“How good and how pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together as one!”
(Psalm 133:1)
On May 15, 2026, I will celebrate my 50th anniversary of priestly ordination. I am, however, very conscious of my recent history with a glioblastoma tumor. I value as gifts every day and every person who has helped me find my way.
When I was in the third grade, Father Joe Lyons asked me to be an altar boy. One day I had to switch the Roman Missal from the right side of the altar to the left. The book was on the book stand covered by a silk cloth. I was short; my eyes could barely see over the top of the altar. When I dragged the stand toward me, it immediately began to tilt. I tried to support it with my arms, but I couldn’t. The missal slid off, hit the top step, the second step, and the third step, and then split into pieces on the floor. I was in shock. My mom began to cry. And Father Lyons laughed and laughed.
Father Tom Gaynard was a high school teacher at my parish during my teen years. On Saturdays, I looked for him in the confessional to give me guidance. Years later I sought his advice following my 1987 civil disobedience with Epiphany Plowshares.
I entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 1968, when Father Frank Loughran was the dean of men. He asked me to work in his office running the work-study program. At that time the seminary didn’t charge full tuition, but I asked for a government grant to pay salaries to students that would help to cover the cost of their tuition. Frank received a phone call from an agency in Washington, D.C., asking justification for my request of about $50,000. He handed the phone to me; the government ended up giving around half of what I requested. The experience gave me confidence for future applications.
When I entered the seminary, I wasn’t sure what I would do after ordination. My goal was to be ordained and, given my academic ability, eventually get a doctorate. Near the end of my time in formation, I was sent to St. Charles Borromeo parish in South Philadelphia, staffed by the Missionhurst Missionaries. I had never met priests who had such passion for their people and their ministry. I was so overwhelmed that I decided to focus my future priesthood on parish ministry, specifically working with the youth.
In my first priestly assignment, Msgr. Joe McGlinn lived in my rectory. He was kind, gentle, and, in my eyes, holy. I loved to sit in the sacristy and listen to him. His preaching was inspiring, filled with the Spirit. Sometimes he would change the wording of the eucharistic prayers, often composing them himself—a practice unheard of at that time. The prayers were filled with hope. I wanted to pray like him.
Jesuit Father Dick McSorley and I became friends during my civil disobedience. He himself had a history of civil disobedience, and one night I asked him how he decided whether to accept bail. His response was, “Whatever shows the greater love.” My eyes filled with tears. A priest quoting scripture as the basis for what he did. I wanted my life to be the same.
My mom had nurses and doctors who inspired her in her medical profession. My dad looked to his dad to become a fireman. Unknowingly, teachers inspire and guide children and teens to find their paths. Friends lending a listening ear can help in discernment. Life isn’t random; God gave us one another to help guide us as we find our way. Can you be a sibling to another?
This article also appears in the January 2024 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 89, No. 1, page 9). Click here to subscribe to the magazine.
Image: Flip Schulke, U.S. National Archives
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