Vocation

I think my mother applied a lot of pressure, but not my father... They died just before I was ordained. Some people were afraid that I was going ahead because I was afraid of mother, but if I was very much influenced by the whole spiritual ambiance of BC High, Fr. Gilday helped me more than anybody else.

Counselor at Camp Cranwell

It eased the years of studying theology to go to Cranwell every summer. I loved that. My first year I was with the older boys, but then during the winter they convinced me to work with the younger ones. The other counselors said, "You'd be great with the little kids." They called me the "Chickamo" counselor. That's what the little kids were called. My first summer was a nightmare, because I wasn't at all used to the mentality of seven-, eight-, and nine-year olds. Eventually I became a specialist at it, and they kept calling me back year after year, long after I was out of Weston.

South to Florida

After four years at St. Mary's in Alaska, in 1982 I was asked to go down to Florida. The New England Jesuits felt that I wasn't doing enough with music... There was one Mass I used to play at every week, and then I'd turn around and say the Spanish Mass. At that time I had to read my Spanish sermons; I couldn't just preach them freely, as I do today. Also, I worked with the choir and so many other things. I had regular visits to two hospitals and a lot of funerals.

Composing Music

My big piece was a kind of "Nunc Dimittis," the prayer of Simeon: "Now you dismiss your servant." What I mean by a "Nunc Dimittis" work is something that represents your whole life. That's what Simeon means when he says, "Now you can send me away in peace." Called "Obedient unto Death," it is an oratorio about the death of Jesus, using passages from Isaiah. It was done with a really very good choir, an excellent organist and organ, a brass quintet, with oboe and flute parts, when it was performed once in Fairbanks and twice in Pittsburgh.

God's Providence

The most important thing is what's happened since the leave of absence. I had two courses open to me in life: I could go back and work for a big corporation, be a good Catholic and the father of a family.. The other option was-come back and serve, which was more difficult but worthwhile. And that's what it's been, but my life has been much richer since then, especially my experiences on the missions and in the apostolates that I do even now around town.