Retirement!
That time of life was drawing ever closer. Social Security checks were already a monthly regularity. The parish which I was serving at the time was now fiscally solvent and spiritually and socially vigorous. It was easy now to consider that the time was coming to take that big step back.
As if to provide some frosting for that cake, we were engaged in something called "Together in Faith" or some such. A general meeting of a number of regional parishes with several archdiocesan officials made it very clear that the times, they were changing. The priest shortage was now become very real and increasing. A number of parishes were running into increasing fiscal difficulties. The overall impact on the archdiocese was beginning to show, big time.
And so I made a phone call.
To downtown.
With a question - can one retiree when one is turning seven or must one wait until actually turning seven.
The answer was a joyful relief.
Even if only still a youthful sixty-nine, if that would be the year of turning seventy, you can submit for retirement.
Nice to have a birthday in November.
And so the process began.
One critical step, an early step in the process involved a one on one meeting with the Archbishop to formally submit the retirement request and to discuss retirement plans and possibilities.
Proving truw to form (mine) I asked where this meeting would take place.
Downtown in the Office of he Archbishop, I was informed.
To which I responded - "Nope!"
Can't be there!
Over all so many years I had so very many one on one meetings with the various Archbishops of Detroit in their private study in their residences. I wanted to go out with one more meeting in that familiar territory.
And my request was granted.
I would meet to submit my retirement request to Adam Cardinal Maida at his home and in his study. At that time he had also reached retirement age for bishops and had submitted his intent to the Holy Father in Rome. He was now awaiting a response to his retirement request.
We met. We discussed many of the usual and predictable matters. He asked about my plans, living arrangements, intentions for keeping busy and active as possible. We talked about the years gone by. We made the promises of praying for each other and remembering each other. Words of gratitude were also spoken.
And the time came to say, "Goodbye."
We stood together at the door.
And then Adam Cardinal Maida looked right at me and declared, "I think I should suggest to Rome that you now be named to take my place as Detroit's Archbishop. Then I could retire and you could stay busy for a few more years!"
Nice thought!
But not my thought, certainly and definitely not in my playbook.
And so it was that I said my Goodbye.
And began the countdown to July 1, 2008.
And there is still the Vigneron Era!
