go ahead!

And actually most of you already have and even without my permission.

As if you even really needed my permission or cared about it.

But just in case, you have my permission especially this year and so, go ahead.

Put up that Christmas Tree!

And as I say that, I will also speak a word of truth. As I write this, my tree is still not up but it is a simple, made by my parents, ceramic, lighted tree, probably four pieces. It will likely take all of about five minutes to set up, longer if I count the struggle to get at that outlet to plug in a timer. But this tree goes up tomorrow. That is my plan.

And I am reading more and more, including in some Catholic publications, words of encouragement to go ahead a put out those signs of Christmas this year, especially this year. In a year like 2020 we need a little Christmas.

No!

We need a whole lot of Christmas!

This year may not look much like Christmases of our past. There likely will not be those large gatherings, office parties, crowds of revelers singing Carols in the streets. The malls, so I am hearing, are mere echos of their former selves. Even family gatherings may not look like those of our Christmases Past.

In so many ways life has been changed and we have been changed and our customs and traditions are being affected. Why, it is likely that this year you may even need a ticket to take part in a Christmas Mass!

So, in this most unusual of times, I say feel free! Go ahead! Put up that Christmas Tree.

And those who have known me over the years can testify as to how radical that might sound coming from me.

See, as a liturgist I have tended over the years to be something of a purist, a rigorous purist. I would be the one to declare that it is Advent and that should be a time of waiting and so let's not rush the season. In parishes where I served, Christmas decorations did not appear in any shape or form until after the last Mass of Advent. The hours of Christmas Eve were spent hauling in sizable Christmas trees and multitudes of poinsettia plants, and stringing lights and so on and so on.

Christmas did not arrive until the last minutes of Advent.

In fact I can still recall a Christmas Eve many years ago. My whole family was coming to the rectory for Christmas Eve dinner. I could not risk heading out any distance on a Michigan winter's night as I was presiding at a Vigil Mass and later at the Midnight Mass.I had  to be home or very, very near. And so, in between the two Masses, we would have our dinner and share our gifts and enjoy a bit of Christmas.

Family arrived shortly before the scheduled Vigil Mass and as they arrived, bearing gifts to place under the tree for exchanging later, one by one they stared at the tree.

"Your tree has no lights on it yet!"

"Your tree is not decorated!"

And they were, of course, absolutely correct.

The lights and the ornaments were still in boxes scattered on the floor around the tree.

And so I informed and instructed them, "While I am at Mass, the first Mass of Christmas, you can spend your time decorating the tree and the house!"

Christmas would arrive when Christmas actually arrived.

That is the sort of liturgical purist I was.

But I am older now and maybe even a bit wiser and I can also read better the signs of the times. And the times in which we are living now are different times and even for so many difficult times.

And so we need to know that, even though we are a people waiting for His coming, we also know that He has come to dwell among us and bring us hope and bring us healing.

He is still and always with us.

So, go ahead. Put up that tree. Turn on those lights. Play that music.

In these darkest of days, celebrate the presence among us of the True Light of the World!

Meantime, 

Keep Praying

 . . . and Stay Safe! 

And Finally --- A Non-Surprise Surprise!

A what?

What is a non-surprise surprise?

Well, this last tale is about a birthday celebration that was not actually planned to be a surprise event. However, it managed to contain elements that actually turned out to be a real surprise.

And, even though a couple of blogs ago I said I would try and protect identities when telling these tales, with this one that sort of protection and that sort of guarantee has to fly out the window. I will not even try and hide the "guilty ones."

I think that this was the birthday in the months following my sabbatical. That sabbatical happened in late summer and autumn and took place in Rome. All those weeks in Italy provided me with a chance to really get immersed in the culture, traditions and culinary delights of Italy. I explored as much as possible and enjoyed as thoroughly as possible.

When I returned to the States, shortly before Christmas, I was equipped with a few words in Italian and a handful of skills in preparing some traditional Italian and especially Roman dishes. And when I say "traditional," I mean close to authentic rather than the Italian one might find in many a restaurant here in the States.

As an act of gratitude to my family, for Christmas that year I prepared and served a traditional Italian meal, from soup to nuts, or maybe better from antipasto to cannoli and we sat in conversation while dining at table for near three hours.

I think they were impressed.

I suspect so because when my birthday rolled around some moths later, I was informed that we would gather at my sister and brother-in-law's home for a special birthday dinner. No surprises were in the offing.

At least until I got there.

That is when Surprise really unfolded.

Nothing was cooking and nothing was cooked.

But there were all sorts of ingredients set out for a full meal, a full, traditional Italian meal, starting off with that Roman delight, spaghetti carbonara.

And it turned out that I was the one cooking!

I was enlisted to prepare and cook my own birthday dinner!

Surprise!

All ingredients necessary were present and now the cook had arrived. Get to work!

And everyone attending clearly knew in advance that this would happen. My uncle even brought carry out packaging, prepared to take some of those tasties home afterward. I guess that was something of a compliment.

And if I am recalling correctly, there was a second surprise as well.

I did not have to bake a birthday cake. One was provided. And at the end of the meal the traditional cake was brought forth, candles and all. It was a professionally prepared, store bought cake.

Sort of!

That was the second surprise. I looked at the cake and looked still again. Did a double take. It had appropriate candles. It was properly inscribed: Happy Birthday. And it had my name  as well.

And that is what caused the double take.

It was rather clear that it had had a different name previously!

The original name had been smudged off and mine set in its place.

It was a used cake!

And I said so - out loud.

I was told that I was not supposed to notice that but I did. My brother-in-law's mom at that time worked at a bakery and every now and then was allowed to take something home for free for various reasons. This item, it seems, had been ordered, baked, decorated but never picked up. So she took it home, gave it to my sister and brother-in-law who recycled it for my birthday.

I had a used cake!

Surprise!

So, while there may have been some failed Surprise Birthday Parties, there have also been some birthday surprises and there continue to be.

For one thing, it is truly a surprise at how quickly time seems to have passed. Just yesterday, or so it seems, we were in Paris celebrating my turning sixty. And seventy-five? Seems like yesterday! And where did all those other years go? Surprise! You are old! Or does it sound better to say You are an elder?

And another surprise?

There is still living to do and stories to write and experiences to have and memories to craft. It ain't over 'til it's over and until then, wonders and adventures remain to be discovered.

Claim them while it is still possible. Time moves so quickly.

Surprise!

Meantime, 

Keep Praying

 . . . and Stay Safe! 

Surprise! Ruined by a couple of clerics!

Ready for another Surprise attempt story? 

