St. Agnes

Changes

After a rough, tiring week at work I was actually able to resume my Sunday schedule of vigils and attending the 1st Mass at 6:30AM at St. Agnes. Not that it has been so long that I attend this Mass, but I have been sleeping in until 4:30AM and not spending enough time in prayer before my trek over there. (The main reason I don't go to St. Augustine's for the trid Mass is because it is so late in the day, 11:30AM.)

Anyway, Fr. Ubel wrote a nice farewell of sorts, in today's bulletin, to Fr. Welzbacher. Surprising to most who know me, he was the real draw for me to St. Agnes. His homilies were fantastic, and his Pastor's Page brilliant, and he is a great confessor. He's a very sophisticated man, intellectual, and even rather suave, always dapper in his hats and hunter green plaid lined outerwear. Yet he is deeply spiritual and charitable as well, always a priest, often a mentor to others. Not me of course, I only have made his acquaintance. Nevertheless, I shall miss him. He will be at St. John's on the Eastside of St. Paul after a couple of weeks off. That was my parish when I was little - I made my first Communion there when Fr. Decourcey was pastor, and his assistant was a Fr. Roach - not the Roach however. I don't want to go back there - I have never liked the Eastside.

So there are just small changes appearing at St. Agnes. They will come in bits and drabs, slowly and reasonably, as is normal for a parish in transition. The first I noticed is that the bells are not tolled in the wee hours on Sunday, although I heard them on Saturday at 8AM, so they work. The second, Fr. Ubel announced the cancellation of the 5:15PM Mass on Tuesdays and Thursdays because there is now only two resident priests at the church. However they will continue to have the evening Mass on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, while retaining the daily 6AM and 8AM every day. That is good.

The other thing I noticed is that the Masses are not as long. I like it because it affords me a longer period of thanksgiving after Mass.

The only thing I don't like is the priests are younger than me now. I don't like being an old man. Monsignor made everyone feel young. Oh well.