During a weekend of October in 2001, I drove down from college to Macon. \u00a0This was my first official step in answering a mysterious call I felt to the priesthood. \u00a0The same evening I arrived, a group of us continued onto Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Columbus for a vocations dinner. \u00a0That evening I met the legendary Father Lucree, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes.<\/p>\n
After dinner while standing in the parking lot, Father Lucree approached me and another young man who had attended the dinner. \u00a0He asked, \u201care you two discerning?\u201d \u00a0The other guy beat me to the answer, \u201cYes, Father.\u201d \u00a0Father Lucree looked at him suspiciously while sucking on his cigarette. \u00a0As he exhaled he inquired, \u201cAre you waiting for God to call you?\u201d \u00a0\u201cYes Father,\u201d the young man replied politely. \u00a0Father Lucree, in a way he could only say, stated while pointing his index finger towards his chest, \u201cPretend I am God. \u00a0Become a priest.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a laugh he turned to me and said, \u201cI am into meat and potatoes theology, we need work horses to work in this diocese. \u201c \u00a0I never quite figured out what he meant by the first part of his statement, I suppose it\u2019s up for interpretation, but the second half has been clear to me since that first day I met him.<\/p>\n
As a seminarian and priest I had the privilege of knowing Father (and later Monsignor) Lucree. \u00a0Because he loved Christ, he loved his priesthood and the people he served. \u00a0He was never afraid to state what he thought and was always quick with a joke or comment. \u00a0He never hesitated to express an encouraging word. \u00a0I will never forget his parting words to me each time we saw each other, \u201clove you boy, keep up the good work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Father Lucree brought thousands of souls to Christ. \u00a0He faithfully served as an instrument of God though I heard him twice refer to himself as the bishop\u2019s prodigal son. \u00a0He wasted his life away for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in South Georgia. \u00a0He is a worthy priestly example to follow.
May the Lord have mercy on him and welcome him into His kingdom. May he rest in peace. \u00a0He will be missed.<\/p>\n
[Monsignor Lucree died Monday afternoon and will be buried tomorrow morning at the Catholic Cemetery of Savannah.]<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
During a weekend of October in 2001, I drove down from college to Macon. \u00a0This was my first official step in answering a mysterious call I felt to the priesthood. \u00a0The same evening I arrived, a group of us continued onto Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Columbus for a vocations dinner. \u00a0That evening I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2533,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n