Dear Parishioners and Friends,
I am grateful that so many of you have expressed your interest in the recent Provincial Chapter of the Franciscans of Holy Name Province which was held at Siena College. As you can see from the photo below, there were approximately 160 friars in attendance, so it was a wonderful opportunity to see many brothers and get caught up with one another’s comings and goings.
Although much of the Chapter consisted of presentations by the friars about the Province’s past, present and future, especially in light of the upcoming merger of six provinces into one in October, the highlight of the week was a spectacular choral concert conducted by Br. Kevin McGoff, O.F.M., with several of our choir members taking part. Gabriel Löfvall was the piano accompanist. In addition to the concert, I was honored to have the opportunity of playing the organ for many of the liturgies, as I have done at several Chapters going back to 1979.
While the choir was waiting for the start of the concert, a few of our own choristers spent the time perusing some of the Siena College yearbooks. One of them texted me with the message, “Look what we found.” That’s some ‘stache, isn’t it?
Yes, the Chapter brought back a lot of memories… some of which were best left to the hidden pages of the past!
But speaking of memories, especially as celebrate Father’s Day this weekend, I’d like to share some memories of my own father, Joe Shreenan. I have written about my mother Eleanor in one or two past letters, and I was happy to know how much you enjoyed reading about her; so now I’d like to pay a little tribute to my dad.
When my father died in June of 2002 at the age of 82, my sister Kathy raised a toast to him saying, “He was a gentleman and a gentle man.” This really captures the essence of Joseph Michael Shreenan. Quiet by nature, dad possessed patience and an Irish wit that endeared him to so many people.
He served in the Navy during World War II on the USS Colorado, as well as in Annapolis, MD and Norfolk, VA. During that time he married my mother and they ended up raising six children. After the war, he worked for the IRS for 30 years. Dad loved to read and do repair jobs around the house, but we used to joke that he never seemed to be able to finish either endeavor! But he always had time to spend with his family, whether it was taking us for a ride on Sunday afternoons, a trip to the Beach in the summer, or just hanging out with us on the front porch. Joe Shreenan was always there for us, and no sacrifice was too great for him to make. He was a deeply spiritual man, who served his country, the Church, and his family with dignity and devotion. Who could have asked for a better father?
Blessings on your week ahead!
Fr. Tim Shreenan, O.F.M.Pastor