This Father’s Day I would like to congratulate two fathers from OLM who have been approved and welcomed by Bishop Conlon to begin a four-year program of studies, spiritual formation and discernment to be ordained a permanent deacon. Parishioners Douglas McIlvaine and Rodney “Bugsy” Sindac will begin studies this August. This is a huge commitment!  Between August of this year and May of next year they will meet for 59 classes on Monday and Thursday evenings for two hours each at the Blanchette Center in Crest Hill.  And not only that, their wives are required to attend some of the classes and an annual retreat.  So, I thank Doug and Amy, Rodney “Bugsy” and Maria “Happy” and families for their generosity and commitment of time it takes to becoming a permanent deacon.  Assuming they complete the four-year program successfully and receive a positive recommendation from those responsible for their formation, Doug and Rodney would be ordained in 2022.  Please keep them in your prayers!

This past Mother’s Day, I shared with you some personal recollections about my mother and the fact that I had three mothers!  So, a bit about my father Thomas.  He was one of those guys who just couldn’t live without a woman in his life!  I was 5 when my mother died the day after Christmas. The following November my dad married the woman who I really grew up knowing as mom. Several years after she died, at age 77 my father married again!  I was a priest for 5 years and officiated the wedding. Not many priests can say they officiated their dad’s wedding!  Born in 1909 he lived through the great depression.  Like many who lived through those days, he was a very frugal man and didn’t buy anything he couldn’t pay cash for – even his cars!  He never owned a credit card! To this day, the only thing I have ever bought making monthly payments is my car and a piano.   He was a very hard working man, coming home late many nights.  He was self-employed in the air-conditioning and refrigeration business.  In his later years before retirement he worked for a company installing commercial walk-in refrigerators and freezers.  When I was in high school he took me one summer to Atlanta when he installed the units at the new Atlanta stadium (now torn down and replaced).  He was a man of quiet faith.  He was an usher at church and belonged to the Holy Name society doing service projects at the church and community.  He was a very active member of the Knights of Columbus and a past grand knight.  During the 60’s he chaired the Knights of Columbus Catholic Information booth at the Indiana State Fair.  He got permission for Mass to be celebrated at the fairgrounds for the workers and farmers.  He got permission too for the nun who played the organ at our parish to come play for Mass at the fairgrounds.  And in those days, nuns always had to travel in pairs, so I have a lot of pleasant memories of taking the nuns to the state fair! He was related to the Allison family of Indy 500 fame.  He stopped going to the race each year when he said that the cars were going so fast he couldn’t read the numbers on the car! He enjoyed surprising my mom and me with little and big things….like a color television set when they first came out.  He was a very quiet but kind man.  He died in 1995.

So on this Father’s Day, may God bless all our father’s living and deceased!

Father Don