When it rains it pours

This is so true in life when difficult times arise such as one's car going in the shop for scheduled maintenance only to find out that a major repair completed five months prior is needed again, having a minor accident while driving the rental car, and the craziness that can occur at work.

However, the same can be true for God's blessings such as being invited to the installation when one's beloved Bishop is installed as Bishop of another diocese and then being invited to volunteer at the Catholic Leader's Conference. As a volunteer, I will have the opportunity to meet an assist leaders such as Dr. Allen Keyes, Senator Brownback, and John Klink. In all honesty, originally I wanted to attend the conference as another attendee, but I realized being a volunteer will enable me to offer small and necessary services to the valued members of the pro-life movement. Most likely, I will also meet Father Frank Pravone a priest I respect for his work in the pro-life movement although I do not completely agree with his methods. Granted, we have different ideas regarding how to address this crisis, but at least we are on the same page. That's what Free Will is about! Moments like these are truly humbling, because one realizes how small they are in the grand scheme of things.

Home Again and More

Yes, I am finally home and have been from my trip to Birmingham. The Installation service was beautiful although I have my own little details, like the personal pet peeve that continues to question why we do not use more Latin in our liturgy although it is the language of the Church, I tend to notice and pick at during large ceremonies. As a former choir member who has sung at several large events, including the episcopal ordination of Bishop Baker, I tend to notice the little ceremonial goofs and other personal pet issues. So, stepping outside of my critical eye, I must say the ceremony was truly beautiful and well prepared. Abiding love for the people of Birmingham and those who have touched Bishop Baker's life flowed through the entire liturgy on Monday night at Vespers and at the Installation.

The ceremony was vastly different than his episcopal ordination, because this was only an installation, you could see certain of his personal touches through that liturgy that were missing at the ordination, and the installation took place at the Cathedral. When he was ordained Bishop, the diocese rented the local convention center and everyone was invited. There were no tickets to enter the ordination although there were mandatory tickets for the installation. Trust me, this little, bitty peon wonders why I was worthy of an invite and ticket, but I could see God's hand in the entire trip.

I must say that the mix of those attending the Installation was beautiful. I LOVED seeing so many religious orders present and wearing HABITS and had the humble priviledge of sitting next to a lovely sister of the Nashville Dominican Order assigned to St. Rose Academy in Birmingham, AL. A description of the event and his homily can be found here, where I was reminded of Bishop Baker's opening sentence of his homily:

I am happy to be the new Bishop of Birmingham in Alabama. No more rumors. No more Whispers in the Loggia!

In all honesty, I wish the whispers were still whispers and the rumors, rumors, but nah... we have lost our Bishop and are now a vacant see. This is an interesting time for our Diocese, but the first act of business was completed with remarkable speed and our Diocesan Administrator was named Wednesday morning -- the Rev. Msgr. Martin T. Laughlin. We pray for the diocese of Birmingham and, just as importantly, for our Holy Father as he decides who to appoint as our new Bishop and the priest who will be ordained and/or installed as the new Bishop of Charleston. I sincerely pray for two items 1) that we are not without a Bishop for too long, because we have seminarians in the wings waiting for ordination over the next few years and 2) that our new Bishop continues to encourage all vocations -- including those that are more unusual.

As for God's hand in this trip for me, I was able to make it although everything had to go wrong at work Friday afternoon and my allergies decided to kick in fulltime Thursday morning. Although I spent so much time on the road -- driving to Cullman, Hanceville, and to and from Birmingham -- while in Alabama, the trip was amazingly refreshing. After visiting the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, participating in the Liturgy of the Hours at St. Bernard Abbey and attending public Vespers in honor of Bishop Baker's installation, I found myself more focused, determined, and settled in my path. A busy trip, but one with many fruits.