And this is one that almost worked and, truth be told, actually did hold an element of surprise. However, the full power of the planned Surprise was ruined and that was done by a couple of priests.

I am certain that this one was in the planning stages for a while and a number of folk from various interests were involved. It was, evidently, going to involve family and friends and parish pastoral staff. I have no idea how long they were calculating and planning but I do know that it just may have been a bit too long.

Let me tell you why.

It was sometime about mid-October when I got a phone call from a priest friend. He asked if I could spare some time for him, not for a social meeting but rather for some serious discussion and direction. He informed me that he was going through some troubling matters and needed to talk. Could he bend my ear?

Well, obviously I was ready and open to that request. I began checking my calendar for the first available and quickly found a times slot the very next day.

However, unfortunately that would not work for him.

Well then, how about sometime the day after?

That would not work either.

And so I decided, since this really did sound like a matter of urgency, I would let him pick the time and I would clear the calendar.

And he chose a Friday evening some four weeks away yet!

A bit strange, certainly, especially since this seemed to be a matter of urgency. Why wait so long?

Feebly he explained that this was the very first chance he had for us to meet.

So I agreed, marked my calendar and added that if he found time sooner, just let me know and I would make it work.

It seemed a bit strange but at the time I was still not really suspecting anything. Why should I? How could I know that he had been recruited into the plot?

And so the days passed and I am sure the planning and preparing went on, still safely secret.

Until the Friday of that scheduled meeting arrived.

I had scheduled my associate for the evening Mass that Friday so as to make sure that my calendar was clear for the "meeting." And yes, this goes back to the day when parishes actually did have more than one priest and the one I was pastoring provided me with an associate!

And he would preside at Mass that evening leaving me totally freed up.

Until - shortly before dinner.

And this is another indication of how far back this event takes us. We shared dinner together and even had a housekeeper/cook!

Only this day shortly before we were to sit at table for dinner, he informed me that he had just received a phone call requesting an emergency anointing. Someone was on the verge of dying. He needed to go. And he was not sure when he would get back and so could I, please, take the Mass?

The first thing I did was to offer to do the anointing.

That offer was rejected. He was somehow close with this family and they specifically requested him.

Well then, fine. My friend with the long-delayed crisis appointment could just wait a few minutes while I had the Mass. So I agreed to take the Mass.

And that's when the so-far well kept secret began to spill out.

My associate sat down to eat!

An emergency anointing; someone on death's doorstep, and he had time for dinner!

Someone was making very, very certain that I was not going anywhere!

And why would anyone do that? Well, I am sufficiently familiar with the calendar and I knew what day was approaching and as we sat at table enjoying our dinner, two plus two began to click and I began to steel myself for an impending "Surprise!"

While the actual surprise to me was now apparent, the manner in which it unfolded was still, truly, a surprise.

I went over to the church for the evening Mass. The usual group of faithful was present. And as was the case with most weekday Masses, this would be rather simple, basic and without music.

I vested in the back sacristy, then stood at the back of the church ready for seven o'clock and the beginning of the Mass.

The time arrived and I started down the aisle and that is when the true surprise erupted.

Music!

Singing! Organ playing!

And the doors behind see opened and marching down the aisle with and behind me family, friends and those two devious clerics fully vested and ready to join in concelebrating.

So while the actual party, held in a classroom of the school building, was no real surprise, the manner in which the whole evening erupted truly was a surprise.

What an entrance procession we had that evening!

Awfully as close to a Surprise as could be except for a couple of clerics and their very suspicious behavior!

But come on back as I have one more tale to tell!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe! 

Surprise on a Saturday Afternoon

 This one was almost perfect.

Almost!

I actually never found out who was behind the planning and executing. However, I do still strongly suspect my own parents. I think they took the challenge to pull of a surprise for my birthday.

And this one almost worked.

Almost!

Friends and relatives were contacted. Plans were laid out. Provisions were arranged for food, a whole dinner actually. Word circulated and folks were brought on board.

This plot unfolded (shall I say "Unraveled"?) while I was pastor of St. Clement of Rome in Romeo. So that takes this on back into the 1970's.

The parish offices were connected to the church itself, all in one same building. The office area had a downstairs. It was not just a basement. This held meeting rooms, a kitchen, restrooms, plenty of gathering space.

That downstairs would be the site of this surprise.

And the plan, evidently, was to unveil this surprise on a Saturday.

I was scheduled that particular Saturday for afternoon Confessions followed by the evening Mass. 

The plan was that while I was tucked away in that confessional, the invited would arrive, parking their cars among the ones already there for Confessions and arriving for Mass. The arrival would be unnoticed.

Arrangements had also been made with some parish staff members to unlock the side door, not the main entrance to the downstairs area. That side door was tucked away, rather out of sight.

Once the door was unlocked, the invited would enter bearing their gifts as well as food, drink, snacks and whatever. With stealth they would enter, descend to the meeting area, set up the goodies, all ready for the surprise. Upstairs, I would be totally unaware of what was unfolding directly below.

Perfect plan!

Almost!

When Mass was finished, one of the staff would meet me while I was investing and tell me that there was something I had to see right away downstairs. And that would be it!

Surprise!

However, a slight glitch developed as the afternoon wore on.

Seems it was one of those Saturdays on which very few presented themselves for Confession. So I sat waiting and waiting and waiting. And nothing happened. No one was coming. There was still a good hour before Mass was scheduled to begin and so I decided I would sit in that booth no longer. I left a notice that I was in my office and if anyone did show up, they could find me there.

And I went to my office.

Which was on the corner of the building directly over the downstairs side door.

It also had a window looking out over the countryside and including a perfect view of the action unfolding at that side door.

I watched the whole parade.

OK At first there was an element of surprise. I saw the folks entering and carrying their goodies and I did wonder. What are they doing here? What's going on?

Of course, it didn't take all that long to figure things out.

And No. I did not go downstairs to unravel the surprise. I merely watched while the unsuspecting party entered and descended.

And then I went to Mass.

And got the word  to come downstairs.

And down I went.

And I tried as best I could to "be" surprised.

And maybe there are some reading this who were part of that plot and who thought it really worked.

Well, surprise!

You were caught in the act.

But come on back as I share have more memories of other efforts at Surprise!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe! 

SURPRISE! Well, Almost!

 Before I plunge into the stories ahead - those Failed Surprise Birthday Tales - I just want to issue a bit of an assurance so as to keep whatever friends I may have. To the extent possible, I will endeavor to keep identities hidden. You may be able to guess the who or when but I will do my best to protect.

"So, what are you doing next Saturday evening?"

