A strange day

Times of grief are always very strange and disconcerting. Though much has changed, life must continue.

I slept very little last night – two hours at most, I think. I spent the night in prayer for Coach K and his family, but most of all for the soccer players. These twenty-four hours later, I am still stunned , really, at what has happened.

Fortunately, the little sleep I had last night came just before my alarm went off to prepare for the 6:30 a.m. Mass.

After Mass I prepared a bit for a radio interview at 7:40. It seemed very strange to be doing such a thing when a friend had just died only the night before, yet commitments were made and had to be kept. Grief usually seems to pull me in two separate directions: either toward duty or toward introspection. Today was spent mostly toward duty. I hope to be able to turn toward introspection tomorrow.

After the radio interview I had to at least pretend to take up the role as head soccer coach and see to some arrangements to prepare for the tournament this weekend and to do so I met with the athletic director. Together we were able to arrange a few things, but there is still much to be done tomorrow. I thought having to assume the role of pastor would be difficult; compared to having to take up that of head coach, being pastor seems simple.

Fr. Kyle Schnippel, the Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Cincinnati and author of the blog Called By Name, stopped in this morning for a visit on his way to his brother’s. He’s much taller than I would have imagined. Either that, or I’m just short.

We had originally planned to visit with each other for a few hours over lunch, but with the circumstances of the day we were only able to visit for about an hour. I wish that we could have spent more time together and trust that the Lord will arrange such in the future. (Thanks for the stopping in, Fr. Kyle!)

One of the secretaries at the high school called me and asked that I come immediately. I wasn’t sure what to expect it and apologized to Fr. Kyle and asked him to excuse me. We hadn’t even lunch and I’d only shown him the parish center and the church. He was very gracious and understanding.

It turns one of the local television stations had apparently sent a reporter to the high school who would be arriving shortly and wanted to interview me. I think this was my second television news interview, the first having taken place in Sydney during the World Youth Day 2008.

Afterwards I spoke with a reporter for the Effingham Daily News for an article that I believe will be published tomorrow.

I then visited with the secretary and the athletic director before grabbing a bite to eat.

At 2:45 a parishioner stopped in (we had already arranged the time yesterday afternoon) to have my give a rough translation of a Latin document in his possession that came with a relic. It turns out he has a first class relic of Saint Thomas Aquinas; it is a piece of one of his bones.

Afterwards I saw to a few more soccer details before spending some time in prayer before going to soccer practice at 5:00.

One of our parishioners spoke briefly with the boys about grief and mourning and I reiterated some of what she said from my own experience.

I spent much a practice talking with our principal while two of our alumni took care of the light practice. These young men will help coach the tournament this weekend and will also help when they can throughout the summer. I am very grateful for their help!

This has reminded me that I am happy to do what I do well and only all to happy to hand over to others things I don’t do well. I can see to the organization of practices and to communication, but when it comes to leading a practice I’m very happy to have others to help who know what they’re doing.

After soccer practice I met with a few students and their parents to talk about the next World Youth Day in Madrid in 2011. Afterwards I visited with a few of them who have become good friends over the past year or so and arranged a time to visit with them and have dinner at one of their homes next weekend.

Tomorrow I have the early Mass again and a burial later in the morning of an Effingham native who died in Florida. Fortunately, the afternoon is free until the soccer game at 4:00. At 7:30 I will celebrate Mass at our mission parish for the De Colores community.

I don’t expect I’ll sleep much again tonight, though I certainly hope to do so.€