Sunday August 30

I was just out of the hospital after a week's stay. A young priest, Fr. Rick Nagel, was our guest presider and I concelebrated. I sometimes worry about our young clergy -- as priests my age worried about my generation. They seem more "wound tight" than we are. Fr. Rick did a beautiful job. He spoke about involving young people in a project of giving and how they celebrated it with a "hot dog" day. A young child told him Hot Dog days are the best thing that ever happens.

Rick appreciated the beauty of Holy Cross Church. It is a prime example of preserving the beauty of the older traditional lines of churches while adapting to the needs of modern liturgy. If I do say so myself, we are one of the best examples of doing this with taste, sensitivity and respect for the older beauty of the church. In a way we are a non traditional church in a very traditional building.

Rick related well, seemed to appreciate the people and made some connections for his ministry at IUPUI.

It was a mutually good experience. It's good for our people at Holy Cross to be exposed to different priests. And, if I would dare say it, it is good for young priests to be exposed to the life, liveliness and looseness of Holy Cross.

A hopeful day for me.