Ordination Mass for Father Tom

The liturgy was absolutely beautiful. So many grace filled moments...

Highlight for me: when our newly ordained priest's wife and children brought up the gifts (I've never seen that before!).

Something I will never forget: the burning bush (a floral arrangement was rushed out of the church engulfed in flame, crackling and smoking from a side chapel, where a stray candle had perhaps lit the dry foliage?).

OK, one more highlight: seeing Joseph and Peter serve as candle bearers with their friends Lawrence and Josie, processing and recessing with the tall candles... (and nothing catching fire!)

Joseph and Peter are seen posing after the Mass with Bishop Tyson, with whom Peter served his very first Mass at our church a few years ago. Joseph (scheduled to serve that day) had the flu, and as a sub, Peter served without ever having been formally trained... at a Mass with the visiting Bishop! He had learned what to do by close observation of his brothers serving. Peter has such fond memories of that first time serving that he begged me not to give away the (outgrown) pants he wore that morning! Should I put them in a scrapbook? I've never seen pants in a scrapbook, but this could be the start of a new trend in scrap booking...

After the Mass and reception we headed down to the Old Spaghetti Factory for a (day) early celebration of my dad (Peter) and my son (Peter)'s birthdays.

What a great day to visit the Emerald City...

Congratulation to Father Tom and to his family and to our whole archdiocese!