That is how this one all started, a simple question and an equally simple response. No plans. It being Saturday there would be the usual items on the schedule. There would be time for Confessions and that would be followed by the Saturday evening Mass. Then back home to relax, get settled in for the coming Sunday schedule, have dinner and not really much more.

"Well, some of my family will be visiting from out of town and maybe you could join us for dinner. That would give them a chance to meet my new 'boss''."

A new member of our pastoral staff was issuing the invite and was also rather excited about the possibility of family meeting and even dining with that new "boss."

And it really sounded like a  good idea to me as well. After all, that would mean that I would not have to cook, and, truth be told, back then, my cooking probably either meant take out or get something out of the freezer, like one of those TV dinners, not exactly real healthy!

So why not?

I could easily do that.

After Mass I could just hop in the car and drive a short distance and join some folks for a pleasant dinner, heading back home early enough to get properly rested for the coming Sunday morning.

So a Saturday was all properly lined up.

The Saturday arrived and unfolded exactly as expected.

Mid-afternoon witnessed the usual number of penitents seeking to hear those soothing words of absolution and forgiveness, experience the generous mercy of God.

That was followed in due time by the expected gathering of faithful to sing, give praise and thanks and join together in Eucharist. And, again as usual, after the Mass, there I stood at the main doorway exchanging greetings and pleasantries with the departing Assembly.

Everything was going predictably for me and, unknown to me, everything was going smoothly for a crowd gathering at the home that was slated to host a quiet dinner.

Oh yes, those relatives were, indeed, in town for their planned visit. However, they had now also become part of a plot to unfold a surprise birthday gathering for me.

Folks were gathering; food and drink was being gathered and arranged.  Everything was being brought into the ready for that moment when I would walk through the door and be greeted by that traditional shout, "Surprise!"

All was going exactly according to plans for everyone involved.

The "Surprise" was now just minutes away.

I was about my final tasks of putting things away, the last of the departing faithful almost gone. Then lock the doors; shut off the lights; get in my car and drive away right into that waiting gathering of friends eager to spring their surprise.

One last person remained  in the church building, leaving but still wanting, clearly, to take a moment for some words.

That moment came.

"Happy Birthday, Father!" was the greeting.

"Well, thank you but how did you know that it is my birthday?"

I mean, this is usually not something I try and broadcast. Even if these days you are on Facebook, come the day, you will not get a pop-up reminder to send birthday greetings to me.

But here was someone who clearly knew.

But how?

And then it spilled out.

"I was in the liquor store earlier," my greeter explained, "and I ran into (name not to be told!) and I was surprised to see her buying a bottle of scotch."

"So she told me that it really wasn't for her. It was for you and for your birthday party."

BAM!

So there it was.

Just minutes before I was to walk through that door, unsuspecting and innocent, to be stunned by that shout of "Surprise!" the truth poured out.

This would be no ordinary meet and greet quiet dinner.

Plotters had gathered ready to stun and surprise.

Or so they thought.

For as I drove over to that meeting, an unsuspecting crowd of friends were waiting for their unsuspecting (so they thought) victim.

They were so wrong!

Surprise!

But come on back as I share have more memories of other efforts at Surprise!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe! 

SURPRISE!

 I suspect that you have absolutely no real need to know this but I am going to tell you anyhow.

My birthday is fast approaching!

And I am mentioning this and writing of it not because I am expecting any special or very expensive gifts. I have gotten over such expectations years ago.

What I do expect is that I will begin the day, hopefully, with Mass in the nearby Felician Care Center. Later that day here at Senior Clergy Village we will gather and have a special dinner together with my requisite birthday apple pie! Every month we set aside a day to celebrate all who are observing birthdays in that month. 

The birthday song will be sung (likely without everyone or anyone washing their hands) and birthday candles will not be blown out. Covid - remember! Of course, thinking about that scene, if I did actually blow out the candles, no one could have any of the pie and it would be all mine!

But the one thing that will not occur is a gathering eager to pounce and shout out, "Surprise!"

That would be rather difficult to achieve this year with things like masks and social distancing.

No problem.

But the approach of this annual event has caused me to do a bit of looking back and remembering how, over the years, I seem to have provided family and friends with something of a challenge.

A Surprise Birthday Party!

Many have tried.

And honestly, many have failed.

Over my many years of this life's journey it seems that I have managed to ruin a good number of Surprise Birthday events. I don't really know why that seems to be and I might also add at this point, I do not intend this in any way to be a challenge to anyone.  For whatever months and years yet remain, we can rest content with what has been.

Surprise Birthdays have just not found a place in my life.

But I do have to admit, looking back I am grateful for those efforts and appreciative of the work and planning that folks in my life have put forth. And honestly, in writing about these efforts, I just may destroy some illusions that some might have had about how successful (?) their efforts had been in producing that surprise for me.

Three really big surprise moments stand out in my memory and I have decided to move into this year's birthday by recalling those moments, reliving them by writing of them, and also sharing how, with all the work and planning that went into them, they still unraveled and proved to be really no surprise at all.

Or wait! Each had some element of surprise and I hope to capture that.

And there was one really classic birthday celebration that did have a huge element of surprise, not just for me but for everyone involved. This one was not actually planned to be a surprise but it certainly was.

That was the year of a wondrous party with a very special cake. (Yes, there were times when I did have cake for birthdays.)

This cake, as I recall, had that special inscription: Happy 40th Birthday, Fr. Ron!

Everyone had gathered to celebrate my 40th Birthday, a very significant event to be sure.

But maybe in advance someone should have consulted my parents or even me.

Because, you see, in reality, it was only my 39th Birthday!

Surprise!

For me! Surprise! They think you're 40!

For everyone there! You just may have to do it all over again next year!

Truly - Surprise!

But come on back as I share with you some memories of those other efforts at Surprise!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe! 

And A Special Memory

 

 This series of Blogs began with the August 9th entry. If you missed the previous, you might want to back up and get caught up.

Some rather happy people!

And understandably so.

They would be my niece, Karen, and my Mom and Dad and the scene is the Pontiac Silverdome on September 19, 19887, the day of the Papal Mass there.

As I mentioned in a previous writing, I whisked Mom and Dad there in my GM courtesy "Popemobile." Then I moved them swiftly through the entry gate by way of those extra Secret Service badges that I was carrying. (And please note - by the time of this photo, those badges were back in my possession and securely tucked away.

And they had great seats too!

Second level, directly overlooking the Papal altar.

I could do that as well because I had one of the first claims to Silverdome seating so that I could be sure that the ministers working with me could be where they needed to be and where I wanted them to be.

