March 28th, 2026
Dear Diary,
They’ve been after me for weeks about “reaching the peripheries” again. I swear that phrase follows me around like Chester when I open a bag of jerky. It’s like Francis is back from the grave in spades. Every meeting, every memo, every pastoral planning session. Peripheries peripheries peripheries. I asked at one point, “How far out do the peripheries go exactly?” Nobody laughed except Msgr. Tommy.
Anyway, McSwiney* said that for Holy Thursday I should make a statement of inclusion and accompaniment by washing the feet of twelve quadriplegics. “A prophetic witness! The paper will eat it up! It’s synodal! Think what Caccia** will say!” A chance to be synodal and get in good with the new Noonce. I said yes of course. It’ll be terrific!
I met with seminarians today. We had lunch. It’s great to see them eat. They’ve come back from wherever they go when they’re not here for Holy Week services with me at the cathedral. There aren’t all that many of them but they all seem to be impressed with Fr. Msgr. Tommy. The VD doesn’t think that’s a great idea because all them have birettas because of Tommy and some blog or other. He hasn’t liked Tommy for a long time. It’s just a hat, right? As long as they are happy, I guess. And it’s worth seeing McSwiney turn purple. The cassocks and surpluses almost gave him hives last year, stuff about the old days. He dresses all those girl servers for his Masses in sort of flour sacks with twine, or whatever, ‘cuz “the poor”. The old ways seem better if that’s all we get instead.
*Msgr McSwiney is rector of “Spirit and Truth” Cathedral. Nickname: “The Irish Setter”
**The new Apostolic Nuncio to these USA.
