The Book of Bishops (Chapter Two - Thank you, Robert Callahan)

 And who was Robert Callahan?

He was a Sulpician priest, a faculty member at St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan. Very specifically, Robert Callahan taught liturgy in that era just in the shadow of the Second Vatican Council.

Robert Callahan was a rather unique, some might prefer to use the word "eccentric", individual. Perhaps that was due to his being immersed in the field of liturgical theology at a time when for most "liturgy" meant rules, regulations and directives on how to do the rites right.

Anyhow, Robert Callahan, in those seminary days way back in the early 1960's was professor and also, for me, spiritual director. 

And that is the critical piece in the tale that unfolds here.

June 5, 1964 - I remember that date so very, very well.

It was the last day before our ordination to the priesthood.

All of the underclassmen had already gone home to begin their summer vacation. The halls of St. John's echoed with emptiness. Only faculty and deacons remained on site. There was really nothing more scheduled other than our meals for the day. Classes were done. It was just a matter of waiting.

On the morning of June 6 we would board the provided bus and be taken to Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit. There we would enter into the ancient ritual of ordination and emerge as presbyters (priests for you Catholics.)

Maybe it was the erie silence of the place or the feeling that comes with waiting or whatever. But as that day, June 5, 1964, faded into late evening, I could feel that "certain" feeling.

Jitters?

Nerves?

Doubts?

Maybe.

All I know is that a strong feeling began to take hold.

What are you doing?

Who do you think you are?

You are definitely not one for what is scheduled to take place tomorrow!

Get out of here! And get out of here NOW!

But before just packing my bags and heading to the nearest door, I headed instead to the chapel.

And there I sat in the emptiness, in the silence and in the darkness that descended as evening progressed into night.

It was almost midnight when the back door of the chapel opened.

Footsteps broke the silence.

It was Robert Callahan.

He had spent the evening in the faculty lounge in the front of the building and now he was headed to his room at the opposite end of the building.

And he had decided to take a shortcut through the chapel. That was far easier and quicker than traversing through the maze of hallways.

In the dark of night, in the silence of that space of all people, my spiritual director was in the chapel.

Taking a shortcut to his room?

Taking a Spirit-provoked pathway?

However you choose to evaluate it, he was on a journey right passed me.

And, of course, he noticed me in that darkness.

He stood for a few moments taking in the scene.

Then he stood directly in front of me and said, "I suspect you and I need to have a little conversation. Get up to my room now!"

And so I went.

Once there, we sat facing each other.

And he stated the obvious.

"Having second thoughts?"

I nodded.

And then he made the statement that has held its place in my mind for all of these fifty-nine years now.

"After all of these years and all of these studies and all of the journey thus far, now tonight you might be thinking that this was all a big mistake! Well, if you want to believe that God brought you this far only to say, 'I didn't really mean it," you go ahead and believe that.

Me! I'm going to sleep.

Goodnight!"

And he sent me out of his room and out into the night.

And into the next morning I, obviously, was still at St. John's and I did get onto that bus and make that journey to the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

And there on June 6, 1964, John Dearden, the Archbishop of Detroit placed his hands prayerfully on my head, followed by so very many priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and that Archbishop of Detroit smeared Sacred Chrism on my hands and declared me to be a priest.

And that was not my first or last dealing with John Dearden.

But it was certainly the most life-changing.

And, Robert Callahan, after fifty-nine years, I suspect your insight into the mind of God on that fateful night was far greater than was mine.

So, thank you!

Watch for more in the weeks to come.