My high school graduation took place in the gym and my college graduation took place on the football field. Apparently I needed to go to school in South Dakota to get a more memorable venue for my graduation. Congratulations to the graduates in Hill City, South Dakota.
Does anyone else know of some magnificent places in which graduation ceremonies have been held? Please list them in the comment section.
In each (arch)diocese the cathedral plays an important role in bringing the life of the Church together in unity. It gives a glimpse into the wider Church beyond our own parochial boundaries. Having been assigned as a deacon to the Cathedral of St. Mary for these last six and a half years I have seen many diocesan celebrations up close. It has been a tremendous blessing.
Liturgies with the bishop as the main celebrant are a little more complex than the usual liturgical celebrations when a priest is the main celebrant. Knowing when the bishop wears his mitre or holds his crosier during the liturgy is important. As long as the Master of Ceremony is on top of directing the servers to move at the proper time it all flows smoothly. This creates an environment conducive to prayer.
Rehearsal is part of making things flow easily. This is especially true for larger celebrations that only occur once a year. Holy Week, the Paschal Triduum, the Chrism Mass, and even smaller celebrations like the Rite of Election can test one’s memory from year to year. A Mass of Ordination is another example when rehearsal is key.
Last Friday I joined the Director of Worship, Fr. Rob Spaulding, in preparing for the ordination of Deacon Andrew Kinstetter to the priesthood. We rehearsed in the morning and the ordination ceremony took place in the afternoon. Thus, it was all fresh in our minds.
There are different parts of the liturgy at these types of celebrations that strike me. In my own ordination as a deacon I was especially struck by the part when the archbishop handed me the Book of the Gospels. He said, “Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you now are. Believe what you read. Teach what you believe. Practice what you teach.” That has stuck with me for 17 years.
In the ordination Friday of Deacon Andrew Kinstetter to the priesthood I was struck by the immensity of grace poured upon the new priest as he receives the paten and chalice from the bishop. I accepted these gifts from Andrew’s parents and family and brought them to the bishop. He them presented them to Andrew as part of the ritual. The signs and symbols in our liturgical celebrations are powerful indeed.
Fr. Andrew Kinstetter–may God bless you abundantly in your ministry as a priest.
Describe a moment when you knew a prayer had been answered. What were the emotions that you experienced? I had the experience today of a prayer being answered in a very profound way. It was over twenty-five years in the making, or more accurately, it was a prayer answered daily for all those years.
In less than two months it will be thirty years since my first diagnosis with testicular cancer. The surgery and chemotherapy treatments were extremely harsh and the side effects were immense. The doctors gave me a fairly good prognosis that I would survive but very little hope for being able to father a child after the treatments. God apparently had other ideas.
Margaret and I have been blessed with two wonderful children and the youngest graduated from high school today. That was the prayer I have had ever since our first child was born. “Please God let me live to see them graduate high school.” That prayer came to complete fruition today as I watched our son receive his diploma and enjoy the honor of being the Salutatorian of his class.
I hope I have many years to live yet. It would be good to see him graduate from college as well. It would also be good to know that he was eventually gainfully employed after completing his degree. However, I can also utter the words of Simeon, “Now Master, you can let your servant go in peace.”
My kids were four and ten years old when I was diagnosed with cancer the second time. They were six and twelve when I had to undergo open heart surgery. This past year has seen my heart repeatedly go into atrial fibrillation. More than once I wondered whether I would live to see this day.
Years ago when I was participating in a support group for families coping with a life-threatening illness someone gave all of us a button to wear. That button simply said, “Expect a Miracle.” We walk in faith. We don’t know what is in store for us each day, and yet, we trust. Sometimes the miracles come in ways we don’t imagine. Other times we can’t even see that our prayers have been answered.
Congratulations Joseph on your graduation and the many achievements along the way. Continue to walk in faith and God’s grace!
The end of the academic year brings a mixed bag of emotions. A few moments of perusing social media sites displays many of the memories that have been made this year. Some have detailed their years of memories culminating in this moment we call graduation. Students, teachers, parents, grandparents, and school administrators will each view this moment differently, but there is no doubt that memories have been created.
