BACK HOME FOR A CONFIRMATION CLASS VISIT

St. Theresa Church - St. Mary Magdalen Church

Rhodelia and Payneville

Kentucky 

On Saturday, March 19, 2016, I had the great privilege to be the guest of this year's Confirmation Class down in my home parish.

We met in the old convent at St. Theresa which brought back many memories itself. 

I was happy to see so many wonderful young people there, along with the teachers and sponsors. They gave me hope about the future of my home parish of St. Theresa where I grew up and St. Mary Magdalen the parish where my parents were married.

One of the things I tried to emphasize with them was the fact that they come from a 200 year history of Catholicism in the area. I asked them to think about their responsibility to continue that tradition as a gift to their children. I asked them not to be the generation that dropped the ball, but just one more generation willing to keep it going. Their Confirmations will give them the spiritual gifts they will need to do just that. 

I shared some small gifts with them: a book of homilies I gave at Bellarmine University called A PASSION FOR PERSONAL AND VOCATIONAL EXCELLENCE, a small cross with the comforting words of Jesus, "I will be with you always" and my contact information, especially to this blog so that I can continue my conversation with them.

Finally, I drew numbers and gave one girl and one boy a small treasure chest with a $50 bill in each one. They were instructed to look around and pass it on to one or more persons who "really needed it." I was trying to show the group that when they share their treasures with others, blessings will come to them. The winners of the two treasure chests were told to let me know how they gave their "treasure" away and what good came to them because of that generosity.

WITH MY CONTACT INFORMATION, I HOPE I HEAR FROM SOME OF THEM AGAIN.

My own Confirmation picture with Father Bob Ray, my cousin.

He is on the left and I am on the right. It was 1956. It took place in the same St. Theresa Church. Bishop Charles G. Maloney, Auxiliary Bishop of Louisville, was the celebrant.