Tepeyac de San Antonio
Dear Parishioners,
As I write to you today I am in
San Antonio, Texas. I am currently a
member of the Continuing Education and
Spiritual Formation of Priests (C.E.S.F.) committee for the Diocese of Camden, and Bishop Sullivan
asked if I would attend a convention here.
The conferences have the theme: Making
the Time Count: Forming a Pastor with a
Shepherd's Heart.
I am spending the week at the Oblate Renewal Center which is run by
the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
(O.M.I.), a missionary religious congregation.
It feels somewhat like being back in the seminary again, with those
lumpy single beds, no television, institutional food and set schedules of
prayer and conferences. I was a bit
nervous as a tornado warning was
issued for the area when I arrived. We
experienced driving rains, strong winds and even hail!
The convention began on Monday with
a concelebrated Mass (shy of about 100 priests) with a newly-elected auxiliary bishop
for the Archdiocese of San Antonio--Bishop-elect Michael Boulette. Today (Tuesday) we board a bus and head for
the San Fernando Cathedral, a tour of
the Mission Conception, and dinner along the famous River
Walk.
Obviously, the Spanish-speaking
population is quite large in this part of south Texas. Masses for our conference are bilingual, and
today there is even a mariachi band playing the music. Maybe my "Spanglish" will continue to improve! One can only hope!
Times like these remind me that
my growth as a person and as a priest is never complete. There is always something to experience, to learn,
and to re-evaluate within my priestly ministry.
Just the mere opportunity of talking to priests from throughout the
country reminds me of the diversity and universality of the Catholic Church. Each part of the country has its own unique challenges
when trying to spread the Gospel. No, I
am no longer in Somers Point anymore!
There is a rather unusual shrine on
the campus where I reside: Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto & Tepeyac de
San Antonio. On the lower level,
there is a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes with St. Bernadette and Our
Lady. Climb the stairs and there is a
reproduction of the vision of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego at
Tepeyac. Then there is a chapel on the
interior with Eucharistic Adoration taking place. Within this chapel is also a relic (the heart)
of the founder of the Missionary Oblates
of Mary Immaculate, St. Eugene de Mazenod. He was a French priest/bishop
canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 1995.
Quite a spiritual conglomeration to ponder!
I will be praying for you while I
make this brief spiritual pilgrimage. I
hope that I will be able to relate some interesting/inspirational experiences
as my week here continues.
In the meantime, remember the Alamo!
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
Grotto of Lourdes
Relic of the Heart of St. Eugene
Adoration Chapel
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