Yesterday was a crazy and exciting day. His Eminence Cardinal Francis Arinze, once considered a leading contender to succeed John Paul II, was visiting the state (NH). Thanks to a good friend and fellow seminarian I was able to assist the Cardinal, and be the lector for noon day prayer at St. Aloysius Parish in Nashua. It was very exciting because he is such a famous, holy and powerful man. When he was first appointed a bishop in Nigeria he was 32 years old, making him the world's youngest bishop at the time. Being thirty now, I suppose I can hold out hope that the Pope will decide to promote me right out of seminary a few years early. Heck, forget being bishop, I would settle to being promoted to being a priest at thirty one instead of at 34. Actually, at this point I would settle for even my end of the year papers to be waived. But back to the story...


Before the Cardinal arrived my friend Charlie and I waited in the sacristy for his arrival. We had everything in place so that nothing would go wrong...


more to follow .... (I am just back from vacation and have a paper due tomorrow so this post will be continued later)....



p.s. You will note in the picture that my hands are not together. I assure that is not due to my incompentence but rather because of some ancient prayer/altar serving tradition I have to think up/make up.