Dear Parishioners,

In these past two weeks, we have lost two great men of the Church and I want to take a moment to reflect on their lives.

Bishop John Smith is the man who ordained me a deacon. He had a wonderful and witty sense of humor and was excellent at getting along with others. He was never afraid to laugh at himself or tell self-deprecating stories. When he retired as the Bishop of Trenton, we thought he would be around for many more years, helping with confirmations and other things only bishops can do. But, that was not God’s plan for Bishop Smith. A little more than a year after he retired, his health began to decline and he was not able to do much after that.

I remember my last conversation with Bishop Smith. I was newly ordained and he came to Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony in Hamilton (where I was assigned) to do confirmations. During the luncheon after the confirmation he mentioned that he had an iPad but he never learned how to use it. I told him that iPads were really easy to use and anyone can learn to use one. He then asked me, “Can you teach an idiot how to use an iPad?” I responded, “Of course, Bishop. I would love to teach you how to use an iPad.” Before I knew what happened, the rest of the table was laughing and he was giving an expression of being offended. But he was obviously kidding and led me into a clever trap. That was the level of wit he had and he will be missed.

The second person I would like to mention is of course our dear Fr. Leon Buni. I think we will all remember him most for his grand personality especially during his homilies and his great dedication to hospital work. As a son of a doctor himself, he threw himself into that ministry and came to us specifically because he wanted to be assigned to a large hospital. His cheerful personality and care for those who were sick were great signs of the love of Christ he had in his heart. After spending only 5 months with us in active ministry, he discovered that he had cancer and had to receive immediate treatment. In many ways he was taken from us too soon and he will be missed.

Both of these men dedicated their lives to the Church and she thanks them for it. Please keep them in your prayers as they enter into their eternal rest.

God bless!

Father Carter