And with that little "privilege" I decided I could just claim a couple more seats to put some special people just where they needed to be and where I wanted them to be.

Why not?

And Karen was there as well to be sure that everything was just fine with them.

And speaking of "Where they needed to be . . . "

Well, one great concern Mom and Dad expressed about going to the Mass had to do with the location and accessibility of restrooms, a concern that people of a certain age can readily understand.

And these seats practically fit the bill!

Easy, reasonable walking distance - but with one slight concern.

The "traditional" concern.

Seems at events like this there is always a line waiting for entry into the women's restroom while no such wait is found with the mens'.

However, that concern was also easily remedied.

Two mens' restrooms were within reasonable walking distance.

So, pen in hand and paper at ready, a quick jotting of the word "Women" on a couple of sheets of paper and then a speedy, secretive scotch taping of these newly crafted signs to the doors of one of those mens' rooms and a conversion was made.

A Mens' room and become a second Women's room!

We now had two women's restrooms within reasonable walking distance and the men were reduced to a single room

But the guys could probably survive.

And the womens' lines suddenly disappeared.

And I would just bet you never expected to hear something like that in a reminiscence of a Papal event - but there it was.

Final problem solved.

I could return to my duties at ground level and Mom and Dad could relax and enjoy.

And pray with the Pope!

And that was still another consideration.

I don't know if Mom shared this with anyone else but I do know that a couple of times she told me.

She let me know that the "line" Dad used to convince her to say, "Yes," and marry him was a promise. He promised her that she would wear mink and someday see the Pope!

Well, she waited a whole lot of years.

And the Christmas of 1986 she finally got that coat.

And on that September day in 1987, with a little help from his eldest kid, Dad saw to it that Mom actually did see the Pope.

His promise was fulfilled. He delivered!

And ten weeks later Mom was gone.

Early morning the day after Thanksgiving she took her final leave of us.

She had Someone even more important, much more important, to see.

And she didn't even need a Popemobile or security badge to get there.

She just had to say, "Goodbye for now."

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe! 

Time to Say, "Farewell"

 This series of Blogs began with the August 9th entry. If you missed the previous, you might want to back up and get caught up.

And so the Papal Mass at the Pontiac Silverdome, September 19, 1987, was coming to an end. John Paul II would soon be headed to the waiting helicopter and from that to Metropolitan Airport. There he would have some final, official exchanges and then board his waiting aircraft.

He would wave his Farewell and become a pleasant memory.

As that Papal Mass was coming to its ending, my handy, hidden camera went to work again. It captured those parting moments.

The Mass comes to its ending. 

Pope John Paul II imparts his final blessing to the faithful of Detroit.

The recessional begins.

Leading the recessional

And one final glimpse!

(And what a glimpse!)

And that was Saturday, September 19, 1987 - thirty-three years ago!

One more to come - so please come back!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe! 

The Camera

This series of Blogs began with the August 9th entry. If you missed the previous, you might want to back up and get caught up.

What follows at the end of this writing is a series of photos from the Silverdome, September 19, 1987. The next blog will have still more photos so watch for it!

And I need to say a word or two about these photos. Remember, this was 1987. Back then we could not just pull out our phone and snap a quick, almost unnoticed photo. Phones were just that - phones. They made and received phone calls and that was that!

Cell phones? Oh, maybe some folks already had them but back then, you did not take that cell phone out of your car. First, it was likely tethered to the cigarette lighter (yep! Had those too back then) and  it was charging. Furthermore, disconnect one of those gadgets and you were carrying around a miniature shoebox. Seriously! Cell phones back then were huge. They did not go much of anywhere.  They stayed in the car and what's more they also did not take pictures.

We had things called cameras to do that back then.

And I had a camera.

And it was just small enough to conceal under my vestments, which, obviously, I did. Truth be told, I was probably not the only clergy on that Papal Podium carrying a concealed camera. But I had one and, discretely, at various moments I took it from under those sacred covers and took a photo.

The result is what you will see below and in the next blog. I do have to admit, these are some rather significant photos of the Papal Mass at the Silverdome on that memorable day.

So, enjoy!

This is directly behind the altar area; the entry coming from the Lions' locker room.

And here John Paul II is approaching the ramp leading to the Sanctuary.

The Holy Father approaching the altar - view also shows where I am seated, directly behind the pulpit.

The Holy Father reverences the altar at the beginning of the Mass.

John Paul greets the Assembly.

And the next blog will hold still more photos!

Still more! - so please come back!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe! 

 

Lydia

 This series of Blogs began with the August 9th entry. If you missed the previous, you might want to back up and get caught up.

I would be remiss if I did not give a special nod to Lydia as I share these memories from back in 1987.

And by the way, did you know that there is a Lydia in the Bible?

A very significant Lydia at that.

Mentioned only briefly and  consequently easily overlooked or ignored, the Biblical Lydia is really a significant person in our history just as the Lydia in this writing is an easily overlooked, easily missed but significant piece of this story.

You can find the brief story of the biblical Lydia in Acts of the Apostles 16: 11 - 15.

And backing up just a bit in that chapter we can discover the significance of Paul meeting Lydia.

Seems that Paul was engaged in his usual missionary travels and at this time on his way into Asia Minor. He received a mysterious visitor who readjusted Paul's GPS, so to speak. Paul was informed that there was to be a course correction. He was to head into Europe rather than Asia Minor. He had not yet ever been there.

But he went and the first person he met was Lydia and, as you read in the few verses about her, she received Paul's message and was baptized. The first European to receive, welcome and respond to Paul's evangelizing effort was a woman named Lydia.

Technically, she opened the door to Europe for Paul and the message he was bringing. The Biblical Lydia paved the way for Europe to hear the message of Paul and discover Jesus Christ.

And another Lydia at another time became a key figure in making Communion happen at the Papal Mass.

This Lydia happened to be the secretary at the Church of the Precious Blood in Detroit where I, at that time, was pastor. In addition to being parish secretary, she was also a resource person for various projects for the Archdiocese. She was a sharp, well focused individual, a true resource. She was also, by the way, Hispanic, one of those all too unappreciated immigrants who continually so enrich the United States.

And this Lydia was a part of the scene of chaos that unfolded at the Silverdome rehearsal. Even before the total disintegration of any rehearsal attempts and while the ministers were being dismissed in total frustration, she was stepping up and stepping in.

By the next morning a meeting had been called and phone calls were being made and the wheels were strongly in  motion and Lydia was providing me with assurance. "Don't worry! We've got this. Everything is going to be just fine."

