There were a lot of things he said and did that I never agreed with. He used to stand at the lectern in front of the assembly in Mass firmly decrying everyone from the Smashing Pumpkins to youth having sex before marriage. But sometimes Monsignor O surprised me. Sometimes I really agreed with what he said. This tall Irish-American 89 year old man was at many high school football games and never took sides in the rivalry between Los Altos and Wilson. He loved Notre Dame, and I?m sure he would have been pleased with their win this morning if he hadn?t just passed away during surgery for a ruptured pancreas.

Danny just told me the news, and he seems pretty down about it. My mom and I other hand are a little less affected by it. I mean Msgr. O was a fixture at SJV, our local parish since the groundbreaking at the site where the church now stands. When I left to school a 4 years ago he advised me to check out the Newman Club at UCLA. He retired a few years ago, but he?d still say Mass? and he always had something to say.

The best thing I remember about this man was a Mass in which he began speaking about gays. When I saw that he was the presiding priest, I rolled my eyes, and wondered what sexist thing he might say this time (he was always admonishing teenage girls for getting pregnant while praising young football players). But he surprised me? I mean he REALLY surprised me.

I don?t know what gay priests had to do with the scripture, but he was talking about them in his homily. He mentioned that a priest who was gay was just as good as a straight priest. Some woman three rows in front of him stood up and shouted out that gays were an aberration and all this other shit. Msgr. O argued with her and then she, her husband and two homophobic kids got up and left the church. The assembly cheered. And I sat there dumb struck that such a scene had just occurred in a Catholic church. Msgr. O asked us to pray for people like that woman, and later I had a discussion with my mother about people being so close minded in 2001.

It was great, and after that I had much more respect for Msgr. O even though there were plenty of things he said that I didn?t agree with? but I?ll have the courage to say it at least.

RIP Msgr. O

Oh yes, and I'm sure Msgr. O would have liked the Angels to win Game 6... it's 5-3 right now with the Giants up and I'm feeling a little bit anxious.

Me siento: anxious
Escuchando: the game

M�s reciente:
Searches - 09.16.05
the big move - 07.29.05
mother and daughter: a comparative analysis - 07.28.05
jardineros y dom�sticas - 07.27.05
tough question - 07.25.05

antes // despu�s