A Letter from Our Archbishop

My wife and I just received this beautiful letter in the mail, handwritten. Needless to say, we are extremely touched:

July 5, 2009

Dear Michael + Deanna,

Thanks for your company on the pilgrimage. Most of all, thanks for the inspiration of Matthew Sean's footprints. I was very moved.

Now I must make a confession: I had the honor the morning we departed Rome to offer a private Mass in the grotto at the tomb of St. Peter. There, in the crevice with his bones, I dropped the pendant, placing Matthew Sean's footprints tenderly, so he may be close to the Prince of the Apostles and Keeper of the Keys. I hope you understand. Selfishly, I wanted to keep it, but thought this reverent gesture would mean more to you and the baby.

Everytime you see St. Peter's Basilica, know that your baby's footprints are there with Peter.

Love,

Timothy M. Dolan

It's Time for an Update

I'm pretty sure that several months ago I shared the story about the retreat I had to direct last year--the one where I talked a lot about the Gospel story of the "Storm at Sea". Within days of that retreat, I faced my own "Storm at Sea" with my wife when we lost our son.

Since then, I've on and off dreaded Father's Day.

Well, Father's Day has come and gone, but I thought I'd share what happened that day. I was sitting in Mass, trying not to think about Father's Day, when the Gospel reading was read. The reading was... the Storm at Sea.

Today, a couple of weeks later, while on a pilgrimage with Archbishop Dolan and 150 others in Rome, Italy, my wife and I decided to give our Archbishop a piece of jewelry that had the footprints of our son engraved in it as a thanksgiving for his fight for the unborn. We also left the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, an envelope with the same. We had each worn the jewelry since last year. It felt like the thing to do, so we did.

A short time later, we were in Mass, and guess what Gospel reading was read?

...the Storm at Sea.