I remember one religious experience. Once, when
I was practicing law in Manchester in 1955 or so, I remember how,
as, I was coming home, I saw a number of people coming out of
church on the afternoon of All Saints Day. I'd gone to Mass in
the morning, as I had been doing, I had just ducked in and out.
And I thought to myself, "You think that your eternity with
God is the most important thing in your life. And you've been
giving it about forty minutes a week." I think that was the
moment that I really began to think about the need for a new direction
in my life. In saying that, I don't mean that my faith and my
religious vision had been on the back burner. But it wasn't something
explicit either. So I began trying to make it more explicit. My
first thought was to join a religious order and become a priest,
praising, reverencing, and serving God. I saw it as a way of living
out my basic beliefs and saving my soul.
The Vatican Council put a seal of approval on
what I already believed. I remember my mother saying, "If
a person is sincere in their belief, God loves them." My
family operated in this way-quite independently of church statements.
Our friendship circle included many Protestant friends of my mother
and father. As I said, my Dad was in the shoe business, and he
had loads of Jewish friends. Good friends. Our friendship circle
embraced everybody. And I've often felt a bit "strange"
as a priest, because I've never felt much of an urge to convert
anybody. I try to understand people and talk to them. Now, when
I go to a Jewish family for Friday evening services, which includes
dinner and candle lighting, I know God is with us. And the changes
in the Church and the growth of dialog are, for me, a great liberation.
I just used to do it quietly on my own, but now, I seem to have
a seal of approval.
My main ministry turned out to be counseling. I learned a lot
from a wonderful woman, Sr. Mary Himens, who was persuaded to
join our staff. She had forgotten more about counseling than I
ever knew. On the other hand, I knew more than she did about law
schools. So we made a good team and we're good friends. As well
as from Sr. Mary, I learned much as well as from Rabbi Harold
White and Rev. Walter Scarvie; he's a Lutheran pastor. We were
all campus ministers, working as a team... Basically, we set up
an ecumenical campus ministry, reflecting the interfaith realities
of the Law Center.
I pray to God for guidance. I even prayed
to God for some guidance in our conversation. I prayed to sort
things out in what can be a bewildering blizzard of events. I
sometimes just suddenly feel we are being guided. I don't think
I'm naive. I'm sure the Lord inspires us this way.
