THE BEST NEWS YET IN 2021

I JUST HEARD THE NEWS FROM THE C.D.C.

    THAT OLD PEOPLE LIKE ME WILL BE NEXT IN LINE TO GET THEIR TWO SHOTS 

I TOLD MY DOCTOR TO CALL ME AS SOON AS THEY ARE READY

AN AMAZING MAN

JOSEPH ALBERT "BERT" PARADIS

1920 - 2020

TODAY HIS FAMILY IS BRINGING HIM HOME TO LOUISVILLE FOR BURIAL

Joseph Albert "Bert" Paradis, Jr., formerly of Louisville, died at his home in Naples, Florida on December 21. Born March 24, 1920, the second child of Joseph Albert Paradis, Sr. and his wife, Catherine Elizabeth, Bert grew up in Louisville, learned to drive when he was eight, attended Sacred Heart Model School, graduated from Male High School in Louisville and Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, Maryland. He attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and the University of Virginia before enlisting in the Naval Air Corps in 1941. Transferring to the Marine Corps, he saw action as squadron leader of VMF-22, "The Wake Avengers", became an "ace" and received the Distinguished Flying Cross. Returning to Louisville, Bert married Mary Jeanne Rammacher of Cincinnati, Ohio and found employment at Brandeis Machinery & Supply Corp., his family's firm. Bert and Jeanne had seven children. He became President of Brandeis upon his father's death in 1949 and worked at the firm until his retirement in 1990, when he and Jeanne moved to Naples, Florida. After Jeanne's death 1n 1995, Bert married JoAnn Mason Willig, and they continued to reside in Naples until his death. Bert was a former member of the Louisville and Jefferson County Air Board, the board of directors of Citizens Fidelity Bank & Trust Company, and one of initial founders of the Cathedral Heritage Foundation. He was also the founder of Collier Harvest in Naples, Florida.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Celanire Paradis Buchart, his first wife and his younger daughter, Mary Helen (Noni). He is survived by his loving wife, JoAnn and her two daughters, Brooke Kelly and Jennifer O'Scannlain (Sean), his daughter, Mary Kristina, five sons: Joseph Albert, III, James F. (Michelle), John M., Steven J. and David H. (Kate), twenty grandchildren and step-granchildren and as well as seventeen great grandchildren.

A funeral mass was celebrated at St. Ann Catholic Church in Naples on December 30 at 11:00 a..m. Burial will follow in a private ceremony at Calvary Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. A memorial mass will be arranged at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville at a later date. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made by contribution to the Cathedral of the Assumption, Collier Harvest or the donor's preferred charity.

                                                    ADDITIONS FROM FATHER KNOTT

I was the pastor to Bert's family from 1983-1997. During that time I got to know Bert very well. Even before I arrived at the Cathedral, Bert had been pushing Archbishop Kelly to "do something with the Cathedral." It had been declining for many years and had reached a point of having only about 110 registered parishioners. Bert had been underwriting section leaders for the choir in hopes that would bring in more parishioners. That was followed by underwriting the cost of a new pipe organ. The old school was leased to Bert to be renovated for office rentals. 

Because of Bert's prodding for a leader to revitalize the parish, I was selected. I arrived on the scene and focused on revitalizing the congregation. Once the revitalization started to become a reality, the Cathedral Heritage Foundation was soon established to help with the restoration and expansion of the needed spaces. Bert then gave the remodeled old school building back to the Cathedral Parish for its use. In the fourteen years that followed, the parish grew to over 2100 members and multiple programs for the parishioners and the community were established. 

Bert served on the Cathedral Heritage Foundation until after the re-dedication when he retired to Florida.  Bert's wife, Jeanne, underwrote before she died my first two books of published Cathedral homilies. Bert's daughter, Kris, was the one who had suggested the name Cathedral Heritage Foundation. The Cathedral of the Assumption, as we know it today, would not have been possible without the energy, foresight and determination of my friend, Bert Paradis. I would call him the "Founding Father of the Second Golden Age." 

