Little Rose Ida on her feastday at mass in our beautiful newly remodeled Church!
What a day I had yesterday! I shared in the early morning that I had plans to go to the Cities with John while he was interviewed and accepted at St Paul Seminary. After returning from mass, and Pat asking me to stay home and attend a funeral with his mother and himself... within minutes all plans changed. I was very torn, because I wanted to see Nancy and Gus and spend some time in the Adoration chapel praising God for the wonder of his hand upon us each moment of each day. Of course, praying for Joseph's safety and that of all the life in the womb keeps us on our knees also. BUT.... Pat had noticed that Fr Harry Tasto was going to be back for the funeral! You can have no idea of how important that was for me! I have heard about Fr Harry at least a hundred times in our 34 years of marriage. He is like a celebrity to me, and he looked shocked when I told him that! My entire marriage is based on how he touched my husband as junior high boy, and Fr was a new priest just out of seminary. Pat reminded him that the taught just the boys, and it was at a time in our history of huge turmoil with the assassination of both Kennedys as well as Martin Luther King and the Vietman war..."You taught us that we needed to rise above the mess of this world and be lights in our worlds."
Fr Harry was surprisingly young! I expected him to be a old gray bent over old man, and we discovered that he is just 10 years older than I - " I will be 70!"
I so wanted to share our story with him, so that he could understand why we embraced him with so much enthusiasm, after he had not been in our area of seen Pat for over 40 years! I didn't want to be a pest and follow him around, although I wanted to share so badly with him. I just prayed that if the Lord wanted me to share with him, that he would come over to us and act interested. Well, after the meal, we were standing by some family, and he walked over and said - "These people think that they know me." with a big smile on his face! It was my opening - "Can I tell you a story, Father?" He nodded, and I launched into our story - the story that is the foundation of our LIFE and LOVE and it is all as a result of the Holy Spirit working in and through him!
Ruth Ida Rose and Rose Ida at mass on their feastday yesterday - ST Rose of Lima!
My story to Fr Harry...
"The first date we had... we shared with each other the things that we wanted to find in another person. We both loved the Church, and both were open to a large family. Pat is from 10 and I from 12." Fr at this point shared that he is one of 13! "When we went to our engagement weekend, there were no other couples that were open to children. They all only wanted to have 2 or none due to the mess the world was in. They made me question if we were being selfish to want to bring a lot of children into this world. So I asked Pat this question, and he did not hesitate one minute... he told me - "The World needs lights!" And that is because of you and the Holy Spirit working through you!" By this time I was crying, and then I said..."It has not been an easy journey! We have 6 in heaven and 5 children, and he never said to quit or that we should stop!" Fr looked both shocked and moved by our sharing with him how he innocently touched and laid the foundation for our family and our striving to bring lights into the world! I can hardly hold the tears back even now to "see" with eyes of faith the Holy Spirit at work in my life and now flowing over into the lives of my children. When he heard that John was up checking into seminary and that he would be up there in a week to begin - he invited him to be in touch and I will certainly find a way for that to happen - this is a priest that gave us our direction... We have shared that so often in our working retreats and any chance to share that we have! It is so powerful and the TRUTH, and I rejoice when I hear the waves going out to cover and cross the entire sea!
Fr Harry and mom Verly - remembering his time here many years ago! Lord, on this feastday of one of your apostles, St Bartholemew/Nathaniel we are reminded of the wonder of your Bride, the Church! "For you have built your Church to stand firm upon the apostolic foundations, to be a lasting sign of your holiness on earth and to offer all humanity your heavenly teachings." (Preface II) Wow! How I love the True Church with such passion and JOY! There is no doubt of the Way, the Truth and the LIFE being in YOU, O Lord, and Your amazing wonderful Catholic Church! I am a river of tears at the realization of how the Holy Spirit touched my domestic Church/family through the sharing from the heart of one of your priests! I place our son, John, in your hands and am so touched by YOU and how the doors have flown open for him to discern a call to your priesthood! So many prayers are surrounding him as he starts on his 6 year journey. We trust in you, Jesus. Amen and Halleluia! 
Bless-bless, Barb This was the begining of our domestic Church - on our honeymoon in 1978!
John 8:12 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Cross references:John 8:12 : S Jn 6:35John 8:12 : S Jn 1:4John 8:12 : Pr 4:18; Mt 5:14
Kathy Trocolli - Go Light your world! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVqR6kTu8lE
I was a transplant to Minneapolis and had left the church many years ago, never to return....then I heard a mass by Father Harry. I am so sad that he is retiring. I was just searching online for his email address and found your blog. Without even knowing it, he has got me through some very tough moments:)
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