She was working to put together a team, my ground level coordinators as well as a crew of her friends, mostly other parish secretaries and pastoral ministers who were already recruited for the Communion ministry. And she was putting together lists of names and phone numbers of all ground level ministers. She was organizing!

By Friday afternoon her "team" had their own lists of ministers being placed into their care and each had a particular section of the ground level as their personal responsibility. Each was also already about the task of calling the ministers on their list. The ministers were being told what time to arrive at the Silverdome (earlier than originally planned) and where to meet. They were to look for their section "coordinator," most of whom would be identifiable by wearing a provided flower.

There would be on site, small group, section rehearsals on the day of, shortly before the crowds would descend into the stadium. Platforms would be in place properly and seats would be the same. No one would have to "imagine." They could see, feel and experience.

By the time I arrived and made my way to the section reserved for the ground level ministers, they were all in place, all trained, all ready to spring into action. Everything was ready, as ready as it was ever going to be. And everybody was smiling!

The chaos of that rehearsal evening had resolved into order.

And all of that was in a very large part due to a lady named Lydia who, like that Lydia of Acts, opened the door to the Gift of Jesus for so many of the faithful, this time for the Church of Detroit.

Oh Yes! Still more! - so please come back!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe! 

'Twas The Night Before . . .

This series of Blogs began with the August 9th entry. If you missed the previous, you might want to back up and get caught up.

Friday, September 18, 1987!

The time had come!

Late afternoon Pope John Paul II arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

The Papal Visit was underway.

After proper greetings and welcomes from the appropriate civic and religious leaders, John Paul was whisked off by helicopter to the campus of Sacred Heart Major Seminary. There he first greeted and met with faculty and students before being taken away for a bit to get refreshed and probably get a bite to eat as well.

Meantime, ticketed guests were arriving at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral where the Pontiff would arrive shortly to lead a prayer service and speak his first official words in Detroit. That would be his final appearance for the day.

I would be a part of the gathering at the Cathedral, joining clergy from around the Archdiocese, most traveling that evening by buses, leaving cars in designated parking spots so as to keep the traffic around the Cathedral area reduced and manageable.

Service over - back to those buses and back to our cars and then back home.

The next day there would be a Papal Visit to Hamtramck, then a public appearance at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit and a meeting with the Deacons in the old Ford Auditorium and finally on to Pontiac and the Silverdome and the Mass.

Meantime, on this night before, I was home, safe and sound and quiet - at least 

until . . . the phone rang.

"Washington calling!"

It was one of my newly acquired Secret Service friends. And he had a special task for me and I had to get on it ASAP - like in the next minute or two before we hung up.

He needed me to name one of my ministers or co-workers who already had security clearance, someone who could get deeper clearance before the end of the night. And whomever I named could not even know of the deeper clearance process at least until I got word that he or she was fully cleared. Then I could reveal what had happened.

And the matter at hand requiring such action?

The Vice-President of the United States, George H.W. Bush, was coming to the Mass and he was bringing with him several staff members and they would be sharing one of the suites and many of them were Catholics and wanted to receive Communion.

Someone had to be designated to go exclusively to that suite bringing Communion and that someone had to have the highest security clearance.

And, no, I did not name myself!

As momentous as that opportunity might have been, I was not budging from my position. See, because I had a strong say in ticketing and seating, I had placed myself on the podium, right next to the pulpit (ambo) and directly across from the altar and the seat of His Holiness, John Paul II.

I was not moving!

But as luck would have it, one of my mezzanine level team was a military chaplain, active with the National Guard. He should already have a healthy level of clearance and he would be working right nearby where needed. So he got named.

And he got cleared.

And the next morning, Saturday, September 19, 1987, he got a call from me informing him of what had transpired the night before and of the special assignment he would be fulfilling that afternoon.

And very soon it would be time for all of us to spring into action.

Still more! - so please come back!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe! 

Rehearsal!

This series of Blogs began with the August 9th entry. If you missed the previous, you might want to back up and get caught up.

Stadiums built since 1987 seem to have become smaller. I guess that is one way of declaring an event to be "sold out." However, the Silverdome was a mega-stadium and I am providing a photo to help you to visualize at least a bit the scope of the moment.

Anyhow, as the time drew nearer rehearsal became the question.

We had to gather the troops together and rehearse. We could not just leave things up to chance, asking our ministers to "imagine" their situations. They had to have some advance, practical, hands on experience of the situations with which they would be actually dealing.

We had to rehearse!

Actually, those upper regions were easy. They were fixed. They wee stationary. They were not going anywhere. As long as we could get access to the building, we could schedule rehearsals for those distant regions and give the ministers a hands on feel for what they needed to do.

And so those rehearsals were scheduled and actually happened.

The big challenge was ground level.

Almost right up to the day itself, that was remaining a vast, wide open space. Seating and platforms and anything else was only existing in the imagination. Reality would not become visible and tangible until -- well, we were assured everything would be set and in place on Thursday, two days before the big moment.

Thursday evening the building would be available for the grand, ground floor experience and rehearsal. Everything would be in place and we could provide a feel for the actual experience.

And so the final rehearsal, the one involving the main floor, was scheduled for the evening of September 17, just two days before the Mass. On that evening we could see and feel and walk and experience what the main floor would actually be like.

Only it wasn't quite that way!

As our critical ground floor ministers and those responsible for moving things from that level to those above began to arrive, a certain degree of panic began to emerge.

The platform for the Mass was not yet built. And the seating was not yet in place. And it all could not be because bevies of semis, loaded with the necessary equipment were still filling that ground floor space.

We looked out in unbelieving amazement at seeing not the expected all completed, all ready setting to see semi after semi after semi with cargo waiting to be unloaded and set into place.

Nothing was even close to being ready!

Could we properly describe the coming scene? Call on our ministers to effectively imagine? Could we do that?

But even before we began to speak and even, perhaps, shout to capture minds and imaginations, a sound began to emerge.

Across the way from where we had gathered for our rehearsal, the choir, multiplied by countless additional numbers began to tune up. They were also rehearsing! 

And they were loud!

And our question became - how loud can you speak? We had no amplification system. To communicate with our ministers, we would have to get loud, really loud - raising our voices above and over the sound of the choir of over a hundred voices and also those semis out there on the field unloading the equipment that should already have been in place.

And then came still another surprise - the orchestra!

Of course!

This was a Papal Mass. It was not enough to have a hundred plus voice choir.  That choir needed an accompaniment fitting the occasion. And that would be the orchestra and they also needed to rehearse. And that was happening right then and right there in that emerging nightmare.

