
St. Mary Church is a place just this side of heaven. My sabbatical has been a bit crazy with time spent in Germany, England, Ireland and Italy. My several weeks in Rome were with a group of 30 priests with wildly divergent views of how the liturgy might be celebrated. But here at St. Mary it was simply Catholic. Whether it was Ordinary or extraordinary it was the Roman Rite celebrated reverently according to the norms set down by the Church. It was not the opinions or idiosyncrasies of an individual priest, DRE or catechist, but simply the Liturgy in its richness and beauty.
St. Mary is a unique parish and a special place. Everything, from the hospitality of Fr. Cipolla, the genius and the artistry of David and the parish musicians, the exceptionally competent crew of altar boys, the daily angelus by the children in the school yard, and the prayerfulness and welcome of the parishioners, everything serves as an inspiration for me as I take on the next chapter in my life as a priest. I wish to thank everyone for their generosity to me, and I hope that in the future I may have an opportunity to visit again.