May 11

I am sorry it gets to be some longer times between posts.

My class I've been taking down here in San Diego ended this past Friday (May 8).  I finished with an A- but that is ok with me.  It was a very interesting class as I had hoped for.  We learned about how various religions and cultures view death, dying, and the afterlife -- Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.  In the second half of the course, we focused on more grieving issues from the deaths of children; how to approach children in terms of when someone dies whether it be a parent, sibling, or friend; how hospital personnel cope with their own work seeing death so often (including chaplains); and, one of the more interesting topics of Death and Inequality (how some people in disadvantaged situations don't have the same opportunities because of insurance or lacking of funds to "properly repose of their loved one."

I found the religions very cool to learn about.  Christianity is exactly how we studied it, not simply from Catholicism, but the ideas are pretty similar.  I'd have to go back in my notes to see what those differences were specifically, but overall, no problems or major thoughts on that.  I think probably the number one thing that we all learned about death and dying was the importance of connecting with those grieving AND the dying if possible.  That could be said for most religions but more because of our mostly common understanding of simply being human beings.  After all, we ARE meant to be social.  There was a young lady who graduated from nursing school a year ago who was taking the class too.  We both talked about the importance of proper boundaries but also hopefully not being afraid to ask permission to hug or hold someone's hand.  It's the most important way to connect with someone, but a shame that in our litigious society, permission is SO important as well.  Very sad.

One of the closest understandings to Christianity's views is Judaism.  That might be obvious to many of you, but maybe not to all.  I found out more about what is known as "shiva," the grieving period of time normally taken by Jewish people.  If we think in terms of what happens after a Catholic funeral Mass, and we go to the cemetery more often than not, there tends to be some social time after the cemetery to continue celebrating someone's life.  Well, in Judaism, this is not done at a restaurant most of the time, but at the grieving family's home.  However, the guests invited usually bring food to the family as they "shouldn't" be having to worry about serving their guests.  People are there to focus on the family.  This sort of thing would possibly be more like a wake AFTER the funeral but the ideas are similar.

Many of you have been also asking what my timeframe is for getting back to Illinois and what I will be doing when I return.  The truth is that some of that is still up in the air.  I still have 6 weeks technically before I have to return to work, but I don't think it will be at St. Cletus.  I found out that I won't be a pastor when I return because thankfully the positions are filled around the Archdiocese -- unless something changes in the next 6 weeks (like the death of a pastor - I've told the powers that be that I would be open to still making the switch if that comes up).

I have been certainly delinquent in giving you updates, but one of my favorite "scenes" in my mind from these months here was of a time I was heading to an evening weekday Mass (normal around here) when I ran into some traffic on the freeway.  Along the highway are those cement barricades we've all seen, but that day I saw the absolute funniest thing while I was creeping along -- there was a blackbird WALKING along on the barricades heading west.  I didn't see him LAND on the barricades, but he didn't get off either.  He was just walking.  Even when I passed him (or rather he passed me because of the traffic jam), I could see him in my side mirror.  I was laughing so hard.  I was thinking aloud, saying "do you know that flying would get you to your destination faster?  Would you like me to hail a taxi or Uber?"  It just hit me in the funny bone.

I also had the chance to see two San Diego Padres ballgames in April.  I had hoped to go to other ballparks, but no other parks are less than two hours away.  With my class, I couldn't dream of getting away.  One of those games was against the Cubs (who won -- WOO HOO), and I can say that Pete Crow-Armstrong has homered in 3 of the 4 games I've seen at games I've attended between last year and this year.  He may be still struggling at the plate, but he is still exciting to watch.  Moises Ballesteros (the rookie) is also a plus for the team.  Keep watching.  Looking at the overall standings of both the American and National leagues, the longest winning streak currently is the Milwaukee Brewers of a mere 4 games.  Nothing longer and no long losing streaks either.

I can't say that I have been attending weekday Mass every day, but I found that I became thirsty for it about half way through February.  I still don't go EVERY day, but much more than I started with.  My social life has not been what many of you would expect of me.  Whether I was at church or other local venues, there didn't seem to be a way to make friends, especially since I was only planning on being down here temporarily.  

There are acquaintances but that's all in San Diego.  However, I have a friend in Palm Springs (about 2 hours from here) who invited me to see him.  He introduced me to his circle of friends and I am eternally grateful for that because some of those friends have become friends too, not just on Facebook.  I talk with a few of them.  That part is unfortunately more prominently happening near the end of my time here.  I may not see Palm Springs as a place to go if I were to change diocese (and I'm not planning on that), but their bishop is someone I've known his whole priesthood -- Bishop Alberto Rojas.  He was ordained a priest in 1998 in Chicago.  I wish I would have thought about that sooner.  I had thought that Palm Springs was in the Diocese of San Diego, but it's not.  It's in the Diocese of San Bernardino.  The heat up in Palm Springs was exactly as my friend told me before I went - there are two seasons only (winter and Hell).  I was there this past weekend and the outside temp was 105 degrees and the cement leading to the pool actually made one of my soles blister it was so hot.  But given the opportunity, I hope to be able to visit there again in the future.

Count on me to keep you informed as to my next assignment.  Next week (the 19th) is my 25th anniversary of priesthood.  Won't be with family, but a friend who is a performer is going to be in San Diego for a couple of dates on stage.  I am really looking forward to seeing him.  Cheers to all of you and thanks for being patient with my delinquency.

Fr. Mike (typed in Cubbie blue)