Aug. 3, 2022 I thought it was an interesting story. Father Philip T. Allen called me recently to share information he discovered while looking through the history of St. Joseph’s Church in Olmstedville, a small parish at the southern end of the Essex Deanery, right near the border to the Diocese of Albany. Father Allen said he discovered that when construction began on St. Joseph’s, the cornerstone of the was blessed by then Father Edgar P. Wadhams. Later, after the formal creation of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, construction was completed, and the church was consecrated by Bishop Edgar P. Wadhams, the first bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg. “We’re sort of the bridge, the connecting piece,” Father Allen said, noting the parish is a bridge between the Diocese of Ogdensburg and the Diocese of Albany because of its location, and it was a bridge in the progression of Father/Bishop Wadhams’ service to the Church. Isn’t it those bridges, those connections that we celebrate when we celebrate an anniversary? We’re celebrating those who came before us, building a foundation of faith here in the North Country. In my life, that has meant thanking God for the dedicated individuals who made sure there were churches serving the tiny towns in northern Franklin County and for my grandparents, who modeled a love of Christ and Church and passed that love down to their children and grandchildren. We’re also celebrating our connection to the future. In this moment, God is working through all of us. God calls us to continue building on that foundation of faith, sharing His love with those around us and with our children and grandchildren, the future of the Church. While we celebrate those connections to past and future, let’s also remember to thank God for today. God has given us a faithful, caring and loving bishop. God has given us outstanding priests, deacons and consecrated religious who serve Him, our parishes and our communities. God has given us one another, faithful individuals and communities dedicated to helping one another grow closer to the Lord. There are a lot of interesting stories, and I thank God for all of them. |
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