My personal memories and emotions from this past year are widespread. My son graduates from high school tomorrow, and he just received notice yesterday that he is the Salutatorian of his class. My heart is filled with joy at his accomplishments. There is also a great sense of relief. I am grateful that this stage of his education is over, and we are ready to move on to the next phase.
As Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Cheyenne I receive quite a number of phone calls from parents during the course of a year. There is usually a concern being expressed about one facet or another of their child’s education. Most parents are seeking the best for their child and that is laudable. I also believe most teachers are striving to fulfill their mission well, but meeting the expectations of the students, the parents, and the principal all at once can be a daunting task.
I saw the issue from both sides of the fence this year. The workload of my son during his senior year was overbearing. I understand the desire of the school district to push students to success, but at what price is this goal achieved? My wife and I hope that our son continues to pursue his academic objectives in college with vigor and with great success. My concern is that the joy of learning has been squelched due to his experience of this past year. How do we strike a balance between academic rigor, standardized assessments, and plain old common sense?
As an administrator I am repeatedly confronted with differing viewpoints on nearly every aspect of education. It is not simply about setting goals and utilizing standards and benchmarks to evaluate if these goals are being met. The formation and education of a child encompasses so much more. This is especially pertinent in a Catholic school where the proclamation of the Gospel has to be first and foremost in our minds. Educating for eternity is the primary mission of the Catholic school. If parents have simply selected a Catholic school because it is a private school, the potential for conflict rises dramatically. As a private school we hope that academic rigor is in place and the child will be well-educated. However, we can never lose sight of the essential mission to evangelize and catechize.
The emotions attached to memories became abundantly clear to me in recent weeks when it was announced that one of our Catholic schools will be closing at the end of this academic year. More than once I heard about the history of the school and how it impacted a family. One person called and said, “I went to school there. My kids went to school there. Now my grandkids are going to school there.” The heartbreak is real. Memories are powerful. As an administrator I recognize the objective difficulty of trying to maintain a school (K through 6) with less than two dozen students. The subjective part of me understands clearly the pain and sadness of those closely attached to the school and its mission.
It has been a challenging year for me personally and professionally in a multitude of ways. Through it all I continue to learn and grow. I saw an old meme recently pop up again which states, “As long as there are tests there will be prayer in schools.” I am here to tell you that it isn’t just the students who offer prayers for assistance once in a while. God’s grace is frequently sought by teachers and administrators in the process as well. That has been a lesson I have been taught on a repeated basis since entering the field of education.
Congratulations to all of the graduates! Regardless of what stage of education you are completing, I offer you my prayers for a wonderful transition to whatever is in store for you at the next phase of life. To all of you that experienced significant struggles and challenges in this previous year or throughout most of your educational experience, I simply say hang in there. Even if you did not achieve “good grades,” God’s grace is still there. Thankfully, we never graduate from experiencing God’s love!
Watching the evening news in any major metropolitan city can be quite depressing. There are stories of violence and crime night after night. How do we cope with grief, sadness, and tragedy when it comes to us in such a steady flow? Do we grow numb to it all? What happens when the tragedy hits close to home? How does that change the perspective?
Over thirty years ago I graduated from college and became a police officer with the St. Louis County Police Department. This small town farm boy was introduced to some realities of life that I had not previously known. It was especially true when I worked the evening or midnight shift. There were nights when one call after another was for a “domestic disturbance.” People who had thought enough of one another at some point to date, live together, or even get married were now fighting intensely with one another.
The things I witnessed were shocking. Once in a while there was a little humor to be found in the mess, but most of the time it was just frightening. Once as I approached a house for a domestic disturbance call I could see through the picture window that a woman was heaving potted plants at her husband. No weapons were in sight. As I entered the scene both parties calmed down. As they each looked at the potting soil covering the floor from about ten potted plants being heaved at the man, they just sort of sighed. A little chuckle even came forth as they thought about the mess that needed to be cleaned up following their spat.
Unfortunately, the majority of the domestic disturbance calls were much more serious. Guns and knives were frequently part of the equation. Others were even more creative. One individual boiled a pot of water, added bleach to it, and then threw it on the sleeping companion. The ways we choose to hurt one another can be extreme.
