June
15, 2008
Father
Gonzalo Lopez
Convent
Info Night
I’m so happy that we have a prospective tenant for our convent
building. It’s been over a year that the Nassau County Police
Department moved out and we were getting to the point where we had to
consider boarding up the building --not a pretty sight in the neighborhood.
But our prayers are being answered by Westbrook Preparatory Academy
which is making an offering to use our building as a small school for
children with autism. If you’d like to hear a presentation on
the proposed school and all that it can offer families with children
with autism, you’re invited to attend an information night at
7:30pm on Tuesday, July 24th in the auditorium in St. Brigid’s
School on Maple Ave.
Happy
Father's Day
We wish all our Dads a happy Father’s Day!
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past
Columns:
June 8: What happened
on Sunday
June 1: Where
do you belong?
May
25: We are the Body of Christ
May 18: Trinity,
It's About Unity
May 11: We are
One in the Spirit
May 4: Who's in
Your Top Twelve?
April 27: Now
that he's gone...
April 20: Yay
Deacons!
April 13: Here
comes the Pope
April 6: Fresh Oil
March 30: What are you doing
for Easter?
March 23: Can Easter come
too early?
March 16: Which crowd is
yours?
March 9: We believe, yet...
March 2: Oil or Mud
February
24: What are you thirsting for?
February 17: Who are You
Wearing?
February 10: Just Say No
February
3: The January
20: Being Safer
January 13: Conversations
in 2008
January 6: Matthew's Magi
December 30:
What's
Next?
Christmas
2007 Homily
Columns
from 2007
Columns
from 2005
Columns
from 2004
Columns
from 2003
Columns from 2002
When
I celebrated my 25th anniversary a month ago, I asked the question, “Who
will someday take my place?” I wasn’t referring merely to
my place at St. Brigid’s, but I was asking the larger question of
who will become priests in the future. So it is with great joy that this
year nine men were ordained to the priesthood for the diocese of Rockville
Centre and among them is Gonzalo Oajaca who lived and worked among us
in his pastoral year and who has served these past 6 months as a deacon
at St. Brigid’s.
On Saturday, June 14th, Gonzalo
was ordained by Bishop Murphy and will be assigned to serve as a priest
in a parish in our diocese. Gonzalo is originally from a very small town
in Guatemala. He left Guatemala to study in Spain, working as a nurse
with poor elderly and developmentally disabled people. He studied in Europe
and in time came to the United States where he finished his studies for
the priesthood at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington.
Gonzalo ministered at St. Brigid’s, working with the Young Adult
Group in the Spanish community. He helped to prepare young people for
the sacraments. His knowledge of Italian (which is his second language)
endeared him to many homebound elderly Italian members of our community
whom he faithfully visited with communion. It was a delight to have him
live with us in the rectory and he brought a spirit of inquisitiveness
and joy to us.
We now pray for Father Gonzalo
as he begins his priestly ministry. And we pray that others will be inspired
to consider priesthood as a way to serve God and God’s people. In
the weeks ahead the parish is planning to celebrate Father Gonzalo’s
ordination with a Mass of Thanksgiving and a reception. More info to come.
