Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: November 15, 2020
So many words continue to be shared about the results of the national and local elections on November 3 I think I’ll simply say “No comment” at this point! Anything I could add has already been said many times by many people, I assure you!
I’d rather talk about a non-public event last week that still was really important. Bishop Duca invited the priests of the diocese – diocesan, religious and extern – to come together at St. George’s huge new church and spacious hall on November 6 for a morning of prayer and fraternity. Not quite 50 of our roughly 90 priests came; some had other responsibilities that day, and many – and not just the oldest! – are still being very cautious about venturing out during the current coronavirus pandemic.
Still, it was a very good time together for those who came, all the while staying “safely distanced.” During our time of prayer together, Bishop Duca blessed the holy oils that we use in the diocese; the priests who were present renewed the priestly promises of faithfulness and obedience which we once made at our ordinations. Usually these two things occur at the annual Chrism Mass here at the Cathedral during Holy Week, but this was something that just wasn’t possible for us this year until now.
During the “sharing time” we enjoyed afterwards, three of our priests spoke of their experience of this very strange year. Father Joel LaBauve spoke of the challenges and blessings of being an elderly, retired priest “locked down” during 2020. Father Matthew Graham told us of his contracting the Covid virus and how it really laid him low for more than three weeks. And Father Mathew Dunn, our only “rookie priest” this year, shared both the disappointments and joys first of having ordination delayed and then of beginning priestly ministry in these uncertain times. All gave eloquent witness to the presence of God in their lives and of their concern for His people amidst the trials of the pandemic.
Please continue to pray for your priests, and support them emotionally and in fact in every other way you can. This is a difficult time for everyone, of course, but we can with God’s help change it into a time of grace for us all as well!
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Paul
