A priest is never retired, but he does retire from administration and begging for time, talent and treasure. And yes a retired priest might find a vocation within a vocation as a beach 🏖 bum. I have retired to the south end of Hilton Head Island, what I call paradise…
22 comments:
Congratulations and Godspeed!
Congrats, Fr.
How old is your blog? I've been trying to remember how long I've followed at this point. I really began following regularly around your sabbatical. I had stumbled upon your blog totally by accident being from the Northeast, and never left!
Love the exit. You left in style in your new Nissan!
There are no words sufficient to say in thanks to a man who had the courage to try and the grace to succeed as a priest of the Living God. For this purpose, to administer the sacraments and save souls, you sacrificed all the alternatives life could have presented. But you put God, His Church and therefore each and everyone of us far ahead of self. I cannot thank you enough, Father.
You did a lot for your parishes. Thank you for that. Good luck letting God continue to lead you to your best use of talent, time, and treasure.
Are they throwing rice???
Fr. MJK
I thought we blow bubbles now, better for the birds??
Byz - I'm glad it's not rocks!!!
Congratulations! Love the cake!
Deo gratias that He called you to serve as His holy priest.
Thank you for your holy service to God and His Holy People.
Thank you for your important blog. Thank you for the privilege to post comments to your important blog.
Father McDonald, may you enjoy peace, good health, and ample relaxation throughout your retirement.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Sophia here: Dear Father McDonald I echo what has already been said here! This is a ffitting send off to a true shepherd- no hireling, no wolf in shepherd’s clothing you!, Thank you for never looking back, once you “ put your hand to the plow”. The orthodox fruits you already produced as witnessed by faithful parishioners and several authentic calls to the priesthood are proof of that! You did not merely “ accompany “ us- you led us to a deeper understanding of,, and therefore love of, the Most Blessed Sacrament in Holy Communion and in our Adoration Chapel! You insisted on the proper disposition ( State of Grace), and posture (kneeling if able at the altar rail ), for the reception of Holy Communion, as well as appropriate dress and decorum in Church . After all we were in the Presence of the All Holy, Living God!
I am so blessed to have had you as my pastor and so are the majority of those whom you have pastored. Thank you so much for all that you have already done for the people in God’s Holy Church! Thank you for all you have committed to continue to do. You have left everyone and everything for Jesus and His Church’s sake so you are promised “ a hundredfold and Life Everlasting”!
Godspeed!
Is it a crab cake?
Tell me, Father, can I retire from Holy Matrimony as you think you canetired from Holy Orders? Stop, please stop.
Your life at the south end of HHI is unbecoming of a priest. There are too many souls at risk. Too many confessions unheard and not enough spiritual direction given to leave the battlefield. Hmmm, how many of the great saints retired at some point? Just askin’.
Stop Ranger 1 and think about how illogical you are. First, you and your wife, when you become empty nesters, can retire wherever you want including becoming my next door neighbor on the south end of Hilton Head. I’ll be happy to hear your confessions and save your soul. And Hilton Head has two large and thriving Catholic parishes and one humongous one in Bluffton across the bridge from here. I will be quite busy sacramentally, but have retired from administration.
You, when you retire to wherever you will and are an empty nester, will still be parents, but eventually your children will be parenting you. God bless.
Father McDonald,
I am being nosy, so you can ignore this if you like. Do retired priests maintain a chapel in their home following retirement or is it more the practice that you use the local parish church to celebrate Mass, etc.
Many priests do reside in rectories after retiring and in our diocese pay room and board or exchange their services in the parish for the room and board. Thus no chapel is needed. I am almost in walking distance of Holy Family Church on Hilton Head. And there is another parish on the island’s north end with a school. I would prefer saying daily Mass in a parish rather than a private Mass in my condo. However, I can’t count on that and I don’t want to impose myself for concelebration. So I have an “altar” in the second bedroom. Technically I would need permission to reserve the Blessed Sacrament here. That is a technicality that many priests in my situation do not heed. I have known elderly priests in rectories having an altar in their room for private Masses as it made it easier for them to celebrate there rather than in the church.
I think soon I will be overwhelmed with requests to help in parishes. I am limiting myself right now to Savannah (the city) and Hilton Head and Bluffton, both in the Diocese of Charleston. I have written a letter to Charleston’s new bishop informing him of my residency here and requesting any permissions I might need to function in a sacramental way. Downtown Savannah is only 35 miles from my condo.
If we need you at St Mary of the Annunciation, I will come to HHI and get you and drive you back! We have wonderful clergy, but you just don’t know. Fr Celini at Bluffton is an old acquaintance and you could hardly do better than collaborating with him. Finally, remember Msgr Walter Donovan of happy memory, as he served Sacred Heart in Atlanta for about 15 years while resident in the best suite in the rectory. He took daily Masses throughout the week and set an example of joy and fidelity to all in the parish. Well and good is it that he have Monsignor Donovan High School in Athens named for him!
Thanks Father McDonald. In college, I used to serve Mass for a retired priest who could no longer walk so he did have a private altar. He taught Latin at a seminary and continued to celebrate Mass in Latin which was wonderful because in those days Latin had all but disappeared. He did switch to the Novus Ordo when it was promulgated. He spoke Latin fluently and he and his priest friends would use Latin while playing bridge! I am sure you will be in great demand!
Ranger 1, Father was most kind to you.
When I hear comments like yours I wonder what people are thinking.
A priest is a celebrant of the Sacred Mysteries, he is to lead others to Christ and His Church. He is not a business man or administrator,though usually he is forced into these roles.
Often people expect the priest to be a superman and have no idea what priests experience,nor do many of them care as long as a priest is there to take care of their needs. Leave this holy man alone.
Fr. Khouri, this happens at every party. Someone gets a couple of glasses to many and then says something embarrassing. And near Ft Stewart it’s sometimes a Ranger.
Mortified. Used the wrong “too”. Time to put the bottle down, I have to balance this stupid scooter with both hands.
Congratulations Father! Ad multos annos!
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