This week I did something I have never done before. I went to New York City. OK, technically I might not have been in the city. I went to Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston. I flew into JFK airport and to me that is “the city.” People are always surprised when I tell them I have never been to New York City. Most people I know who go there do so to see a ball game, a play, or a show. None of that interests me.
So, what got me to go to the city? A PCNY meeting – that’s Priests’ Council of New York. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about being appointed to our diocesan priests’ council and subsequently being selected to be a representative from our diocese to PCNY. Well, this was the first meeting for me. We met from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and then at 3:30, the NYS Bishops joined us for a presentation on the new translations of the Mass parts and we ended with dinner.
Our meeting was a good sharing of practices in the eight dioceses of New York State. This is not a decision making committee. It exists to share ideas and different ways of serving in our ministry.
You might want to ask if I did any touring in New York City. The answer is no. This trip happened on short notice and having never been there before I decided to just do business this trip. However, PCNY meets four times a year so maybe on a future trip I will take some time to enjoy the sites. I don’t take much vacation. When I do take vacation time, I tend to spend the time at my dad’s catching up on yard work. I love being outside in the beautiful outdoors that God has created for us. That’s why when I go on retreat, I like to find a retreat in the middle of nowhere with trails to hike.
Peace,
Fr. Jeff