It will be my great honor to be there today to lead Bert's final commendation at Calvary Cemetery, just as I did for his first wife Jeanne, his daughter Noni, his daughter-in-law Barbara and his sister Celanire Paradis Buchart. 

"Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come share your master's joy." 

Matthew 25:21

SAINT VINCENT VOLCANO UPDATE

SAINT VINCENT AND THE GENADINES 

is a 32 island country off the coast of Venezuela, South America

(bottom right hand corner)

Saint Vincent island is the largest and most northern of the islands and

is home of the capitol city of Kingstown.

I have been volunteering there since 2015 and have made 12 trips. 

There are about 12  small Catholic churches on the main island and four more on

the outer islands. 

SOUFRIERE MOUNTAIN (VOLCANO) IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RED ZONE

KINGSTOWN - Capitol city, southwest, where the Pastoral Centre (Bishop's House and Chancery)

                            and Cathedral of the Assumption are located. (green zone) 

AIRPORT - Between Stubbs and Biabou on the east coast (green zone)

SAINT BENEDICT ORPHANAGE  AND PARISH - In Georgetown in the northeast coast  (red zone) 

SANDY BAY -  In the very north (right) where many of our old Cathedral red chairs and several of our

                           donated liturgical furnishings were sent (wooden Crucifix, Mary and Joseph 

                           statues, Stations of the Cross and new ceiling fans), as well as a new paint job,

                           floor restoration and bathroom update. Our Lady Star of the Sea Church.

 

 

  

MEMORIES: A LOOK BACK IN TIME

 

Father Felix J. Johnson

December 8, 1896 - January 3, 1960

On this day, January 3, 1960, my childhood pastor died. As I was remembering him, I realized a few things about him that I had not realized before. 

First of all, I have always thought he had died an old man. He was actually only 63 and I am almost 77. I have always thought that he had been ordained many, many years. He had been ordained 28 years when he died. I was ordained 50 years last May. 

He did not actually baptize me because my country midwife grandmother baptized me right after  she delivered me in the home I was born in because I was "in danger of death." Father Johnson only "supplied the ceremonies" a few days later.  Father Johnson gave me my First Communion and heard my First Confession (that's another story saved for later).  I became an altar boy under Father Johnson, even though Sister Mary Ancilla trained me. Father Johnson was my pastor when Bishop Charles G. Maloney Confirmed me in 1956.  Father Johnson was the only priest I ever knew growing up. 

Two years after my Confirmation, in the spring of 1958 when I was barely 14 years old, I asked my Dad to take me to see Father Johnson so that he could help me go to the seminary. I still remember sitting in the dark old Rectory "parlor" waiting to ask him. When he asked me what I wanted, I told him I wanted to go to the seminary to study to become a priest. I don't think he actually laughed out loud, but he did come down pretty hard against the whole idea. "No! You are too young and too little! Go home and grow up first!" The only defense I could come up with at the time was to cry. It must have moved his old cold heart, because he responded, "OK! I will fill out the papers, but you will be back home before Christmas! 

I left home for Saint Thomas Seminary in the fall of 1958. During the Christmas holidays of 1959, having survived my first 16 months of seminary, Father Johnson was hospitalized with cancer. My Dad went to visit him in Saint Joseph Infirmary here in Louisville during his last days. Before my Dad left his hospital room, Father Johnson said to him, "Tell Ronnie I think he might make it!" Father Johnson died a few days later on January 3, 1960. I was one of the altar boys at his funeral. I remember him being buried in a black casket, always driving a black car and always wearing a black cassock around church, except when he was doing manual labor. 

Father Johnson was buried in the middle of the "new" Saint Theresa Cemetery that he had created, the very cemetery he used to raise sheep in so as to keep it mowed and to produce mutton for the church picnic in August. I can remember driving by and seeing him walking in the cemetery, carrying buckets of water and animal feed with his sheep following him. Even today, that is the image I think of when I hear the words "good shepherd" in the gospels. 

I deliberately chose to be buried next to him ("at his right hand" so-to-speak). At first I thought about having an arrow on my tombstone pointing to his tombstone with the words, "You didn't think I would make it, but I did! Move over! Father Knott is here!" 

