Editor's Note
A Sister, and a New Priest
While preparing this issue, I had the pleasure of talking to Sister Margaret Gallagher, I.H.M., who is retiring in July. What came through in our conversation was her sincere affection for North Carolina, where she was first assigned in 1964. Despite several interim postings in New York, Sister Gallagher has spent 42 years in our state, first as a teacher and later as one of our Diocese’s early female pastoral administrators.
Another thing I noticed about Sister Gallagher was her real excitement, after all these years, about the progress made and the continuing opportunities for cooperation among Christians of all denominations. Ecumenism was one of the ideals fostered especially by the Second Vatican Council, and although that was more than forty years ago, Sister’s enthusiasm remains fresh. That’s in great portion because she has seen the fruits of that cooperation in her own community.
Father JaVan Saxon, whom I visited last month at St. Mary in Laurinburg, attended Catholic elementary school in Kinston. He spoke fondly of the Sisters who taught him, and said, “Women religious are the backbone of our Church. Not only were the Sisters in Kinston great teachers, they were great models. They showed us a love of the Church and the Mass and Sacraments.” Speaking to Sister Margaret, and thinking about her long and selfless service in our Diocese, Father Saxon’s words came back to me.
On May 22nd, I attended the Ordination to the Priesthood of Father John Victor Gournas at Sacred Heart Cathedral. You could sense many emotions in the air at that event: Father Gournas’s own joy and gratitude; a welcoming happiness and pride among the many priests of the Diocese assembled there; and a certain wonder among all in attendance at the mystery unfolding before them, the special bestowal of grace that enables a man to transform bread and wine into Christ’s Body and Blood, to be the instrument through which we receive the Eucharist.
June will see the closing of the special Year for Priests designated by Pope Benedict to encourage among priests the “striving for spiritual affection.” Hopefully, the sharpening of attention to and appreciation for Priesthood occasioned by this year, among both priests and laity, will continue.
- Rich Reece