BISHOP HIGGINS, A CHRISTMAS SEASON TO REMEMBER!
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he drive to Lutz, Florida to attend our area bishops’ retreat took two days with an overnight in Savannah. Arriving in Lutz I was greeted with the wonderful news of the appointment of Father Neal Buckon (recently retired Army chaplain) as the latest auxiliary bishop to the AMS. What a way to begin a retreat! Sadly, the joy of this event was tempered by the death of Marilyn Stockelman, the late bishop Jack Kaising’s beloved sister. Her funeral was held in Valrico and Archbishop Broglio and I were ith the help of a wonderful Army able to participate in her memorial service. chaplain assistant I dug the car out spent the weekend of 8/9 January December 26th, and headed to Ramstein visiting with Fathers Rinaldo Damien (dioAir Base where I had a brief visit with General Mark Welsh, the recently arrived com- cese of Worcester) and Francis Roof (diocese mander of United States Air Forces in of Owensboro) at the Miami VA. Father Europe and an old friend from my days in Roof (former Air Force chaplain) is a recent PACAF. Then I hightailed it northwest to and welcome addition to the staff at Miami. Calais to catch the ferry back to the U.K. I Crossing “Alligator Alley” to Naples I visited returned to Washington on the 29th, in with Dennis Lynch, a faithful AMS benetime to re-pack and head south to Florida to factor and Father Vince Dwyer, a retired begin a 35-day, 5300 mile swing through the Cistercian and dear friend. Then, it was Southeastern United States! This annual back across the state to spend a few days trek includes visits to VA Medical Centers attending the Navy Priests’ retreat in North (continued on page 12) and a variety of military installations.
other Nature intervened once again, this time with a vengeance and I was forced to abandon the car in a snowstorm in suburban Stuttgart. Father Stanley came to the rescue and we made it on time to Patch and Robinson barracks. Christmas Day was a different story! Instead of celebrating noon Mass on Christmas day in Heidelberg I was trapped in the brand new Army hotel on Panzer Kaserne (Stuttgart)!
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spring / 2011 /
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