Op-Ed: My father, my parish priest (via latimesopinion)
What would it feel like to have a father? When I entered Smith College in 1954, I had no idea. Adopted as a baby into a family of self-sufficient women in the mill town of Norwood, Mass., I was fatherless. Could you miss something you never had? I would begin to find out on Fathers’ Weekend, an annual Smith ritual.
I needn’t have worried. Father Hip was a genial and experienced host. I remember, growing up, many festive Sunday breakfasts in his rectory after Mass. We were met at the door with the aroma of fresh coffee, which lured us to a big table loaded with eggs, bacon, ham, kielbasa and babka shared with family and friends. He was a storyteller, a lively conversationalist and a well-known and gifted after-dinner speaker in greater Boston.
He’d been a constant part of my life, and I adored him. But, well-trained by the rigid Irish nuns in my parochial school, I held him in awe as a priest, always feeling the distance of formality and respect for his position.That dinner at Wiggins Tavern was the last time I saw Father Hip. During my final exams, he died of a heart attack. He was 47. His packed funeral, on a hot day in May, is seared in my memory — the feeling of devastation, a desolation I could hardly explain.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Usher Pens Powerful Op-Ed Advocating for Juneteenth to Become a National HolidayVeteran R&B singer Usher has penned a powerful essay stating reasons why Juneteenth should be considered a national holiday. An excerpt is posted below; you can read it in full at the Washingto…
Read more »
Op-Ed: Those who exercise free speech should also defend it — even when it's offensivePeople love to claim the 1st Amendment to protect speech they favor, but resist similar safeguards for expression they dislike.
Read more »
Op-Ed: New Mexicans push a Spanish conquistador off his pedestalThe George Floyd moment of conscience catches up to Juan de Onate, Spanish explorer and brutal colonial governor.
Read more »
Op-Ed: Juneteenth celebrates an illusion of the liberation of Black people. I was raised on this realityThis year's Juneteenth celebration is different: It comes as America wakes up to the illusion of the liberation of Black people.
Read more »
Op-Ed: Quaker Oats may 'bury' Aunt Jemima, but her image will live on in powerful and subversive works of artQuaker Oats may 'bury' its racist Aunt Jemima brand, but the figure will survive in art that parodied the stereotype and turned it into one of power.
Read more »
Op-Ed: Don't just cheer wildland firefighters as heroes. Give them affordable healthcareWildland firefighters are facing a dangerous fire season and exposure to COVID-19. They deserve affordable year-round health insurance.
Read more »