Bumping into God: 35 Stories of Finding Grace in Unexpected Places

�

vii Introduction

I. StorIeS of God’S PreSence

4 TwoPriests9 TheQuietTeacher14 ABookstoreOneFlightDown19 WisdomTeethandWindowWashers23 GodHasaName

II. StorIeS of God’S WIll

30 GoalSticker35 ANewYear’sResolutionKept39 CelebratingGrowth43 GoFlyaKite47 RoadMapsandHardheads

III. StorIeS of God’S love

54 Mrs.LaFrance59 AFather’sSon63 AMother’sGift67 ToughLover71 NotinMyNeighborhood

Iv. StorIeS of God’S Grace

78 OdetoaShort-OrderCook83 ThePilgrimage88 DreamsandGrace92 ChristmasMorningMusic96 AnniversaryReflections

v. StorIeS of God’S SenSe of Humor

102 BeingBrothers107 LaughingthroughtheTears111 TheGiftofMartyrdom115 HaveaGoodDay120 SleepinginthePark

contents

vI. StorIeS of God’S forGIveneSS

126 APizzaDelivered131 AFirstReconciliation135 TheHoundsofHeaven140 AMessagefromanAngel144 ThumpingWatermelons

vII. StorIeS of God’S myStery

150 TheChristmasTreeandtheEasterCross154 HolyWeekMysteries158 OldSnapshots163 SacredHeart168 Gregory

172 Afterword

contentS�i

If you Have Had an exPerIenceofbump-ingintoGodandwouldbewillingtoshareitwithFatherGrassiforhisnextbook,pleasesendittohimc/oTradeEditorialDepartment,LoyolaPress,3441N.AshlandAve.,Chicago,IL60657.

God’s Presence

Stories of

People look for God’s presence in many places. They

gather in the basilicas of Rome or at the red rocks

in Sedona. I find God’s presence quite nearby—in

the magnificent complexity of the human person.

Are we not, after all, made in the image of our God?

This God lovingly created us and walks with us still.

Walks with the priest and the rabbi. Is present in the

Stories of

courage of two elderly

sisters, the faith of a

simple worker, or the

innocence of a street

person. We don’t have to look very far to find God’s

presence brilliantly reflected.

Meanwhile the eleven disciples set

out for Galilee, to the mountain

where Jesus had arranged to meet

them. When they saw him they

fell down before him, though some

hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke

to them. He said, “All authority

in heaven and on earth has been

given to me. Go, therefore, make

disciples of all the nations; baptize

them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy

Spirit, and teach them to observe

all the commands I gave you. And

know that I am with you always;

yes, to the end of time.”

~  Matthew 28:16–20

When I WaS GroWInG uP In the fIftIeS, Chicago was still divided into distinct neighbor-hoods. And quite often those neighborhoods were designated by parishes. So if someone asked where you were from, the easiest response would be “St. Bonnie’s” or “Mary of the Lake” or “Tommy More.” This immediately located you and in some instances communicated your ethnic background as well.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel was originally the Irish parish, the mother church of the neighborhood that was the suburb of Lakeview and is now a part of the trendy Near North Side. Big, beautiful homes with front yards and backyards and New York City–sized apartments have since given way to high-rises, four-plus-ones, and town homes. The area has become quite eclectic. But back then it was a classic neighbor-hood.

Our family was the only Italian one on our

two prieststwo priests

�

block. In school there were precious few others. There were some Hispanics, including a number of Cuban refugees and other nationalities. But the Irish were still in the majority, including many of the priests in the rectory and most of the Sisters of Mercy who staffed the school.

The rich parishioners along Sheridan Road and Lake Shore Drive guaranteed good collections and a solvent operation even as the parish’s western boundaries saw an increasing growth in less affluent minorities. Still, the parish would have been consid-ered a plum assignment. The castlelike rectory always housed four or five priests, including a pastor, a senior associate, a newly ordained, and a resident or two whose main ministry was outside the parish.

When people ask me why I wanted to become a priest and when I first considered it, I immediately think of a particular priest. He was a resident who taught at the minor seminary downtown. His homi-lies made people laugh and reflect. He always seemed to be smiling. We kids would gather around him after Sunday Mass, and he made us laugh. He actu- ally listened to us and was concerned about us. Fr. Gene Faucher was a good priest.

It was his example that convinced me to attend the seminary where he taught. It was he who was a support for all the teens in the parish. He was the one who stepped in when I got into some serious trouble

tWo PrIeStS

with the disciplinarian at school. He also taught me a little Latin. But, most important, he taught me a lot about having integrity, and he inspired me to serve people by accepting them for who they are.

While this priest was at the parish, another priest arrived as a newly ordained associate. It was clear, at least in his own mind, that he was on a fast track, and having this parish as a first assignment was a sure sign of the greater heights for which he was poised.

He never liked my brothers or me, among oth-ers who were not Irish. He was in charge of the altar servers and made his displeasure known when each of us was elected Supreme Grand Knight of the Altar (how’s that for a title!) by our peers over his candi-dates of choice.

My brothers and I didn’t realize this until years later, when we compared notes after a few glasses of wine. This priest had taken me off the altar of the wedding of a young lay teacher who had asked me to be one of her servers. Then he suspended me for not handling the incense respectfully at a novena where none of the other three servers had shown up, and I was stuck trying to balance the thurible and boat (incense holder) by myself (I ended up spilling it on the Oriental rug after charring my fingers).

He left the priesthood a short time later.The other priest went on to be a highly be-

StorIeS of God’S PreSence�

Religion/Inspirational

A natural storyteller, Dominic Grassi invites readers to share his warm, rich, and often funny descriptions of human triumphs and struggles, laughter and tears, youthful pranks and quiet maturity. He shows how God is reflected in the people we meet every day and uncovers grace in the most unexpected places.

Dominic Grassi is pastor of St. Josaphat Parish

on the north side of Chicago, where for the past

eleven years he has been making its motto, “A

church to come home to,” a reality for thousands

of parishioners. A lifelong Chicagoan, he has

served as an educator, counselor, athletic coach,

retreat and vocation director, inspirational speak-

er, editor, writer, and friend.

“GrassiinvitesreadersofallfaithstosharewarmmemoriesoflifeinChicago.” —Skyline Magazine

$10.95 U.S.

“Touchingandhumorous.” —The Courier

“Justcallit‘ChickenSoupfrom aCatholicPriest’sSoul.’” —The New World

Now in

Paper

back!

Now in

Paper

back!

Best-se

ller

Best-se

ller

“Auniqueandinterestingbookwellworthreading.” —RayMeyer,formerDePaulbasketballcoach