Fr. John's 25th Anniversary of Ordination Celebration

25th Anniversary Celebration in Ireland

25th Anniversary Celebration at SSFP

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25th Anniversary Celebration

25th Anniversary of Ordination Celebration at San Gabriel Country Club.

Show Transcript

to have you here 5 years of dedicated service in your ministry you may God grant you many many more years to continue the good work you have been doing a long speech however before we introduced by the John the man of the hour and this would like to say something on behalf of the staff and Father John good evening. My name is Annette Emily and I am the parish business manager for all of those who may not know any other job on behalf of yourself it is with a joyful heart that we ask God to bless you on this vocational Milestone of devotion and service we are blessed to have you as our pastor and Lead know that we value the trust you place in each one of us to fulfill the mission of Statesville impetus and perpetua in our community we are proud that your ongoing service to God and his family have included our parish and we look forward to your continued service to the community may God bless you on my way thank you. what does thank you everyone for coming apart of the celebration was attempting you talked to George and Emma for helping us to be here tonight and especially the number for the beautiful Symphony Outlander among my favorite flowers. downtown Garland I can Bond and Monica for working so hard over the last few weeks before this together especially the last few days barcode Jorge and Alberto Sanchez for having our church working in great shape it'll be almost two years since I started at 10 I'm right in the middle of covid-19 time to take on a new assignment I actually where the French were originally assigned that you're dead gender reassignment to Coronavirus no one wanted to say hello apostille 400 if you really don't need to know cuz I'm still missing him I want you to stay on the phone with roll the dice is asking for an extension and they denied me I'm so glad that you didn't I think every time I wouldn't have gone on to experience another Powers community Powers family and that opportunity for growth as well as people together and I just am very grateful that I have been assigned to sit listen to perpetua and Edward moving out of refrigerant to bigger and brighter days ahead so I hope that Grill Monday evening what should I not do the whole story about the reason I was at my ordination and first Christmas what the point was I mean Ireland of the 20 very quickly. I mean you might not know I need part of my journey from high school to 7 a.m. please call Saint Patrick's University University professional building and in my fourth year it was just one year shy of being ordained deacons and then the next two or three which one you want and I would hit you opting out of the four years ago was so happy so I decided I'd take him to leave of absence and then the bishop of the diocese at the time he sent the piece not the one ordained mean p.m. when I went back to the Rising Sun we're trying to send a referral I was coming to Ali's house said it was not a very happy man and he told me he would not change me back and he wouldn't take me back for at least 3 or 4 years commencing mean I'll get you into University here he said I'll get you into any course you want to see if I don't care if you don't have the the point whatever qualification for the I can get anyone anywhere I could believe you leave I didn't graduate at the vision and make a decision if you want to go back to 7 because it wasn't what you wanted to hear but I look back now and say what wisdom that man had but I didn't take him up on his offer I moved to New York find a couple of jobs in construction and one in a nursing home dealing with them elderly patients give them Physical Therapy which was not fun and I'm honest a job in a restaurant and I don't think the restaurant manager for five and a half. Downtown Manhattan right guys to get off the World Trade Center of the morning if my muffin a cup of coffee and walk three blocks down on the fries Adam so it was a complete detour that I wasn't expecting but loved every second of it and would fetch a repeated I would do it all over again without any hesitation and and then eventually I decided to come to California thanks to some friends of mine from Ireland to if you come out here every summer cuz they were teaching in schools the trouble over to fit beads and we found myself going back and forth so I'm every summer so when I announced I was going to Rockville Centre or maybe Brooklyn and the next thing I knew I was flying out for an interview and stay the night write in a few hours interview with director for the show shade with his name and I am with a parachute living in Saint Philip the apostle the restaurant Holy Saturday morning and he said the watch you think you want to be priests in Los Angeles just like this room good morning David where would you take me to grab breakfast we hunted in the nation interview and he called the police back in the knocking out of where I was staying the weekend instead of casein you keep that guy on the Hokies and we need to get him here so they did and eventually got you loaded up at work what about in Staten Island when you get pulled over driving Jeep Cherokee you know you're in trouble honey I'm good get back over here again one time and I've been here ever since the 25-year he's counting and it's been great so that's a little bit about my story and I'm going to bring them in