Communicating with our ministers and actually helping them to grasp what was expected of them had become nearly impossible.

Until  . . .

The thunderstorm!

Yep!

Ever heard the sound of the wind and rain, serious, steady, soaking rain up against a domed roof?

Loud is hardly a proper descriptive for that sound. Even the orchestra and the choir seemed at least momentarily defeated by the storm. But the storm did come and the rains did resonate against that domed roof.

And there would be no second chance for us. John Paul was arriving the next day and the Silverdome would be totally secured by that time and, therefore,  inaccessible.

Rehearsal was over. Nothing more that we could do.

We could not communicate; we could not work on the site; we could not . . . 

Well, all we really could do was send everyone home and hope and pray that somehow things would come together.

Ground floor rehearsal was permanently grounded!

We could only guess at what the real thing might look like! 

Still more! - so please come back!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe! 

Yes! Secret Service Too!

This series of Blogs began with the August 9th entry. If you missed the previous, you might want to back up and get caught up.

Last writing I mentioned the "dramatic" entry of Mom and Dad into the Silverdome. They were a bit overwhelmed by the large numbers lined up at the gate waiting to clear and be admitted. They thought that they could not and should not tackle that line. They were ready to head back to the car to sit and wait until all was finished but then I reached into my attache case.

Inside of it I had the vestments I would be wearing for the Mass, lists of the ministers who would be working with me and also several security tags.

You see, along with having to deal with officialdom from those Downtown Offices, mostly the Worship Office, and having to deal with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, again mostly the Worship Offices, and even on a couple of occasions with representatives from the Vatican regarding procedures and protocols, it was necessary to deal with Washington government officials.

Specifically, Secret Service was involved. Security and physical well-being was involved.

John Paul II was not just a religious leader; he was a visiting head of state. The Vatican is a foreign government recognized by the United States.

And some years before there had been an assassination attempt on John Paul's life right in the Vatican. A second attempt had likewise been made during a visit to Fatima and well before these attempts, while Paul VI was visiting the Philippines,  an attempt had been made on his life.

Popes are not exempt from such attempts and the United States government was not going to risk the embarrassment of such happening on our soil.

And so Secret Service was involved in the details of this trip.

And there were meetings with Secret Service agents in which every little detail was set out and scrutinized. As my "team" was put together, each was screened by Secret Service before final approval. Then as the volunteers for those 734 ministry positions were named, each filled out a form that, while they probably were unaware of it, was submitted to Secret Service and each and every one of that number, likewise, was screened and approved for security clearance.

Then came the next question.

How will we know who your people are?

How can we identify them?

While they would have been screened for security clearance, they would be just so many faces in a crowd, a vast sea of faces.

They needed to be identifiable. 

Will they be wearing uniforms? No.

Can you get them to all wear the same outfits? I doubt it.

Will they have some sort of vestments? Some will.

Can't you get vestments to all of them? I don't think so.

Well then, how can we identify them?

It was finally resolved that they would each be issued a colorful, distinctive tag or badge to wear. Each would be numbered and Secret Service would have a record of who had what number and they would also have the background checks for those names and numbers.

The tags would be issued at the time of rehearsals and would be required for admission on the day of the Mass.

I was given a few extras for any "just in case" situations. Mine were to stay with me at all times unless an emergency arose in. We would be covered for any last minute matters.

And one of those last minute matters was getting my parents from standing in the long, waiting entry line and into the building ASAP.

And so they got tagged and admitted and as soon as I got them to their seats, off came those badges and back they went into my attache case.

But they did the trick!

Oh, and yes, I had one as well. I had to be wearing one of those identifiable tags to move around the building as I had to. And since I was the one actually issuing the badges, I had the pick of the lot for the one I would wear.

I still have it. And here is a photo of the one I called mine. I picked it myself for me.

And I selected its number deliberately!

I just figured, why not?

For my role in this whole affair, why should I not be Double Oh Seven?

OK, there is an extra Oh at the end but it's the first three that really count.

And on this grand and memorable day I would be authorized by the Secret Service Branch of the Government of the United States of America.

I was Double Oh Seven.

So, look out!

The Rehearsal! - next time; so please come back!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe!

Generous GM

If you are just "Tuning In" to this Blog, you might want to back up a bit. I have been recounting some memories from 1987 and the Papal Visit of John Paul II to Detroit. This series, continuing here, begins with the Blog published August 9.  

And there it is!

A brand new, beautiful, fully-loaded (including, of course, a sunroof) Pontiac Bonneville.

The photo may not be all that great but it is the best I have of that very pleasant memory.

And, of course, you are wondering what just happened. Wasn't this a series of reflections on the experience of the 1987 visit of Pope John Paul II to Detroit and, specifically, the backstory to the distribution of Communion at the Silverdome Papal Mass?

And it was.

And it still is.

And this was a part of the whole saga.

It was probably (as best I can remember) late July when the announcement was made. GM was making available for those spearheading and coordinating the Papal Visit one hundred of those (papal) white, brand new, fully loaded Pontiac Bonnevilles. Ford and the then Chrysler Corporations along with many other businesses and agencies were pitching in with a variety of packages to make this moment a highly memorable event in Detroit history. And part of GM's involvement would be these courtesy cars.

And I got one!

Not to keep, obviously, but to use for the duration of the days leading up to, including and even for a time after the Papal Visit.

I would be driving around in a fancier car than I had ever owned!

And not only were these "courtesy" cars but they were "security  cleared" vehicles.

And as the days grew closer to the Visit, that became increasingly important.

And on the day of the Mass, the importance was more than awesome.

As the Papal Visit neared, roads and areas were slowly shut down, closed to the general public. There was a concern for providing proper and necessary traffic flow and there was still another concern - security.

Oh yes, security!

More will be coming on that item but for now, let's just say that security grew tighter and tighter the closer we drew to the event.

And on the day of the Papal Mass even something like Woodward was closed to most traffic in areas near the Silverdome.

But I had my Popemobile!

And after much back and forth, I had convinced Mom and Dad to join in the Mass at the Dome. Needless to say, they were very, very apprehensive.

There would be those crowds and where would we park and how far would we have to walk and, oh so very critical, how close would restrooms be?

But I had my Popemobile and it would take us directly to the event.

They had to be at least a bit surprised and impressed as I was immediately waved through prohibiting barriers. Traffic control took one look at the bright white vehicle and, well, practically saluted.

In no time at all we were pulling into the parking lot at the Silverdome. One look at that vast space and again came those words of protest.

"We can't walk that far. We're too old! We'll just wait here in the car."

