Ordained

I have spent more time on the road than at home this summer, so I apologize for the awful lack of updates here. I am finally home for a decent stretch, welcomed back by my boys at the airport last Thursday, and it feels good to be home! I'll write all about my trip to Austria soon, but I'm going to try to keep things chronological, so that brings me to our mid-July trip to Rapid City for the Ordination of Fr. Nathan Sparks!

Oh my, oh my, as if I needed another reason to miss South Dakota. What a blessing to the Catholics of West River!! Fr. Sparks grew up with Paul- they used to spend their free time camping and fishing together. I got to meet him in college, then we also worked together at Blessed Sacrament for a summer when he was a seminarian and I was sick and pregnant. I spent many an hour eating oatmeal in his office, wasting time because I lacked the energy to be productive. What a humble, holy man. I know this for a fact: If holiness is contagious, it will spread like wildfire with him at the Altar.

The Ordination was beautiful. The church was packed, and I think that every priest in the Diocese attended. Every moment of the ritual was Spirit-filled... I couldn't keep my eyes dry during the Litany of the Saints, and hearing his voice during the Eucharistic Prayer was awesome. Awesome.

After Mass, we stuck close to Susan, knowing that being near her would give us the greatest chance of receiving one of Fr. Sparks' first blessings. We were right. We waited around during photo after photo after photo, and as soon as the professional photo shoot was done she cornered him. "Blessings, Father?" He had us follow him downstairs to the reception hall, where Susan knelt to receive his blessing. Our family was right behind... and then throngs of people poured into line behind us! Wow, he stood giving blessings for HOURS. And I know that even the hundredth blessing was as personal and meaningful as the one he gave to us.

Alleluia, there is a new Father among us!!