Greetings from the Southeast Pastoral Institute in Miami. I originally intended this week’s posting to be about my work in attempting to learn Spanish. That will have to wait until next week.
Upon leaving New York, I learned some very sad news. Mrs. Theresa McBride, a former teacher, moderator, mentor and, most importantly, friend passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease and complications associated with that disease. This past year has been a challenging one for Mrs. McBride as she has undergone a number of hospitalizations, faced living life differently and the death of her son. I hope and pray (and know) she’s at peace.
I have had much time, this week, to pray, reflect and think about the influence this “woman of the resurrection” has on me
I first met Mrs. McBride when I was a sophomore at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School. Mrs. McBride had just become the moderator of The Prophet, the school newspaper, and I the overeager, hyper sophomore who lived for the school newspaper. From that point on, our relationship grew from a teacher-student to a mentor-mentee to friends. She is part of the reason I desired to become a teacher and committed to ministry in the life in the Church.
I have many great stories of our many years working and sharing life together. A few stand out and please indulge me as I share three of the stories below. During one of my first years as the Campus Minister, I asked Mrs. McBride to talk at a special Stations of the Cross prayer service before the entire school community. The reflection was about the challenges of pain and destruction in family and touched on a number of personal issues. She was so nervous but so wonderful. She witnessed to the entire community – who previously only saw her in the role of “teacher” - that with faith, hope and the support of family and friends any obstacle can be overcome. She never spoke to me about her fear but I knew it was tough. Yet, there was no need to complain. She needed to be there for the community, to show them the way.
This past June, Mrs. McBride came back on my last “official” day at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School. It was not an easy task for her to get to SJB but she insisted on being there. There was no reason to complain. She just needed to be there. She made me sit down (not always easy to do) and she reminded what a good decision I had made no matter how hard it might be and wondered what “took you so long. I’ve been waiting for this for years.” She was anointed that day at our Closing Mass. Again, she witnessed not only to me but to the community of her tremendous faith in the midst of an illness.
I could not attend her funeral on Thursday because of my studies here, but friends tell me the celebrant preached about the women of the resurrection. All four Gospels reveal the often quiet but vital role the women played in the resurrection story. What a great image. They didn’t complain or even say much in the midst of their pain and struggle. There was no need to complain. They needed to be there so others could see.
Since June, we communicated mostly via e-mail with some visits, including one she made to the Seminary in November. Mrs. McBride had developed other health symptoms that made simple things more difficult yet she insisted on being present. There was no need to complain. Just needed to be there. (There, she also gave me great advice about the Holy Land and some money for lunch in Jersualem! :))
Upon leaving New York, I learned some very sad news. Mrs. Theresa McBride, a former teacher, moderator, mentor and, most importantly, friend passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease and complications associated with that disease. This past year has been a challenging one for Mrs. McBride as she has undergone a number of hospitalizations, faced living life differently and the death of her son. I hope and pray (and know) she’s at peace.
I have had much time, this week, to pray, reflect and think about the influence this “woman of the resurrection” has on me
I first met Mrs. McBride when I was a sophomore at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School. Mrs. McBride had just become the moderator of The Prophet, the school newspaper, and I the overeager, hyper sophomore who lived for the school newspaper. From that point on, our relationship grew from a teacher-student to a mentor-mentee to friends. She is part of the reason I desired to become a teacher and committed to ministry in the life in the Church.
I have many great stories of our many years working and sharing life together. A few stand out and please indulge me as I share three of the stories below. During one of my first years as the Campus Minister, I asked Mrs. McBride to talk at a special Stations of the Cross prayer service before the entire school community. The reflection was about the challenges of pain and destruction in family and touched on a number of personal issues. She was so nervous but so wonderful. She witnessed to the entire community – who previously only saw her in the role of “teacher” - that with faith, hope and the support of family and friends any obstacle can be overcome. She never spoke to me about her fear but I knew it was tough. Yet, there was no need to complain. She needed to be there for the community, to show them the way.
This past June, Mrs. McBride came back on my last “official” day at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School. It was not an easy task for her to get to SJB but she insisted on being there. There was no reason to complain. She just needed to be there. She made me sit down (not always easy to do) and she reminded what a good decision I had made no matter how hard it might be and wondered what “took you so long. I’ve been waiting for this for years.” She was anointed that day at our Closing Mass. Again, she witnessed not only to me but to the community of her tremendous faith in the midst of an illness.
I could not attend her funeral on Thursday because of my studies here, but friends tell me the celebrant preached about the women of the resurrection. All four Gospels reveal the often quiet but vital role the women played in the resurrection story. What a great image. They didn’t complain or even say much in the midst of their pain and struggle. There was no need to complain. They needed to be there so others could see.
Since June, we communicated mostly via e-mail with some visits, including one she made to the Seminary in November. Mrs. McBride had developed other health symptoms that made simple things more difficult yet she insisted on being present. There was no need to complain. Just needed to be there. (There, she also gave me great advice about the Holy Land and some money for lunch in Jersualem! :))
I’ve written before that vocation does not happen with out the loving support and example of those around us. And I’ve written before about witnesses who continue to inspire me in this life. Mrs. McBride is certainly one of those poeple.
I last communicated with Mrs. McBride via e-mail. She had just read this blog and warned me about staying up too late to post things. She acknowledged the increasing burden of sickness but did not let it get her down. Her e-mail concluded, “I really want more than anything to see you ordained. That is one of my remaining goals.”
It may not work out the way any of us perhaps planned and I'm unsure it ever does. Yet, there’s no need to complain. Like any good person of the resurrection, she’ll be there helping others, including me, to see.
It may not work out the way any of us perhaps planned and I'm unsure it ever does. Yet, there’s no need to complain. Like any good person of the resurrection, she’ll be there helping others, including me, to see.
Hi John. Frank Schneider did a fabulous job with the homily. She certainly was a woman of the resurrection. I'm sorry you couldn't be there. She will be there for your ordination and she will have one of the best seats in the house!
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