Day 4- April 21

Today is a sunday.  The gospel I proclaimed  related to the Good Shepherd.  Thus the homily was about vocations, since has been declared "Pray for Vocations Sunday"  So todays memory is about my dual vocations  marriage and the diaconate. The story of the first vocation.  While I was at SHAPE I had been fairly active in the military chapel.  I was in fact in in the process of discerning whether to leave the military in pursuit of religious life.  I was thus spending a lot of time in prayer in the little Catholic Day chapel.  there I met Paula who was an American chaplain's assistant.  The short story is we fell in love and married on June 19, 1982. (perhaps more about this on June 19)

After a long weekend honeymoon in the North Sea village of Coq sur Mere  I returned to my desk. there was a set of orders  transferring me to Landstuhl Hospital in Germany (this was not a promotion rather it was a punishment because I,  a Major,  had dared to fall in love and marry an enlisted soldier).  I recall reading the letter at my desk and going to the chapel to tell Paula. I stopped for a bit of reflection.  when there was tap on my shoulder.  It was the wife of a general who was part of the Catholic community at SHAPE.  She handed me an article about the diaconate formation of Trenton NJ. She said that I should look into this!

And thus God began his work on my second vocation. When I arrived at Landstuhl  I met the catholic chaplain Fr. Alcuin Greenberg, OSB.  (the Generals wife had contacted him) . He recruited me to do some work with him. One year later Paula and I were transferred to Fort Dix NJ which is located in the Diocese of Trenton.  During my in processing I had to register with the chapel. Upon doing so, I was led into the office of the Chief Chaplain, Father Col. Edward Speitel who in his Colonel voice told me that we have an appointment with the then Bishop of Trenton, John Reis. the next day (he had been contacted by Fr. Greenberg).  I demurely asked why, he said "we have to get the ball moving on getting you into the diaconate formation it starts in three weeks".  In the Bishops office, i was presented with an application, and interviewed by Fr. Mike Walsh, the diaconate director.  (they had been contacted by the Colonel Speitel)   Three years later i was ordained in the Cathedral of St.Mary in Trenton, NJ for service to the Archdiocese of the Military.  Now 31 years of Holy Matrimony and 27 years of Holy Orders

Deus vocat, vir respondet!