Thursday, December 04, 2008

Prestige WITH Merit

It's been a long time since a priest has been raised to the rank of Monsignor in this diocese. But now we have several new Monsignors -- and one of them is
-->Fr. -- whoops, I mean, Msgr. John Donoghue above, about whom you have previously read in this space. Msgr. Donoghue has been a priest for well over half a century, and served as the administrator of our diocese the last time we were between bishops. The man has come near to death several times in the last year or two, but the fight has not gone out of him yet. He still offers Mass weekday mornings at 7:00, even though he is now too weak to make it to the church without help, needs a walker (not only to walk, but also to carry his oxygen tank), and must celebrate sitting down. (Take note, all you young priests and seminarians who don't like getting up early.)
Congratulations to Msgr. Donoghue on this well-deserved honor. Even though we know he doesn't set nearly as much store by this as he does by the even greater honor he hopes to win when he finally reaches the end of his labors.

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