Where Does the Time Go?

Sorry for several days of no posts. Since Tuesday time has been at a premium, and time to post a luxury I didn't have. All Holy's Eve, All Saints, and yesterday All Souls. A wonderfully prayerful week, but busy just the same.

Yesterday was a particularly beautiful day, as Bishop Burbidge celebrated All Souls Mass for deceased clergy in the cemetery at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Newton Grove. Many priests of the Diocese, and Bishop Waters, third Bishop of Raleigh, are buried there. The Mass was celebrated on the altar in the cemetery which is inscribed "tu es sacerdos in aeternum" (if my memory serves me, because Latin knowledge unfortunatley doesn't). At the conclusion of the Mass His Excellency, walked the grounds of the cemetery blessing it with Holy Water followed by a procession of priests from the diocese as we chanted the Litany of Saints, with one slight change - "pray for them". As a side note of trivia, Bishop Burbidge wore Bishop Water's zuchetto, which Bishop Waters arpparently wore at the Second Vatican Council.

Last night was our second Deanery Vocations Holy Hour, although last night it took the form of another Mass for All Souls, that ended with a period of Adoration and the Benediction. Prior to the Mass we had a dinner with Bishop Burbidge, all the priests of the deanery, the vocations director and I, and men from each of the priest's parishes who are interested in the priesthood. One thing is clear from last month and this month, the men are out there, even young men, who are open to the priesthood - we just need to make sure we ask the question - are you being called?

In Office of Vocations news - our long over due vocations poster should be coming off the presses in a couple of weeks, and will be well worth the wait - I think it will be one of the best posters in the country. I'm not biased of course.

Today I'm off to formation for the permanent diaconate. All day today and tomorrow actually. And then Monday night I'm off to Harnett county with Fr. Parkerson to recieve prison ministry "certification", which I think only amounts to watching a video about the unpleasantries of prison life, and signing a document.

On a final note I've had the pleasure of making the acquintance of Argent by the Tiber in the last few weeks, but it wasn't until last night that I found out that she was the author of the esteemed blog. What a blessing it is to have her in the Diocese of Raleigh!