Until I pulled that Popemobile right up to an entrance and parked.

And the question then was, "What are you doing?"

"Parking."

"You can't park here."

"Just watch me."

And out of the car we emerged, right by the entrance.

Where, of course, already a very long line had formed.

"We can't stand in that line. We'll just wait in the car."

"Come on!"

And I handed Mom and Dad tags to wear around their necks, actually Secret Service security clearance ID's!

And we went right up to the door and right into the Silverdome.

No waiting!

And that Popemobile got us there and later back home in no time at all!

Thanks, GM!

Ok, we'll talk about that security matter - next time; so please come back!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe!

 

The Old Man's Wisdom

If you are just "Tuning In" to this Blog, you might want to back up a bit. I have been recounting some memories from 1987 and the Papal Visit of John Paul II to Detroit. This series, continuing here, begins with the Blog published August 9. 

Well, that is what it looked like, what you see directly below this.

That was the platform created to hold all of the necessary ciboria containing the hosts for consecration at the Papal Mass. It was a platform conforming to the distance requirements that had been set out for us. Every host to be distributed at that Mass would be consecrated by the Holy Father and every one of those ciboria would be held up high in someone's hands during the Eucharistic Prayer.

When the praying of the Our Father began, each of these would be taken to an appropriate location for proper distribution.

Ground level was right around the corner, so to speak, and so no problem there. The ministers would simply move to their assigned stations.

But  then there was the matter of those upper levels.

How accomplish that?

As I mentioned previously, there were only so many elevators to quickly move a limited number of ministers. So how move matters quickly in a very limited amount of time.

Well, let's just say that we did it.

Years later The Old Man asked how.

And notice, I am saying "The" Old Man and not "An" old man. I am not talking here about just any old man.

I am talking about The Old Man - my Dad!

He and Mom were actually at the Papal Mass that day. I was glad and am still very grateful to have been able to provide that opportunity for them. (I will have more to say about that in a later writing.)

What I am remembering here is something that occurred some years later.

Dad and I were talking about, perhaps even looking at some photos of that day.

We were remarking about how seemingly smoothly everything went.

And then he asked his question.

"So how did you manage to get those Hosts all the way up there? They were already consecrated; weren't they?" he asked.

I assured him.

Nope!

All consecrated by the Holy Father down below.

But how did you make that happen? he wondered.

So I explained that, in order to  pull this whole project off, I had to have claim to certain tickets for seating. I had to be able to place ministers exactly where I needed them. As a result, ministers were already in place at their stations in the upper levels. And each had their own ciborium - empty!

Among those ciboria at ground level were a number of very large ones, each containing hundreds of hosts. At the start of the Our Father designated carriers took these special containers and moved to the elevators which whisked them upward and onto the upper levels. Then they went around those levels being met by the on site ministers who filled their empty containers and went off to distribute Communion.

But then The Old Man had still another question.

"But how did they manage to move around on those upper levels, distributing the needed Hosts to the awaiting ministers? How could they do that so quickly?"

Even running would not cut it and Dad sensed that.

What happened up there? Behind the scenes? 

"You don't want to know, Dad."

That's what I told him. "You don't want to know."

But The Old Man was just not going to give up that easily.

He did want to know.

And so I told him.

Golf carts!

That was the secret.

Waiting at the elevators' exits at those upper levels was a convoy of golf carts.

Each carrier was immediately loaded onto a cart and driven to the assigned location.

The Eucharistic Lord was driven to the waiting faithful on golf carts!

The Lord of all creation got a ride on a golf cart!

And The Old Man just smiled.

And then he gave this word of wisdom.

"Jesus doesn't care how He gets to His people. Just get Him there!'

True then; true still.

Amen!

Oh, but there is still more to this whole saga, so please come back!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe!

. . .But! . . . But! . . . But!

 If you are just "Tuning In" to this Blog, you might want to back up a bit. I have been recounting some memories from 1987 and the Papal Visit of John Paul II to Detroit. This series, continuing here, begins with the Blog published August 9.

As traffic flow patterns emerged and were agreed upon, concrete plans began to emerge regarding the process of distributing Communion at the Pontiac Silverdome to a hundred thousand faithful (give or take a few) within the framework of some eighteen allowed minutes.

One of the major questions to emerge concerned reaching that third deck, bleachers shall we call it?

It was distant. It was significantly huge and, therefore, a significant number of ministers would be needed there and needed quickly to meet the challenge. Elevators were available but certainly not sufficient to move that number that quickly.

Solution?

Well, have them already in place. They would be located in seats strategically, ready to spring into action when the time arrived. No need to move them. They would already be in place.

But . . .

Seems the "Powers that Be" (read that to be so-called higher ups either in offices Downtown with the Archdiocese of Detroit or with the Liturgy Offices of the US Conference of Bishops in Washington) stepped in to raise a concern.

How would the Consecrated Hosts get into the hands of those distant ministers?

Well, the logical solution seemed to be that they would already have ciboria (Eucharistic containers) with them and the hosts would already be where needed and ready for distribution.

But . . .

The Powers that Be determined that perhaps the Papal words of Institution in the Eucharistic Prayer would not be able to reach all that far. The hosts for consecration had to be closer, proximate to the altar.

So we could have the ministers in place but the hosts for distribution somehow would have to reach them. The hosts would have to start at ground level, near the altar.

Which meant that a special platform would have to be constructed to hold a multitude of containers filled appropriately with the hosts for consecration.

We could get that done.

But . . .

Again a ruling from the Powers that Be. 

Seems that it was somehow, somewhere required that containers such as these filled with hosts for consecration had to be held and actually lifted during those words of Institution.

And that would mean a significant section of seating with a significant number of those 734 ministers would have to be within reach of that platform and those containers and during the Eucharistic Prayer they would have to be trained to step forward and take and hold and lift those ciboria.

We could get that done.

But . . .

Among that number there would be a significant number of females and they would be among those holding and lifting the ciboria.

And the Powers that Be had a serious concern.

Women would be actually holding containers with hosts during the time they were being consecrated.

Why! Someone might think they were concelebrating or something!

Perish the thought!

Only to that concern all I could offer was the observation that neither I nor anyone else could control what some folk may be thinking. We had a challenge to meet and we needed the proper resources to get it done.

End of story!

Oh, but there is still more to this whole saga, so please come back!

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe!

734

 That was the magic number.

734!

As plans became more concrete and traffic flow diagrams developed, the number 734 began to emerge as the total number of Eucharistic Ministers that would be needed to make happen the efficient (hopefully) distribution of Communion to roughly the hundred-thousand faithful projected to be present at the Silverdome for the Papal Mass.