It was seven years ago yesterday that Ashlin (pictured above) experienced the ultimate domestic violence. In my 17 years of ministry as a deacon I have presided at, or assisted with, numerous funeral rituals. Ashlin’s has been the only memorial service that I have done for a victim of homicide. It was the most heart-breaking service that I have ever led. Ashlin wasn’t just a newscast for me. Domestic violence had struck right into the heart of my family.
Two young toddlers lost both their parents on that day. The grief extended throughout the family at the time and still impacts us seven years later. Each milestone that passes with the kids leaves an aching thought. What would Ashlin think about this?
The world turned upside down on that day for many people. However, the resilience by Ashlin’s mom and so many others around her demonstrates the power of love. I have no words for that kind of love except to say, “Thanks.” Hate, anger, and violence have been overcome by your love. You have been a witness for all of us in regard to courage and fortitude. Keep up the good work.
Finally, I close by reminding all of my readers to seek help if you, or someone you love, are living in a volatile situation. Don’t wait until it is too late. There are resources available to assist you regardless of the circumstances in which you find yourself. Domestic violence is real and it can shatter lives in a heartbeat. Don’t become part of an evening newscast. Seek help before the situation gets to that point.
Editor’s note: in the process of copying blog posts from the old website over to the new one, we have not been copying comments made on old posts. However, because this post features several comments from friends and family of Ashlin and Daniel, we felt it fitting to preserve the comments here. We continue to pray for Ashlin, Daniel, and all of their loved ones.
I am scheduled to be at St. Margaret’s Parish in Riverton on Saturday for a pro-life fundraiser. The Knights of Columbus are raising money to purchase an ultrasound machine for the local pregnancy care center. They are hosting a banquet on Saturday evening and I am scheduled to be the keynote speaker. It is always an honor and a privilege to share the message of life at events like these.
Unfortunately, our county is under a winter weather advisory again. The forecast for snow ranges from five to eight inches in lower elevations and as much as 12 to 15 inches in higher elevations between Thursday at 6:00 P.M. and Friday at 6:00 P.M. We have a chance for snow every day from Thursday through Monday. Seriously? It is the end of April. I am starting to think we have the possibility of being the third year in a row to get snow on Mother’s Day.
Please pray that I can make the trip to Riverton on Saturday. May the snow end on Friday afternoon, the winds remain calm, and let the snowplow drivers be effective in their snow removal endeavors. Note to self–stop scheduling events during the month of April.
My twenty minute drive to work turned into a nearly one hour commute this morning. The pounding rains and thunderstorms overnight abruptly changed to snow this morning causing significant travel delays. I had almost made it to the office when I approached a steep overpass going over the rail yards here in Cheyenne. Cars tried to make the climb, but the bridge simply became a parking lot. A city snowplow sat at the bottom of the overpass with no place to go. Until the cars were able to back down the hill there would be no plowing.
The thunder and lightning put on quite a display of activity all through the night hours. This gave my mind plenty of time to wander from one thought to another as I laid there wide awake. I covered a lot of topics through the night. A sense of exhaustion filled my being upon waking after a brief segment of sleep in between thunder booms. It looked to be another long day.
The storms and dark clouds are sometimes present during the day in our waking hours as well, both literally and figuratively. I have certainly felt that darkness in a prevalent way over the last week. It is with deep sadness that I am going through the process of assisting a parish and its leadership close a Catholic school. I was hoping to never have that experience. St. Laurence O’Toole Catholic School in Laramie, Wyoming will close at the end of this academic year. It is difficult to see an institution close after 61 years of service to the local community. My thoughts and prayers are with all who are impacted by this turn of events.
On a more joyful note, I congratulate Bishop Edward Rice, an auxiliary bishop of St. Louis, upon today’s announcement that he has been named bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. He will be installed on June 1, 2016. I was extremely impressed with the diaconate community of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau last September when I led their annual retreat. I am happy for them as they move into this chapter of ministry under their new bishop’s leadership.
We continue to move through the joys and sorrows of life. Through it all we remain blessed. Give thanks to the Lord–for His mercy endures forever!
