FRANCIS SEELOS:  WELCOME!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my thoughts is, ‘Francis Seelos: Welcome!”

Let me say near the beginning of this new school year, “Welcome to our freshmen class - as well as any other new young people - and new teachers and staff.”

Welcome!

Today - October 5^th -  is the feast day of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos - a Redemptorist who was a priest here at St. Mary’s in the early 1860’s -around the time of  the Civil War.

He was inside this  very church. I don’t know if these are the benches that were here in the 1860's - but this is the shell of the church that goes back to 1859-60. 

So a saint, St. John Neumann blessed the cornerstone of this church and Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos - prayed and celebrated Mass and heard confessions in this church.

In 1866 he goes to New Orleans - also St. Mary’s Parish. He dies the following year, on October 4, 1867 - at the age of 48 - from a Yellow Fever epidemic that was hitting the city.

The title of my homily is, “Francis Seelos: Welcome!”

ONE THEME - ONE LIFE

When speaking - and preaching - about people - I like to come up with one main theme - that hopefully gives a portrait - better an impression of that person.

Like at a funeral…. I like to go to the funeral parlor - and if I didn’t know the person who died, I ask around to see if the person can be summed up with one word.

I hear words like: Generous…. Giving …. Caring ... Grateful…. Faithful …. Sense of humor…. Quiet …. Life of the Party …. Always there…. Understanding …. Forgiving…. Present …. A gift.

Of course, nobody can be summed up with one word.

But for the sake of focus - one word - like the center of a bulls eye - helps to target one’s thoughts.  

One of my favorite themes is, “Welcome!”

If I hear one thing from Pope Francis, it’s that we be a welcoming church.

A  WELCOME  sign is nice to see on a rug at the entrance of any home - so too every church.

“Welcome!”

I just preached on this theme the other day.

So as I thought about Francis Xavier Seelos - I see him as a very welcoming person.

He was known for being a great confessor. People felt welcome - when going to him for confession. In the literature about him, I read about the long confession lines of people here at St. Mary’s, Pittsburgh, and New Orleans.

Here in our garden at St. Mary’s we have a unique statue of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. It’s under a nice tree  - off the brick path - and I’ve seen thousands of people just sitting there as if they are on the bench - sitting and talking with Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. As I walk by that stature and there is a person resting there - leaning into Father Seelos, I like to say, “You can go to confession to him.”

Almost the same statue that we have here is in New Orleans at the Seelos Shrine, but the one there has arm rests that make the bench that much less opening for one more person.

So I’m saying here, when it comes to saints - speakers try to come up with one theme that describes that person.  We do it with homilies for the dead as well.

Like yesterday morning I had a funeral for a 98 year old lady Catherine Vacca. Her quality was awareness.  Her husband is still alive - at the age of 99 - heading soon for 100.

I was standing there looking at photos of Catherine being displayed on the big screen - one after the other.

I’m alone till an old guy stands next to me to watch the show as well.

I start to notice that this guy next to me looks like the guy in the pictures. Sure enough it’s Catherine’s husband. I say to him, “You’re her husband.” And he says, “Yes!”

I then asked, “What was your wife like?”

He says - pointing to his wife in a picture, “Nice!”

In the pictures you could see her nice face - welcoming eyes - and all around sweetness.

SELFIES

I remember seeing another slide show at another funeral.

I began spotting in the different pictures a face that was very sad and serious.

Now it could be that she had teeth problems - but all in all - she didn’t look like a happy camper in any picture.

Suggestion: go through your pictures -your selfies - and ask yourself, “Do I have a welcoming face?”

The title of my thoughts is, ‘Francis Seelos: Welcome!”

SOMETIMES THE WELCOME SIGN IS MISSING

As I'm sure you've heard, the National African American Museum has recently opened in Washington D.C.  When you have time make sure you visit the place. 

I'm waiting till the crowds have settled down to make my visit. I'm sure there will be lots of evidence of the years when African Americans were not made welcome in this country - and I hope there will be signs of welcome - change - and growth.

And 100 years from now - we'll all be dead - but there will be in Washington D.C. a Muslim American Museum  - where there will also be evidence of the time when they were not welcome and then the change. I say this not out of political posturing - most of you cannot vote yet - but because hopefully -welcome - is part of our religion - our love and our understanding of what it is to be a human being.

WELCOME FRANCIS SEELOS

The title of my thoughts is, ‘Francis Seelos: Welcome!”

Seelos was in imigrant. Seelos was a Redemptorist.  When he was stationed here, he wasn't always welcomed by his own confreres - because of personality differences. He had a great sense of humor. He had an easy way about him - and his confreres here at St. Mary's thought he was too easy going with our students and seminarians here. 

There it is: one of life's basic experiences. How do we respond to those who don't accept us as we are - with our personality - our specificness - etc. etc. etc.

Jesus' method was that of love, forgiveness, turning the extra cheek, going the extra mile with the other  - and in this way - we can change the world.

The theme for this year is to go make a difference. One specific "HOW" answer to that hope is to be a welcoming person.

CHURCH

I remember being out at St. John Neumann some 14 years ago.

A couple were there for Mass or something and I said, “Welcome.”

The husband said, “Thank you. That’s the first time in 9 years since we got to this parish, anyone said, ‘Welcome to us.”

I learned from that moment - from that experience - and  I like to say at every Mass, “Welcome to everyone and welcome to any visitors.”

At least I can do that at every Mass.

I hope all of you feel very welcome at Mass so far.

And I hope when I die and I get to heaven. I hope I hear folks there saying, “Welcome” I also hope that people at my funeral say, “Father Andy was very welcoming.”

CONCLUSION

The title of my thoughts is, ‘Francis Seelos: Welcome!”

I hope none of you - 25 years from now - will not say, “Looking back at my time at St. Mary’s, “I never felt welcome there.”