Yes, a married Catholic priest, but he used to be an Episcopal priest, and I know that as I preached the sermon at his ordination many a year ago, but in truth when I first met him he was actually “Baptist,” or so that is what at least his family thought.  And everyone expected him to enter into the Baptist ministry, that is but Rick and soon me.

You see Father Rick is from Barberton, Ohio and when I served the Church there (when I was MUCH younger) I celebrated two services each Sunday among all of my other duties.  The second service was more of a family service that included music and a choir, but the 8 am service had no music, and was a blast, but far more traditional and “quiet” than that later service.  And the same people had been going to 8 o’clock for years, some 30 or more, and they didn’t even know the people at the later service.  It was far from stuffy, and was perhaps more like that with which I was familiar, but I was in my 30’s and was easily the youngest there by far, that is until Rick started showing up.  Heck I could tell you some time ago how old he was, but at my age now I would guess him to either be about 7 or in his late teens….I will put my money on the latter.  But he came and was a part, and then he left, and he kind of stuck out……that is until I finally said, “Rick, I don’t get it?  What are you doing coming to the 8?”

Now I can share this because it was far from a Confession, but Rick felt a call to the priesthood but was so far into the Baptist thing that he was sneaking over at 8 to be with one of my all time favorite acolytes Gib Radanof and me, and then heading to the 10 am service at the Baptist Church so no one would suspect a thing.  It was about as close as you can get to heresy for a Baptist, and it put a big smile upon my face.

I won’t bore you with the details, but I did try to warn him, yet we finally saw him leaving his Baptist roots and head to seminary in New York for his Masters.  We had become good friends, and he was a mainstay in my ministry in my very first (8 year long) charge.  My style suited him well, and with Fr. Bill and I not really threatened by a thing, we had him trying all that he could.  And Rick didn’t just excel, he exceeded.  He left for seminary and came out with not just a degree, but a wife and she is every bit as impressive as him.

All the while we kept in touch.  He took a parish in London, Ohio and went about as long as he could before the theology of the Episcopal Church became more than incongruent with their beliefs.  And whereas I “retired” and transferred into another Anglican jurisdiction, Rick and Kathi renounced their Orders and moved towards the Roman Catholic Church where they have thrived!

I always looked at Rick with great admiration.  He was and is brilliant, and even though I would ALWAYS offer to help him with anything he was doing, it was always like Charlie Brown offering advice to Nolan Ryan as to how to pitch.  He is a pretty spectacular theologian and teacher.  He took a position with the Archdiocese of Washington and has taught all over the world.  And he entered the Anglican Ordinariate which I wrote about some time ago, and was ordained first a deacon and soon after a priest…..a Roman Catholic priest with a beautiful wife and three children that he better hope to heck don’t have his brain…..they will eat him alive!!

Rick advises me now, and to be honest I enjoy it.  Heck there is not a lot I can offer to him as not only have a stroke damaged brain, but I attended seminary on a football scholarship.  But I did drive out to the Shrine of the Immaculate Inception to see him ordained a deacon by Cardinal Wuerl since I was going to be unavailable for his priesting.  It was a true blessing for me to be there, but I have been more blessed to walk with him as my brother.  He is like having a bright, tall, and handsome brother, but one who is not nearly as funny or handsome.  But he does that trophy husband thing pretty well, and has three great kids, and doesn’t forget who he is or where he came from.  He keeps it real, despite working in extraordinary circumstances.

I have learned a lot from him over the years and I am blessed by his presence in my life.  I do wish he lived closer.  He called yesterday, and I will try and get back to him Monday as I KNOW that he has a family that he likes to be around.  I will catch him when they are in school.

But if you ever get around to Washington DC, or you ever move there, know that HE would be MY priest if I lived there.  I have known many people “called” to priesthood in my life, but in him I truly see it, and I always have.  And I just thank God that Rick figured it all out!

And in a true reflection of our friendship, let me say this……I hope I got this all correct, as his handwriting was pretty hard to read!  I love you my brother and I am proud of you!  You are a blessing to me, and to many others!

The picture is one I found and scanned and must be pretty old as I am wearing a bad collar and I haven’t worn one of those for many years.  But it is still us…..in all our glory.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+