As I sat down to write at 7:30 P.M. (Mountain Time) a flash of lightning struck and the thunder rolled. A huge ball of smoke rose into the air just north of our home. I am guessing the lightning struck something. It looks like we may get a thunderstorm first and then turn into snow. We are under a winter storm warning again beginning at midnight. I am ready for summer.
The storm clouds of life seem to roll into all of our lives. My heart has been touched in the last few weeks by so many people sharing their hardships with me. Even though we are in the Easter season there are still crosses to carry in our lives. The good news is that we walk in the power of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The victory has been won.
Due to the continued lightning striking near my home, I am going to conclude and turn my computer off. Please know of my prayers for any and all of you bearing crosses right now. May the peace of Christ which is beyond all understanding be with you!
One day I walked into the cathedral for a brief visit with our Lord and was struck by the light permeating the sanctuary onto the crucifix. It was the right time of day for the angle of the sun to burst through the stained glass windows directly onto the image of Christ on the cross. It made me pause and reflect. Christ is truly the Light of the World. I could not escape the message being communicated in the depths of my being at that moment.
God is love!
I pulled up a familiar social media site this morning to give a quick glance at what my family and friends had recently posted. I choose not to post a lot of things, but I am glad to see updates and photos from family members who live far away. Although I am a bit taken aback by the superficial nature of much of what is posted, being on the site has been a good way to stay at least a little connected. I have friends who travel extensively and they post pictures of beautiful beaches and other tropical vistas. I will admit I am sometimes a bit jealous as I endure the harsh winter reality of Wyoming.
As I scrolled through my social media site this morning the first two posts that I saw were from friends stating how much they miss their dads. The first one has been without her day for less than a year. The second one posted on her timeline that today is the six year anniversary of her dad’s death. The grief and sadness expressed in these posts were genuine. There was no attempt to conceal the pain of missing “dad’s hug.” It presented an opportunity for friends to reach out with consolation and love. I don’t think a “virtual hug” will ever be able to replace an “in-person” hug, but a couple of kind words can go a long way when someone is hurting.
Much of what is posted on social media sites create an illusion of utopia–or at least the perception of a lot of fun. The glamorous pictures of the night life with an abundance of alcohol, the plates of food delicately presented to give an impression of elegance, and the many other facades created by photos and captions which strive to demonstrate the achievement of success and happiness are not always honest depictions. Sociological researchers in the future will have a field day as they look back on the initial years of social media dominance. What have these technological connections done to the genuine human interactions we all need? Time will tell.
I invite you today to reflect upon the love of Christ, the Light of the World. In those areas of your life where there is pain and struggle, ask God to let the rays of His love permeate every fiber of your being. The Light of Christ will bring you warmth, healing, and hope. God’s love is genuine. If you know someone who is hurting today, take a moment to lift them up in any way you can–a phone call, a visit, an e-mail, and definitely a prayer.
It turned out that my decision to cancel the retreat was the right one. While we did not get a lot of snow in my immediate area, northern Colorado did receive significant snowfall. Furthermore, we had enough precipitation and wind to close off many of the major roadways for hours. It would have been a slow process to return home on Sunday if we had gone forth with the retreat.
A quick perusal of the news shows that the fury of nature can be unleashed in dramatic fashion. Huge earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador have caused extensive devastation. According to The Weather Channel flooding in Texas has generated more than 600 calls for help. I also read an article yesterday that said the seismic activity in Yellowstone Park is really “heating” up. What would happen if there was an eruption worse than Mt. St. Helens?
St. Francis may have tamed the animals, but a zookeeper in Florida found out that wild animals are just that–wild. Stacey Konwiser was doing what she loved, but the end result is truly heartbreaking. May she rest in peace.
Numerous people in Yellowstone Park were injured by bison last year. Trying to take a selfie with a bison is probably not a good idea. There is great beauty to be enjoyed in the landscapes, the bodies of water, and the animal kingdom. God has blessed us abundantly. However, respecting the power of God’s creation is also a wise thing to do.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a white-hot furnace. The fire did not harm them, and while in the furnace they sang with one voice, glorifying and blessing God. May we do likewise as we keep all the people suffering from natural disasters in our prayers. Please pray from Daniel chapter 3 verses 52 through 90.