Reviewing 40 years - part 3

At St Francis de Sales Cathedral after the restoration, in Baker City Oregon.

My time at St Stanislaus Kostka parish in Pleasant Valley was a peaceful transition from the hectic Long Island and New York lifestyle. After spending 4 years in Upstate New York, I moved to Oregon in March 2003, being assigned to a small parish with enormous boundaries, having an area of 4,800 square miles in my parish. I realized then that Malta being 122 square miles, I could fit 38 Maltas in my parish boundaries. I also had 2 Mission churches which I had to visit weekly, 150 miles every weekend for as many as 20 to 30 people in attendance. 

At Elizabeth of Hungary parish in John Day, Oregon. (2003-2005)

But this was rural Oregon obviously and within my parish there are more horses and cows and deer as there were human beings in the whole state. And being in the far west, one had to learn how to shoot a gun, milk a cow and ride horse, all of which I did in 2005.

After 3 years in this country parish, I was asked by the Bishop to take over the beautiful Cathedral in Baker City, where I spent 8 of my happiest years. The Cathedral turned 100 in 2008 and so I led a huge restoration inside the church, a worthwhile work of art which everyone appreciated. Again this Cathedral parish had 2 mission churches which I had to reach every week, around 110 miles round-trip. I had an associate pastor for the first two years but the other six I was alone, and pretty busy.

A group of 25 converts I brought into the church in 2002.

The priests of the Baker Diocese and their Bishop on the steps of the Cathedral