Sacrament Bingo

It's been a crazy week for our diocese! Rome announced earlier this week that our bishop would be taking over a diocese in Illinois. Until then, he's apostolic administrator. After he leaves, a new apostolic administrator will be appointed until we get a new bishop. Which means we're currently bishopless (even though Bishop is still around) and it could be months or a year or who knows how long until we get a new one. And we don't know if someone will be transferred in or if one of our diocesan priests will be ordained bishop. All the seasoned Catholics are speculating about who might be ordained, of course, but I've never met any of the hypothetical candidates, so I have no opinion.

Speaking of ordination, today was the ordination of a new deacon and a new priest! It was a beautiful Mass (granted, it's really hard to get me to say any Mass isn't beautiful, but still). It was a very crowded, very big deal. There were maybe forty priests concelebrating, and yes, the bishop was allowed to ordain the two young men even though he's not technically our bishop because the ordinandi promise loyalty to him and his successors, which is a key point.

I think the most moving part of the Mass was during the litany of the saints, when the deacon-to-be and priest-to-be lay face down before the altar. And also when the newly ordained were being greeted by their fellow priests and deacons and everybody broke into a very long round of applause. I've read that applause during Mass is discouraged, but I think in this case it was totally justified.

T. has been in town this week for the ordinations, which is why I haven't been keeping up with the blog very well. I've been spending a lot of time at the local Tim Horton's. Mmmm...coffee. The night before last, I drew up my Sacrament Bingo card on a napkin. I split Holy Orders into the deacon, priest, and bishop varieties and plugged them into a 3x3 bingo card with the other six sacraments. It's very exciting to see or participate in a Catholic sacrament for the first time. After today, the only ones I need now are a baptism and ordination of a bishop (which I could very well see in the near future).

Someone else was thinking along the same lines. As we were all heading down to the undercroft after Mass today, a lady appeared out of the crowd and gave me a hug and said in my ear, "Another sacrament, huh?" I have no idea who she was, but I'm guessing she recognized me as a n00b, if you'll forgive the internet lingo. Otherwise she's psychic, which seems unlikely.

Oh, also, Harold Camping's (incredibly unlikely!) Rapture was supposed to be today, which I pretty much forgot about because I was too busy going to Mass and having lunch with friends and enjoying the sunshine with my mom and cousin.  Life is good.

Tomorrow is the fresh new priest's first Mass at the fancy dancy church in town. I doubt I'll get chance, but maybe if there's an opportunity I'll get a blessing from him. I would have today, but, as I think I've mentioned before, I'm rather shy. LK will be there. Perhaps she'll bolster me. A blessing from a new priest does come with an indulgence, after all. Kind of an incentive to get over one's shyness, right there.

You know what's awesome? The Church. It's all so great.