He had "beloved pastor" carved on his tombstone. I was going to put "an even more beloved son of the parish" on mine, but I thought better of it and decided to let "bye-gones" be "bye gones."  After all, eternity is a long time to hold a grudge!  

He was a hard-working, cranky old man, but we loved him anyway! May he rest in peace down there is Saint Theresa Cemetery ---- at least until I move in next door to him!  

 

HOW EASY WE FORGET

 

NEW YEAR'S DAY WITH THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

 

This photo was taken in August of 2019 when Mother Provincial 

was visiting along with seven additional Little Sisters.  Local "Mother Paul" is on the far left.

The United States "Mother Provincial" is standing behind the wheelchair on the right. 

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

“Feast of Mary the Mother of God”

Rev. Ronald Knott

January 1, 2021 

The shepherds saw the infant in the manger, 

they made known what had been told them about this child; 

and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

All my life, I have read Luke’s version of the Christmas story, but this year I realized that I had not paid much attention to what the story says after the shepherds are confronted by angels with an amazing message. It says that after the angels had delivered their message to the shepherds, they “left the shepherds and went back to heaven.” 

Standing there scared to death at what they had just witnessed and heard, and after the angels had left them, the shepherds obviously discussed among themselves what had just happened and decided to “go see this thing that has taken place.”  Without delay, they “went with haste” and “found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger.”  It goes on to say that they “made known what had been told them (by the angels) about this child.”  In other words, they had a pressing need to go and tell others about it. When people heard what the shepherds told them, it says they were “amazed” at what they were hearing.

At the end of this same gospel, Luke’s gospel, we have another story similar to the one about the shepherds that I just read. This one takes place, not at his birth, but at the end of Jesus’ life, after his crucified body was placed in the tomb. Instead of shepherds, this time angels appear to some women with an important message. Yes, it was a “flock” of women – Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and other women who had come with them.” Just like the shepherds, the women were “terrified” by the angels message “He is not here! He has risen!

Just like the shepherds, after the angels left, the women went back to town and “told all this to the eleven and the rest 9of the disciples.” Unlike the “amazement” of the people who heard what the shepherds had told them, the women’s story was dismissed as “an idle tale” that did not deserve belief. Only Peter. who got up and ran to the empty tomb to see for himself, came back “amazed” at what had happened.  

What is so typical of Luke’s telling of the gospel, is the fact that the first people to carry the good news of Jesus birth are shepherds and the first people to carry the news of Jesus’ resurrection are women! The fist to hear these stories would have been “amazed” themselves! Both groups, shepherds and women, were “looked down on” and “passed over as not worthy of trust” in civil society of their times. Luke does that throughout his gospel. It is the “little guys,” the “left out,” “the passed over,” “the foreigner,” “the despised” who become the heroes of his stories.

Notice what words are used when we are told of various people’s responses to both stories.  There are lots of “feeling words” sprinkled throughout these stories. Angels with messages, leave the shepherds and the women “terrified.” Both the shepherds and the women were left “curious.” The shepherds go to the scene of the birth to take a look, and saw Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. The women go into the tomb to take a look, but they did not find the body of Jesus. Both the shepherds and the women felt the need to tell others about what they had heard and seen. The response to the shepherds’ story was “amazement.” The response the women’s story was “amazement,” but the amazement of an “idle tale.”  Mary’s response to what the shepherds had told her was to “treasure these words” and “ponder them in her heart.” Peter’s response was to go see for himself, coming home “amazed at what had happened.” 

What is your response to Luke’s story of Christmas? As for me, I sat for a while and tried to “feel what I feel.” As I “pondered” the story and “treasured their words,” the feeling that I felt most of all was that of “amazement.” It is sort of like the title the Church gives Mary today – “Mother of God!” Really? That is an “amazing title, if you really think about it! I don’t understand it! How can that be? Mary is God’s “mother?” Well, I believe it because the Church teaches it, but I cannot really explain it other than this: Jesus is God and Mary is the mother of Jesus, therefore Mary is the mother of God!  Like the whole Christmas story, I am just simply “amazed” by all of it!