Scrolling through my archives in 2011 I thought today, New Years Eve, would be a great day to look back on my year in review month by month. So here goes:
January 2011: Many posts about starting the New Year at a new Church. I blogged about my beginning experiences at Most Holy Trinity. There is a post about my farewell Mass and dinner at St. Jane's too. January posts also focused on the pro-life movement around the anniversary of Roe v Wade and there is an important post about a Mass in Mandeville with the visiting choir from the Rayburn Prison.
February 2011: The 2nd month of the New Year brought more posts about my early days and weeks at Most Holy Trinity. I blogged about starting Benediction on 1st Friday's for the parish and our celebration of Confirmation with our young adults. There was some posts about the beginning of our Mardi Gras season here in the New Orleans area.
March 2011: As Spring sprung we blogged in March about the end of Mardi Gras and the beginning of the season of Lent in the Church. March brought the 3 day Kairos retreat weekend inside Rayburn Prison; always a poignant and spiritual weekend for me personally.
April 2011: A lot of my blogging in April brought late Lenten posts and then posts centered around the Easter celebration, my first at MHT. We also remembered the 6th anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. And of course there was the pver hyped royal wedding from London.
May 2011: I blogged about the death of Osama Bin Laden and our reaction to it, moving on to my first time attending a traditional Latin Mass. There was a post about American Idol judge Steven Tyler that was very pro-life and we celebrated the birthday of Archbishop Philip Hannan. And I mentioned that it was really getting hot. But the most important posts for me in May were those centered around the graduation from LSU by daughter Elizabeth.
June 2011: I had to post about the disturbing news that the state of Louisiana was considering closing the prison where I minister. And then the good news later in the month that Rayburn would not be closed. June also brought my first post about mounting challenges and frustrations at work. I also remember the news of one of my inmate worshippers who died unexpectedly on the prison yard. And there were more posts about the failing health of Archbishop Hannan. June also brought news of the start of our 2015 Deacon class, aspirants beginning formation.
July 2011: The big event in July was the opportunity to be a presenter at a 3 day retreat for our 2012 deacon class. We spent the weekend at the Abbey in Covington and our theme was A Simple Path by Mother Teresa. July also brought the disturbing news of Fr. Corapi, resigning in disgrace and locally, the murder of a Hammond, La priest and his funeral.
August 2011: I blogged about August being my least favorite month(too hot) and we remembered the anniversary of Katrina. There was the beginning of several posts aroung the controversy here locally over St. Augustine High School and corporal punishment. Indeed we had a few posts about the start up of the New Orleans Saints season.
September 2011: This turned out to be a busy month. Posts about the Saints and LSU began in earnest. We had Labor Day posts and comments on MDA going forward without Jerry Lewis. I blogged about being a teacher/facilitator for the 2012 Deacon candidates homiletics classes. I shared the details of Wendy and I vacationing in Chicago, via Amtrak. And then the sad news at the end of the month: Archbishop Philip M Hannan was dead. Many posts on this great man, his ministry and his funeral arrangements.
October 2011: This fall month began with many posts still centered on the funeral of Archbishop Hannan and the fond farewell to this great man. October brought the shocking news of problems for Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life. We had many more football posts, LSU winning and the Saints winning and the Saints helping one of their own, Steve Gleason, stricken with ALS. And we talked about Halloween from a Catholic perspective.
November 2011: All Saints, All Souls, Veterans Day, 11-11-11, Thanksgiving Day. Many posts about these important dates. Still more football. Posts about the new Roman Missal. Advent begins. I blogged about the first Mass experience for me with the new Missal translations. A curious post at end of month while I was watching the cartoon Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.
December 2011: More Advent postings and continuing updates on the Saints and LSU. We discussed: what is a honey badger? I blogged personally about my health scare(all is good) and preparing for Christmas. As Christmas drew near we blogged about celebrating Christmas as a season, not just a day. I posted about my own Christmas experience and just yesterday posted one of my favorite posts about a 18 year old teenagers youtube message about his medical condition and faith in God, just one week before he died.
So that's a very brief year in review. 2011 was certainly a very busy year. I hope you will take the time to look back on 2011 and feel free to look back at the "abitadeacon" too!
Happy New Year!
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