Shortly after our ordination in May of 1964, the late Bishop Floyd Begin called my classmates Fr. Jim Schexnayder and Fr. Bill Macchi, and me into his office which was then located on West Grand Avenue in Oakland. He gave us various instructions on what we were to do as priests. I'm sure he told us to say our prayers and obey our pastors and do our work well. But the only thing I remember is that he told us to "be faithful to your day off."

Next week we will have the annual Mission Appeal collection. This year's guest will come from the Glenmary Missioners, a group of priests, brothers, and lay workers, founded in the USA in 1939 by Father William Howard Bishop, to work in areas of the country where Catholics are a minority. This area covers Appalachia and the South. In the region served by Glenmary there are 1.5 million people but only 11,000 Catholics.  Glenmary Missioners serve those Catholics and reach out to the unchurched people of that area. This is also one of the poorest parts of the country.