734 could, conceivably make this happen and in eighteen minutes!

The next task became recruiting that number and then scheduling training for them.

And there was one more tiny hook.

Liturgical regulations required that, before any laity could be used for this purpose, clergy, you know, the ordained sort, had to be recruited and utilized. Once that was properly done, then and only then could laity be added to that number.

But how contact and/or recruit possible clergy. The immediate, Detroit Archdiocese, would be easy but the reality was that it was likely that clergy would be coming from other areas around the state, around the country and even Canada. 

We had to be realistic.

Notice would be sent to the Detroit clergy.

Notice would be placed in appropriate clergy newsletters around the country.

And a deadline would have to be set.

And when all was said and done, the recruiting of laity began.

Letters were sent to all Archdiocesan parishes asking to have qualified lay ministers named.

Then things got a bit more interesting - a question emerged and a rather surprising comment as well.

The question? Can we include women?

1987 remember. Roman Catholic, remember. Could women be included?

And the comment?

Ours is a poor parish. Our members are poor people.  We would be out of place at an event like this!

Out of place!

Because of being "poor"!

Of all people, they belonged. This was their place or it should be seen as such.

Firmly I declared that not only should they be there and ministering but if they needed a way to get there, I would arrange for transportation.

We would have 734 and they would look like the Church!

Some would be ordained and many would be exercising their Baptismal anointing.

Some would be better off (financially) and some would be not as fortunate (financially.)

And they would be young and old and male and female.

God's people would come to the Feast and God's people would share the Feast.

Together we would gather around our Holy Father to honor the Father of us all.

Of course more is coming! Please come back.

Meantime, Keep Praying . . .

Stay Safe!

Divide and Conquer!

 As I began to get to know the Silverdome, it became quite evident to me that it needed to be dissected, so to speak. If the challenge of distributing Communion to roughly a hundred-thousand in the course of eighteen minutes was to be properly met, a top team would have to be assembled, not the actual force needed to accomplish the mission but the team to imagine, design and oversee the mission.

I needed help!

Lot's of help!

Good, qualified, yes, even bossy, "take no prisoners" kind of help!

And so the work began in terms of dividing the building up, in the imagination, of course, into unique but workable sections.

The first and most challenging section was ground floor. Nothing would be actual or visible until the day or two before the event. Everything had to transpire in the imagination. There would be a sanctuary area for the Holy Father, the immediate ministers (lectors, cantors and acolytes,) the cardinals, bishops and priest concelebrants. We had no idea what that would look like or how much space it would occupy, not just yet. Still to be designed. But once designed, there would still remain a vast ground level space,  the general seating area.

The second section was also directly associated with the main floor. From ground level, established, non-movable seating rows ascended up to a walkway area and also handicap areas. 

Then came the - what should I call it - mezzanine? loge? A second floor so to speak but one that contained its own challenge. This was also an area containing suites, enclosed, private rooms for the "cream of the crop."

And then the great, vast third level, the bleacher/balcony area, way up there so close to heaven!

I needed to recruit those who could take charge of each of these areas, use imagination to create traffic flows that would not turn into stampedes or traffic jams, and then could also communicate the appropriate plans to the ones who would make happen and do that communicating in a way that said, "This way and only this way!"

And I knew just the ones I needed to work with so as to get the task done. In years before I had worked on some other projects for the Archdiocese, projects that also involved some complex logistics, though nothing quite like this. But I knew the ones who could make things happen.

And I began to recruit the "team."

And one by one each said "Yes."

Including - and remember, this was 1987 and this was a Catholic Church project, and, even then, yes, I asked a woman to be part of this team. Such a move might have seemed to some to be quite radical especially given the era. But I put a woman on the team along with all those men.

And years later she asked me why.

Why did I choose her in particular, she asked.

And my reply?

Because I knew you would take no backtalk - even from all those clergy types. And that is what I needed, someone strong.

And she was it!

And I was definitely not wrong.

Of course more is coming! Please come back.

Meantime, Keep Praying . . .

Stay Safe!

Envisioning the Moment

And so the "Adventure" began.

Well, actually, it did not really begin when I got the word that I was being placed in charge of orchestrating the distribution of Communion for the Papal Mass at the Silverdome.

That word was given to me early in March. The event would actually take place in September and before that many, many arrangements had to be made. Sites for the planned events had to be procured. We had to be certain, for example, that the Silverdome would be available for the span of time needed. After all, we certainly could not risk conflicting with a Lions' game. (Besides, that would probably be the first time in history that the Lions would loose to the Christians!)

So, for at least a few weeks between the job assignment and the actual getting down to business, there was a little time. 

Let the project sink in.

Wrap your mind around it.

Start to measure the moment in your mind.

And the "Moment?"

Well, here was the challenge in a nutshell.

There would likely be a hundred-thousand in attendance for the Mass.

The Silverdome consisted of an array of seating arrangements, from simple straight rows to box seats to suites to that oh so distant balcony. Somehow, people would have to be moved from point A to point B and back to their original point A smoothly and quickly.

And that would involve not only training and coordinating a sufficient number of Eucharistic Ministers. Training and coordinating of ushers was critical to make this "Moment" happen. Ushers would have to enable the needed movement to happen.

And did I say happen quickly? 

There was also a certain protocol to be followed.

The Holy Father would distribute Communion and he would do so to a specially chosen group of one hundred. This normally takes about eighteen minutes. When the Holy Father begins distributing, all others likewise begin distributing. And when the Holy Father has concluded his distribution to the hundred, all distribution must be concluded and completed.

In other words, you have eighteen minutes to make this Moment happen for a hundred thousand (give or take a few.)

And then I was asked the question.

"Have you ever been to the Silverdome? Do you know what it is like?"

"No," of course not!

For the first few weeks this whole matter was just images in my imagination. But the time would come soon enough when I would be introduced to the reality of the Silverdome.

And I would get to know that building, inside and out, would I get to know that building! Every corridor and tunnel, elevator and walkway, I would get to know that building. I would really get to know that building.

And add to the task of getting to know that cavernous building was another little detail.

The designing of the sanctuary area had yet to begin. We would have no idea at this point of what that sanctuary would look like, where it would be situated on that field. And as the days would progress, all we would really have to work with would be sketches and paper plans and the assurance that it would all come together something like this paper plan the day or two before the event.

That and the timetable - Communion for a hundred-thousand (give or take a few) in eighteen minutes!

Of course more is coming! Please come back.

Meantime, Keep Praying . . .

Stay Safe!