In the summer of 1983 my favorite day was Tuesday, when Fr. Stu would pick me up at my aunt’s house and take me golfing and then to lunch. Fr. Stu was from Las Vegas, which may explain why he was the source for my knowledge of how a point spread works. Almost all of our bets that summer were restricted to the golf course. I was his caddy and also his putter. When I sank his b (...)
The Last Word
Privileged Childhood
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I grew up in the 1950s. I was an altar server at a very young age and so came in contact with the priests at 6:30 a.m. or 7:30 p.m, depending on the mass or novena I was serving. The priests who mentored me were always very kind and nurturing, particularly the assistant pastors. They never seemed to be too concerned if we made the usual mistakes at mass (forgetting the latin response, forgetting to move the book, etc.) My memory of the priests is a fond one. I am saddended that all the priests are not as good as the ones I encountered as a child.
The chances of a young person encountering a priest or religious is much diminished today and thus the mentoring and family friendships and kindnesses are a lost 'privilege' today. We are terribly under-staffed compared to our Protestant competition and are becoming increasingly irrelevant and invisible in the lives of our young people. Unless and until the hierarchy realizes the need for more men and women to be recruited without the celibacy requirement and mysogyny, not much improvement is likely.