Diaconate Ordination in Glennonville MO

The entire Deacon Class (with the exception of Deacon Stern who stayed behind to preach the homily at the Sunday Eucharist at the St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel) braved the five hour road trip to southern Missouri so that we could all attend the Diaconate Ordination of our classmate, Joe Weidenbenner of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. Five vehicles left Saint Meinrad at different times on Friday, hoping all the while that we would avoid the snowstorm that had ravaged a good part of the Midwest that day. The Ford van I was in arrived at around eight o’ clock Friday evening at the Holiday Inn in Poplar Bluff MO, but not before all six of us had a stopover in Sikeston to dine at the renowned Lambert’s Café, the “only home of throwed rolls.” Lambert’s was a great experience in southern dining, yet I wasn’t brave enough to catch any of the throwed rolls; I just asked my classmates to catch a couple for me.

After breakfast this morning, the class drove down to Joe’s hometown, Glennonville, for the Ordination. The liturgy was celebrated at his home parish, St. Teresa of Avila. His bishop, the Most Rev. John J. Leibrecht, DD, ordained him there, in the presence of his family and many friends. The whole crowd at the church gathered afterwards for the reception at the Knights of Columbus Hall where the picture on the right above of me and Deacons Clay and Weidenbenner was taken. (NB: Joe had to take off his clerics after getting icing on his coat and getting his collar all mixed up; that's why he's dressed up the way he is above.)