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Thursday, May 31, 2012

THIS IS WHAT A CRACKER JACK ALTAR BOY CAN GROW UP TO BE!

Nick Maskell was an altar boy/man here at St. Joseph until he graduated from Mt.deSales Academy and then went off to the Academy, the Naval Academy, that is. Well he just graduated and proud papa, Gregg, who is our head usher for the 9:30 AM Mass sent me a bunch of pictures of it from Annapolis.

Nick was also a crackerjack Extraordinary Form Altar Server before he departed, the first group to serve this Mass at St. Joseph!



12 comments:

rcg said...

Congratulations to his mother, father and to him for his hard work.

William Meyer said...

Father, because you recently mentioned the need for a proofreader, I will note that it's Naval, not Navel.

That said, it's a great achievement for the young man, and congratulations to him and his family are certainly due.

I cannot recall whether I mentioned yet, but my step-daughter graduated on the 16th from the Coast Guard Academy. We are as proud of her as I am sure these parents--and you--are of the young man.

ghp95134 said...

CONGRATULATIONS! Greg must be a very proud father!

--Guy Power

Anonymous said...

With all due respect, Father, it's Naval not Navel (which is a "belly button"). A nice story, though!

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

I need an editor to post my stuff! It's fixed!

John Nolan said...

Great to see this young man in Naval whites going out to defend the freedom of all of us. I don't know what the proportion of Catholics is in the US armed forces, but in the UK they are more highly represented than they are in the population at large. The Irish Guards have always been predominantly Catholic and the major Catholic public (ie independent) schools have a tradition of producing military officers.

A British Army chaplain in Afghanistan celebrates Mass in the EF because the soldiers like it and as a former officer I know why; it is no-nonsense, disciplined and soldierly, totally unlike the feminized touchy-feely services they get at home.

When I mentioned this on the PrayTell blog a year ago (that is before my comments were automatically deleted) some silly woman who considers herself a liturgist suggested that the EF attracts homosexuals. Perhaps she might try going into the OR's (enlisted men's) mess of the Parachute Regiment in Aldershot and announce "I thought only fairies had wings".

rcg said...

John, I can tell you why they like it: the leader faces forward and is not behind a desk.

BTW, I have a need for a friend who lives in Berkhampsted to be visited by a priest He is an old RAF NCO and is not doing well at all. His children are contemptuous of the Church and scoff at his requests, but he has expressed a desire to see a priest. I think the hint was for me, but I don't know any parishes in that area that aren't pretty 'Spirit of Vatican II'. He has held on for a long time through terrible medical hobby shop mishaps and although not having attended Mass in a long time I think he would appreciate a more traditional priest. That might see him out. I feel an obligation to help. Can you suggest someone nearby? I can take care of the rest of it.

rcg said...

Oh, and for what it's worth, I gained RA para wings. I recall standing on the tailgate of the C-130 on the lip of the ramp, my toes in the air, with only the instructor's hand on my harness while he chatted about the view. I would have kissed him if he had reeled me in, but you could not have stuck a pin in backside.

John Nolan said...

@rcg

Fr Davenport at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Chesham Bois offers the EF Mass every Sunday. Fr Richard Barrett (richard.barrett@diginet2.co.uk) is in the Milton Keynes area and is sound. Yes, Bucks/Herts is a liturgical desert - I went to a Mass at Woburn Sands and they were still singing the 'Israeli Mass' for God's sake - but there are plenty of good and holy priests out there. I am within commuting distance of the London, Oxford and Birmingham Oratories so count myself lucky.

A gunner, eh? I served as a Cold War warrior in the South Notts. Hussars Yeomanry (RHA) and we still had 25-pounders for training purposes. Happy days, Larkhill and Otterburn ...

Gene said...

Gregg, that is tremendous! Congrats on good parenting.

ghp95134 said...

Joke:

Q: Where does God keep His spare belly buttons?

A: In the Navel Reserve.

ghp95134 said...

rcg:

I'm also retired Army with jump wings and a Ranger Tab (and Air Assault wings ... for what that's worth). As my father was Special Forces from 1954 -1970, I often visited the drop zone when families were invited.

I like jumping the C-130s best, but never had a ramp jump, always out the door; C-141 was fast. I hate jumping helecoptors, though I've rolled out of the Blackhawk and Huey.

Civilian skydivers laugh at "rope-a-dopes" (static line jumpers) ... but we tell them to try jumping with 60+ lbs of equipment, weapons, and gear. Hoo-RAH!

--Guy