In the life of a parish, where layers of tradition are tiered with transition and change, there are moments of grace alog with all the challenges, and there are persons of wisdom as well. Fr. Nick is one of those rare persons whose humanity, faith, and reason are aligned with dignity, respect and purpose. In a church of change, diminishment and growth, he manages to be a rudder and a light all at once. Most importantly, his embrace of difference, understanding of perspectives and genuine kindness makes life easier for others. In his own battles, his openness and honesty were stirring reminders of human fragility and human strength. There were times when he sat to share the liturgy, when he used a chair to deliver the homily, when he sat in the lobby of the church to greet parishoners at the end of Mass. Maybe the times which were revealing of his character was the awe of his assistant conveyed in countless anecdotes that inevitably drew laughter from the congregation. That younger priest regularly shared, quite humbly, what he was learning from his mentor. It all shows that the often predicted demise of Catholicism is not as imminent as some predict. Instead, there are Catholics out there willing to take that one small step at a time to bring comfort to a suffering world. You know who you are…thanks to each of you and special thanks to Fr. Nick!
At Home as a Catholic 