September 25, 2024 While my son, Jake, gave me money to buy the gift, I was so proud of him for coming up with the idea, I gave him his money back. Several years ago, our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers opened the season against Bishop Terry R. LaValley’s favorite football team, the New York Giants. Several weeks ahead of that game, Jake developed an idea for a gift related to that game. It hinged the Steelers winning the game, and win they did. Jake sent his gift with me as I headed to the chancery on Monday, the day after the game. Shortly after I arrived at the office, Bishop LaValley opened a neatly packaged box to find a “Terrible Towel,” a gold-colored towel about the size of a dish towel that is waved in the air by nearly every member of the Steeler Nation at games, along with a note that said, “Dear Bishop LaValley, I thought you’d need something to dry your tears.” While I delighted in his football joke gift for a few reasons, one of the biggest reasons was because I’m grateful a few priests of our diocese and our bishop have engaged with Jake about the things he loves, and he feels comfortable joking around with them as a result. By connecting with my son, these representatives of our Lord show Jake that you can love Jesus, serve him as he calls you and still be a guy who enjoys football and the joking that goes with it. I think it’s one of the reasons my son is open to discerning where God calls him, even if that’s to the priesthood. And it’s one of the many ways our priests share themselves and their love of Christ with us. While not every priest loves football, they all have ways they connect with the people of God. Some share their education and personal faith in faith formation programs. Others roll up their sleeves and help out one of our many outreach centers. Others share Christ and themselves at prisons, hospitals, nursing homes, in the diocesan offices… I could list ways our priests help all day, and I’d still miss a few. We appreciate them and thank them for our priests and thank them for their roles in our lives and for bringing us God’s sacraments and God himself in the Eucharist. While many priests are thanked in the pages of this edition, some aren’t. People miss deadlines. People forget. Life gets in the way. Those priests are still loved and appreciated. Because our priests are also gifts. |
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