I woke up bright and early at 4:30am to catch a 6:55am flight to Fort Wayne, Indiana for a meeting with Our Sunday Visitor, a nationwide Catholic company that provides multiple services to parishes and dioceses.
While standing at a bagel shop in the Savannah terminal, I ran into a young couple whose wedding I officiated a few months ago. She grew up at my parish, but moved to Atlanta when she was a teenager. She and her husband now reside in New York City and had returned to Savannah for a family reunion. He started a job there immediately after the wedding, and after some ups and downs, have found their way in the big city.
While eating my bacon and egg bagel, I saw a parishioner who is active at the parish. He was on his way to Chicago, we chatted about the very cold weather we would soon experience. Just yesterday after morning Mass, I saw him, his wife and son make an advent wreath for their home.
After eating the bagel, I walked to my gate and while I stood there waiting, I thought I recognized the gate agent. I approached to get a better look, including her name tag and remembered her right away. Her husband died after a long battle with cancer and I was called by the funeral home to officiate a bilingual funeral service. The chapel was packed. It was good to speak with her.
This is a brief example of the life of a parish priest – running into your people outside the walls of the church. It is appropriate that since the airport is within my parish territory, I would see parishioners there!
My mother always tells me that wherever I go, I always run into people. I suppose it’s an occupational hazard when you are a priest, and one I enjoy very much!
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