A few words from Michael had very few appearances this year. The last one was Easter, and called on us to proclaim, “Christ is Risen” for 50 days. Then, it would be Pentecost.
Well, Pentecost came on May 31st, 2009, and it was a time like no other in my whole life. Back in 1959, May 31st was not the feast of Pentecost, but it was the coming of the Spirit for me, and for my 14 classmates, as we were ordained to the priesthood in St. Peter’s Seminary in the town of Wexford, which stands on the river Slaney in the southwest of Ireland. In Irish it is Abhainn na Sláine, “the river of health”. It has 33 bridges along its length of 117 kilometers. So for the past 50 years a huge volume of water has flowed under the bridges of the Slaney. And for me, it was a flow of good health. Thanks be to God!
Of my 14 companions on that momentous day in 1959, six have gone to God: Tomás O’Neill ordained for the Diocese of Ferns, Wexford; John Havlin for Cardiff; Sean Cooke for Camden, NJ; Jim Larkin for St. Augustine, Florida; Con Blaney for Brooklyn, NY; and George Carey for Hexam and New Castle. God rest them all.
Of the nine who are left, one, Eddie Mc Parland, changed course and married, and eight continued in the ministry for the past 50 years: Lory Kehoe is in the Diocese of Ferns, Wexford; Peter Beglan in the Diocese of Camden, NJ for many years, returned to Ireland to work in the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise; Michael Doyle is still working at Sacred Heart Parish in Camden; Donal Gillespie was ordained for the Diocese of Cardiff in Wales; Michael Larkin is Pastor of Prince of Peace in Jacksonville, Florida; Timothy Sullivan was ordained for the Diocese of Lancaster; and Anthony Davies is now working in the Diocese of Drumore in Ireland.
Please God, I will see the seven on July 28th when we gather for Mass in Wexford. There, we will lift a chalice in gratitude to God, and also a glass to the “River of Health”, the river of blessings that has flowed under the bridge for half a century.
Thanks be to God.
