July 17th, 2023
Dear Diary,
Ministries meeting. Not my favorite thing except for the nice catered lunch – today strogenough. Delicious. The first two hours was just droning by the various departments including all the ones with the furniture and rugs that are nicer than mine. The Encounter gals said they have friends in a couple of dioceses where the NME sponsors this thing – that have a new program called “Confirm your Confirmation!”. Snappy name. Mostly a thing to get younger people and maybe even some early middle aged ones to show up, and revive their Confirmation or something cause kids disappear mighty fast right after they’re confirmed. They said it really got peoples attention. That’s what I want: get their attention with some new program with a good slogan, and keep ’em happy. Told the Encounter gals to move ahead with it asap. Posters pamphlets something in the paper. They did good with the little old ladies showing up for Adoration at the Encounter evenings, so I hope they knock this one out of the ballpark too.
Dear Diary,
I learned Fr. Tommy finished his exercise and his ankle is better now and he came back to the diocese and has been quietly the parish where he was before I called him here. He went back to his old room and begged the pastor not to say anything, just let him chill. So, he’s literally been hanging out at the farthest possible parish from the chancery, St. Zoe’s in Canby (“It’s as far west as can-be!”). This isn’t good. I sense that he isn’t happy about something. If I ask Fr. Tommy to report for duty by x and he asks for a different assignment, well…..that looks bad. Probably looks more bad on me than him. Can’t have that. If I keep Fr. Gilbert I dunno. It’s just more super annoying stuff. Sure is easier to deal with Chester. Am I thinking more of a dog than myself? Or Fr. Tommy? Maybe I’m the one who needs time off.
Gilbert’s spending more time with Vice, so I don’t trust that right there.
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Why not good old-fashioned parish missions? Bring in one or two guest priests for two weeks, with nightly talks followed by benediction, the first week for the men and the second week for the women? With ample time for confession, of course, to the visiting priest or priests. I remember in the pre-Vatican II world we had these every three or four years. One time CSSR, another CP and another SJ priests. These groups had “mission bands” always on the road travelling to many parishes.
Just curious. Why separate weeks for women and men?
Not sure. This was the late 50’s and early 60’s. Different type of work force, most women did not work. So perhaps the talks were focused on the different vocations of husbands/fathers and wives/mothers. I only remember the ones set for the high school students, which took place in the afternoon after school hours. That mission was for both.