Early in my career I met the Port Chaplain of Philadelphia, Fr. Tom Wassel, who in addition to ministering to ships' personnel also said Sunday mass in a small chapel on the pier. One Sunday morning I visited the pier to "touch and feel" my cargo and as I ducked into the chapel Fr. Tom collared me to do the readings. The Epistle that Sunday morning was St. Paul to the Romans where he exhorted his listeners to refrain from adultery and fornication among other things. So here was this callow youth at the lectern mouthing Paul's words to a group of longshoremen who possibly were out the night before doing just what Paul was railing against. All part of my apprenticeship.
tjs
(Excerpted from Eagleblue No. 30 - May 5, 2006
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