Tag: Mass

To make a difference on Indian reservations

On the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, there are only two priests serving eight parishes. Sister Anne was scheduled to have a communion service in Cherry Creek today, so I volunteered to ride along and have mass.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

On the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, there are only two priests serving eight parishes. The furthest parish is 90 miles away! Because of this, it’s not possible to have mass at all the churches every Sunday. Sister Anne was scheduled to have a communion service in Cherry Creek today, so I volunteered to ride along and have mass.

Cherry Creek is one of the oldest communities in the area and also one of the poorest and more isolated ones. Many of the families had gone to Dupree for a powwow and the centennial celebration, so we had a very small crowd in church … only eight people!

After driving 45+ miles for a small crowd, I felt tempted to look out at the empty church and ask, “Why am I here?” But, I came to the point where I could usually look at the same small crowd, know the suffering in people’s lives and think, “This is why I’m here – to make a difference in an area where it’s difficult to get any services, let alone religious outreach.”

After church, Sister Anne put on a pot of chili, and we went to the hall and visited with the parishioners. Each day can be a struggle to get by, and I did my best to listen and encourage.

Fr. Steve’s updates

Fr. Joe invited me to stay for lunch afterwards and over a bowl of chili we caught up on doings on the Indian reservations and in our SCJ province.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

The weekend was slow in one way because I slept a lot. The doctors said I would need extra rest as my body continues to heal.

Saturday night we said goodbye to Juan Carlos, our SCJ seminarian who worked at the day camp and took part in other activities this past month. After some vacation time he’ll begin his novitiate at the end of July.

We had supper at Charley’s restaurant, and there were plenty of towns folk I hadn’t seen since the surgery. My trip to the salad bar took 20 minutes as folks came up to me and got the update on how I’m doing. When we went to pay the bill, it had already been picked up, courtesy of Doc Holland, the retired physician who for many years took care of all the St. Joseph’s students and staff.

Today I did my first driving of any distance, a half hour to Lower Brule where I concelebrated the 11:00 mass. I’ve been on many prayer lists, and I got to thank the parishioners and tell them the good news that so far I’m cancer free.

Fr. Joe invited me to stay for lunch afterwards and over a bowl of chili we caught up on doings on the Indian reservations and in our SCJ province.

Fr. Steve’s updates

The Sunday before surgery the good parishioners had their mass said for the intention of my healing, and I got a whole bunch of get well cards that I’ve not yet answered.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Friday and Saturday the other priests and brothers were gone, and with no meetings I soaked up the quiet. I got in lots of much needed sleep, with reading and TV in between.

Today Juan Carlos – our seminarian helping this summer – drove me to church in Kennebec, 30 miles west of St. Joseph’s. I used to be pastor there.

The Sunday before surgery the good parishioners had their mass said for the intention of my healing, and I received a bunch of get well cards that I’ve not yet answered. I wanted to thank them and join them for this week’s mass.

The day was a nice reunion, with some catching up time. Folks have been genuinely worried about the seriousness of my cancer, and were relieved to see me up and about.

I still have trouble standing for a long time, but with Fr. Joe leading mass, I was able to make it through.

After lunch I took another nap, packed my bags for a few days, and now await Fr. Bill. We’ll journey back to the clinic where I have post surgery appointments Monday and Tuesday. I’ll have several tests and scans, and have appointments with the radiologist, oncologist and surgeon to check up on how the recovery is going.

Hopefully the good news and results will continue.

Fr. Steve’s updates

Today is The Feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary. With the students on spring break at this time, we’ll have a prayer service to celebrate his other feast day, St. Joseph the Worker.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Today is The Feast of St. Joseph, husband of Mary. With the students on spring break at this time, we’ll have a prayer service to celebrate his other feast day – St. Joseph the Worker – on May 1. By then, I hope to be done with radiation and back at school before I get ready for my surgery.

St. Joseph our Protector, Pray for us.

I went to the local parish for Mass, and of course prayed for all the staff and students back at St. Joseph’s.

I’ve spent most of my time in small rural parishes, but it’s nice to be in a bigger city where there is more activity. A good number of people gathered ahead of time to pray the rosary. When the noon bells went off and folks rose to pray the Angelus, it reminded me of doing the same when the noon whistle rang in the small Indiana town I grew up in.

Tonight, the parish had a fish bake; besides tasty food and hospitable table companions, a group of local dulcimer players came in to serenade us with some lovely tunes. When you’re sick, little touches of beauty and art are helpful and enriching.

St. Joseph our Protector, Pray for us.