Sunday

Yesterday we had a wonderful worship experience. Father Charles Gallagher, pastor at St. Cletus for 19 years and retired for a few years, came back to celebrate mass and his 90th birthday. It was such an awesome mass. Fr. Gallagher was famous at St. Cletus for his concise homilies and masses that truly were all about God and the Eucharist...not about him as a priest. In his homily yesterday, Fr. Gallagher said he never liked to be put on a pedestal, as folks often do (did) with priests. He called himself "a working stiff", just like every one else, and said he was most proud of three things during his time at St. Cletus....1) He never bothered people for money. Fr. Gallagher said they always had enough money to pay the bills without having to berate people. 2) He delivered short homilies. When the congregation applauded loudly, he quipped, "What?! Some priests aren't brief?" 3) He wrote the bulletin every week. Fr. Gallagher received two standing ovations during the mass. I think I cried three times. Jack had his iphone and took this video of Fr. Gallagher during the recessional. God bless Fr. Gallagher and please send us more priests like him!
PS. Thanks to Karen for taking Marmar to church yesterday :) You are so thoughtful.