(Outreach).
In June 2005, as I laid on the floor of St. Patrick’s Church during my ordination to the priesthood in Banbridge, a town in Northern Ireland, I knew that deep down, in every fiber of my being, I was called to serve as a priest. In that sacred space, I had been baptized, received my First Communion, served as an altar boy, run the youth group and participated in the funerals for my family members. It was not simply a part of me that was being ordained; it was my whole existence. Life came full circle when I was privileged to concelebrate my first Mass at Christ the King Parish in the Diocese of Oakland, Calif. At that Mass, I told the congregation I hadjust been invited by the chancery to participate in an “accent-reduction class.” I also told the parishioners that I would not be going to the class and that I was perfectly happy with my Irish accent. When they cheered loudly, I knew I was home.