December 2001

The pastoral team at St. Ignatius went out to a breakfast to celebrate Sheryl Mann's birthday.  Sheryl is the music director at St. Ignatius.  Sister Alice, the principal, had piggies in the blanket.  Brother James Kell said something about the large portions were very large--one oink short of a piggy platter.  Being also the feast of St. Nicolas, Sr. Adelaide shared how the Sisters at their house leave their shoes outside their bedroom so that they will be filled with thoughtful gifts.  There was discrete silence about what their shoes were filled with.  Also, there was no discussion as to who might get the most gifts because there is more room in the largest shoes.  Sr. Adelaide did admit to having once left out a Texas boot.  She did not say that it was filled.

The English speaking provincials and assistant provincials of North America gathered together at St. Edward's University in Austin, TX.   Father Hugh Cleary, superior general, and Brother John Gleason, first assistant superior general, also came to the meeting.  They discussed the possibility of a common archives and a Holy Cross Institute for spirituality.  They also discussed ideas for restructuring the Congregation for mission in the future.

Sunday night they all gathered for supper at the South-West Province Center, where Brother Richard Daly prepared a ham dinner with Texas jalapeño beans.  Many of the brethren from the East, Midwest, and Canada never heard of jalapeños before, but I don't think they will forget them for quite a while.

On Monday night, they all traveled out in a caravan to Steiner Lodge.  Fr. Harold Essling prepared a delicious BBQ dinner with brisket, beans, cole slaw, and potato salad.  A good time was had by all!!

"Water, water everywhere."  South Austin is getting more than their fair share of rain.  Out on South Congress, they have measured 40 inches of rain.  If this keeps up, Santa will be needing a boat!

As Christmas draws near, both Dolores Parish and St. Ignatius Martyr Parish had music programs.  

At Dolores, the program began with the youth group doing the traditional posadas.  Then the different CCD classes sang different Christmas carols and other Christmas songs, including Rudolph and Reynaldo.  Fr. Paul Pudussery, Bro. Thomas Krieter, and Fr. John Korcsmar were there to listen to the music and to enjoy the freshly made tamales.  

At St. Ignatius, Fr. Peter Rocca's liturgical correctness was still quite evident after all these years.  Ms. Sheryl Mann had prepared a number of groups with the featured piece being a Messe Breve.  The closing piece was an Advent song: "O Come, O Come Emanuel."  A festive, Advent, choral good time was had by all!

Father John Miller celebrated his 50th anniversary of priesthood at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in New Orleans.  Sacred Heart is Fr. Miller's home parish.  He pointed out that it was built just in time for his baptism.  After his ordination in Rome, the church at Sacred Heart was air conditioned just in time for his Mass of Thanksgiving there after he returned from Rome.   He returned to Germany to study for a doctorate in theology.

Father Miller has served the Congregation well as a seminary professor, as provincial of the Southern Province, as a writer and author, as editor of the Social Justice Review, and as director of the Central Verein.  Many thanks for your hard work and dedication, and ad multos annos. 

Please remember Conrad Miller, Fr. Miller's brother who died on December 21, 2001, the day before the anniversary Mass.

John went home to his mother's for a few days.  After saying the Christmas Midnight Mass at Dolores, he went to bed.  He then had to get up early to catch the 7:20 a.m. flight to Cleveland.  You would think he would remember to keep those things in mind when he makes out the schedules and makes plane reservations.  Although Buffalo had two feet of snow, Cleveland didn't have any on Christmas morning, but they were blessed with a few inches during the days after; that made it look like Christmas.

Father Peter Rocca of the Indiana Province left his usual work as rector of Sacred Heart Basilica at Notre Dame to come down for his yearly visit to Austin.  He still keeps up with many families that he knew when he was at St. Ignatius.

Father Barry Cabell got the last of his things together for his trip up to Copperas Cove as he becomes pastor there.  He had recently been pastor in Newfoundland, where he was on the bay.  Now he will be in the middle of Texas--far from the water.