Well, after all these years I heard a little story from Dad that was completely new to me! Mom, Dad and I went to a noon Mass and then Dad suggested going out for lunch. (You don't have to ask twice.) At the restaurant, Dad ordered the sole dish. That reminded him of an experience he had as a college student (at Loyola): He had a campus job as a gopher. Well, actually it was switchboard operator. But it involved some gophering, too. And one day he was asked to serve as a chauffeur. Off to the airport he went with one of the revered Jesuits. (This was before the current airport was built; the "airport" was a small field by the lake.) They picked up Bishop Fulton Sheen, and Dad was told to head to Antoine's so the Bishop could have a decent New Orleans meal. To his suprise, Dad was invited to join them. And Fulton Sheen had sole.
I had known about Dad's letter from Thomas Merton, and the long correspondence he kept with Father Raymond (from the same Gethsemane abbey), but never knew that my Dad had met Fulton Sheen! (Just when you think there is nothing left to learn.... Saturday is my parents' Golden Anniversary. There may be more surprises to come!)
2 comments:
My parents are both in their 80s now, and in the last decade or so, they have surprised me with lots of unspoken family memories. I guess I should write them down because I think I know more about our ancestors than most of my cousins at this point.
That's a good story! My father told me once that he saw Bishop Sheen on the steps of St. Patrick's cathedral. He tried to say hello but the bishop must have been in a people-avoiding mood since he hurried away!
Post a Comment