This past weekend, the Holy Cross community was thrilled to celebrate the ordination of our brothers, Rev. Gerry Olinger, CSC and Rev. Kevin Grove, CSC. You may recall that I had the privilege of giving Gerry and Kevin their retreat in preparation for final vows last summer. It was a great joy to see these dear friends and brothers ordained and to celebrate with their families and friends.
One of the most unique gatherings of the weekend took place Saturday morning before the ordination Mass.
Gerry Olinger's law school classmates Joe Reimer, Katie Bouton and Dave Brown, together with Katie's husband Casey, organized a tailgate party just as they did three years ago on the morning on my ordination. Thankfully, this year the weather was much nicer and the crowd that gathered had a blast.
When these great friends were in law school here at Notre Dame I had the pleasure of being welcomed into their tailgating tradition on football weekends. Long ago, at one of those game day events, it was decided that having a tailgate party would be the only appropriate way for us to mark the much more joyful occasion of our ordinations. I'm sure Gerry is as grateful as I was for such a tremendous show of support, and such a rousing good time.
The weekend was also a chance to reconnect with Holy Cross confreres from near and far. Father Michael Wurtz, CSC was in from Rome - and below, Bro. Paul Bednarsik, CSC joined Fr. Greg Haake, CSC, Fr. Nate Wills, CSC (in from Madison, WI) and former seminarian Dave Haalm for an evening social.
The men of Old College and Moreau also had a good time relaxing and celebrating, though they may also have been a bit tired from all of the work they helped do to host our many guests. Brendan, Ryan and especially Braydn seem a bit tuckered out.
Another great highlight of the weekend was that there were so many friends and colleagues from the University of Portland in to supprt the hall director of Villa Maria, Fr. Gerry Olinger, csc. Among others, Ken Hallenius, Mike Walsh, Brenda Greiner, Natalie Shank and Paul Myers were out from Portland for the weekend.
After the ordinations we all gathered again on Sunday morning for Fr. Gerry and Fr. Kevin's first Masses. Here, Joe Reimer greets Fr. Gerry after his Mass at the Basilica.
And as the pace of the weekend slowed, the men of Holy Cross parish hosted a casual barbecue for a few of the pilgrims from Portland - and for those of us who live in exile from Portland . . . including Charlie and Rebecca Keller.
On Sunday evening, Frs. Gerry and Kevin preached and presided together at Siegfried Hall Mass. Though neither of them have ever lived in Siegfried, both have had the chance to assist with previous Siegfried Hall retreats and became good friends with a number of the men there. Peter and Jake who joined me on the pilgrimage to Rome provided music for the liturgy . . .
. . . and after Mass, Frs. Kevin and Gerry were given their very own set of horns, making them honorary Ramblers forever. It was a proud moment for Fr. John Conley and for me!
Finally, on Monday and Tuesday evenings, Fr. Gerry and Fr. Kevin each came to say a Mass for the men of Old College. It was wonderful for our seminarians to have some time to pray with these newly ordained men who are such friends and role models. It was also a chance for all of us to ask the newly ordained for their first priestly blessings. Here Fr. Kevin blesses Karl Romkema.
From start to finish it was a long and wonderful weekend of celebration. Now the real work of their priesthood begins. Let us continue to support them, and all priests, with our prayers.
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