Sunday is day 2 for me and Wendy as we continue our time at the 2018 National Diaconate Congress. After our late night false, although loud, fire alarm and Wendy watching Wonder Woman movies all night, like way too late, I was not ashamed to sleep in a little this morning. I did drift downstairs for some coffee and breakfast and then settled in to watch some golf. I ventured down again to see what all the action going on and quickly ran into another deacon FB friend, Walter from Memphis. Registration opened around 11 and I went and retrieved our credentials and goody bags; some nice stuff in there. Wendy and I decided to go easy on lunch today so we just got some sandwiches from a nearby Subway and then we both got ready for the big event of the day; the opening Mass of the Congress.
Now the big challenge here at the hotel is the elevators. My goodness they are slow, unpredictable and usually jam packed with deacons & wives. I experienced this often today including having to retreat to my room for my phone. As we all started settling in for Mass, I ran into an old Jaycee friend, Tommy Benoit from Baton Rouge who I have not seen in many years. We also spent plenty of time greeting brother deacons and wives from here in New Orleans including a fairly large contingent from our newly ordained class of 2018.
And then there was Mass. By my count there was 6 or 7 Bishops in procession and a Cardinal. The main celebrant was Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States; the personal representative of Pope Francis. He sent the Pope's greetings and blessings on our gathering. The homily was delivered by Archbishop Gregory Aymond, our Archbishop here in New Orleans. The deacon proclaiming the Gospel was Deacon Ray Duplechain, he is our director here in New Orleans, current chair of the NADD, and my long-time childhood friend. It was also nice to get a quick visit in with his wife Carol, also a long-time childhood friend. At the Mass, communion took quite some time as there was over 2,800 deacons, wives and family members in attendance. I called it a robust mass as all present were responding to the appropriate mass parts robustly.
Archbishop Pierre gave some closing comments and encouragement and then Mass was over. The first official event of the 2018 National Diaconate Congress was done. Excitement now builds for Monday.
As a special ending to our day my classmate Ricky and wife Lynn got their car and took Wendy and I to eat away from all the crazy downtown and off to Superior Grill we traveled, way up on St. Charles & Napoleon, for a delicious Sunday night dinner. Of course the discussion around shrimp and grits, BBQ shrimp, redfish and more was all things deacons and the mass and the congress! We had a nice time and they delivered us safe and sound back at the hotel.
It's now 10 pm and we are settled in as I prepare for an early morning. Wendy will join me downstairs a little later; she is always a late sleeper. After morning Mass we have a general session talk by Cardinal Tobin of Newark, followed by Deacon James Keating, lunch then Deacon Greg Kandra, well known for his blog, the Deacon's Bench.
Wendy and I are then going to a special seminar of great interest to me, Prison Ministry: Bringing the Lost Sheep Home by Deacon James Marapoti.
It will be a fun filled, very full day and I can't wait to get started. Say 2 of our excellent adventure is in the books; it was another great day!!
No comments:
Post a Comment