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Dr Shari
Skeptic Friend
135 Posts |
 Posted - 01/30/2002 : 06:36:32
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I mentioned on another thread that I had married a Catholic Priest and it brought up a few jokes and speculations and it is a good, true story. As people get to know me they know when I say it is a true story you can book on it.
Life plays tricks on all of us. I was an atheist at age seven and knew it. I did not know the term atheist but I knew the stuff I was hearing in Sunday School was about as true as the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus but continued going to church for years because I thought it was the polite thing to do. I went on and lived my life, got married at 18, had a baby at 19, finished college at 21, had baby #2 at 22, went to Med School, got divorced at 24, and had just started my residency when I was called to the Neonatal Intensive Care because one of the preemies was doing poorly. The parents, devout Catholics asked frantically that we get a priest to baptize the child and after calling the hospital chaplin and 2 nearby churches and finding the priests all out to lunch at 2AM a technician suggested we call her brother a Catholic Priest who was home from Rome for a visit. Father D came in out of uniform wearing a blue denim shirt, jeans and penny loafers without socks but had his Bible, Holy Water and Vestaments. He had, I swear, a Jesus Beard and longish hair. This was the early 70's so JC SuperStar came to mind. I almost laughed.
I was holding the child in a blanket, was dressed in my blue scrubs and a blue surgical gown on backwards and because I had long hair at the time I was wearing a cap over it. He claims to have seen me for the first time looking for all the world like the Madonna and Child. As I was too busy being a resident, single mother and far too tired to have much interest in any man I certainly was not going to hit on a Priest but I watched him get the parents calmed down, go through the gestures that seem to comfort many people, and lovingly and kindly bless the infant. He stayed and talked to the parents for several hours during which time the child improved, according to the parents because of Father D, not Dr S, and we all decided to grab some breakfast.
It was at breakfast that Father D told me was seriously considering leaving the Church because they wanted him Rome starting up computer systems and what he wanted was a parish and to work with people not cold machines. I encouraged him to think hard before did anything life altering, finished breakfast and thought I had forgotten the whole incident by lunch but for weeks when I saw a black shirt and white collar I smiled at the thought of the gentle man who seemed to really care. About four months later the technician asked me to come to a party at her house and burned out I went and there was Father D now out of uniform for good and the rest is history. We married 18 months later and even though he know longer attends Mass or is a "practicing" Catholic because they want him to confess his marriage to me, a divorced woman, is a sin and he won't he is still a believer and we have solved the problem by just not discussing religion at all. We raised my children together and my daughter, now a Law student, is a practicing Jew and my son and his family are very active in the Methodist church. His family, still 20 some years, later think I stole him from the Priesthood.
If you think stealing another womans husband is hard try being the woman who stole a man from God.
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Garrette
SFN Regular
USA
562 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2002 : 07:03:09 [Permalink]
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This is how romances should be, Doc. A fine story. Congrats.
My kids still love me. |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2002 : 16:43:59 [Permalink]
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Maybe you said and I missed it, but what did he do for a living after leaving the priesthood?
"Not one human life should be expended in this reckless violence called a war against terrorism." - Howard Zinn |
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Dr Shari
Skeptic Friend
135 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2002 : 23:57:12 [Permalink]
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As embarrassing as it is to put me through school he started a computer consulting business that now has offices in 5 states. He never got back to what he wanted to do and that was help people have a better life BUT he is a great boss, generous with his time and money and as involved with his employees lives as much as they want him to be.
He has paid to have an employees sick child flown to a specialist across the country, given paid time off to a single mom whose father needed care after by-pass surgery and has helped me keep costs down in my practice so I can give good care to everyone. He is still a good, kind man full of strength and comfort in peoples lives. He has made a family of his company and I know after I am gone he will never be alone. He has even mentioned going back to the priesthood.
Death: The High Cost of Living
It is easier to get forgiveness then to get permission! |
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Xev
Skeptic Friend
USA
329 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2002 : 18:41:40 [Permalink]
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And they say romance is dead....
Very sweet, Doc!
Xev-Come not between the creationist and his pseudoscience-Bellringer |
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Donnie B.
Skeptic Friend
417 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2002 : 13:02:46 [Permalink]
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Dr. S, your story makes it clear how to answer your hostile relatives.
If god is love, then you obviously didn't steal him at all. By that measure, the man is still doing god's work... and in a more effective way than ever.
-- Donnie B.
Brian: "No, no! You have to think for yourselves!" Crowd: "Yes! We have to think for ourselves!" |
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