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Jun 8, 2019

Pentecost Sunday

(the 60th Anniversary Msgr. Ed Fairchild)

June 8, 2019

Deacon Tom Barford

                                                                         

 

We come together to celebrate this great feast of Pentecost.  On this final day of the Easter season, we celebrate what some have called the “birthday of the church.”   The sending of the Holy Spirit, this great gift from our God, makes possible the Christian Life, that is, our relationship to God our Father and our ability to follow Jesus.  Although Christ has ascended, he is still with us in the sacraments, in the scriptures, in the community of believers (as he was to the early disciples). And through this gift the Holy Spirit dwells in the hearts of every Christian.

    

Many Catholics don’t seem to appreciate the great gift of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  In our 2nd reading from Corinthians we hear; “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings by the same God who produces all of them in everyone.  To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”  So, plainly we are told that while each one of us receives the Gift of the Spirit, at baptism, we do not receive the same understanding of our faith; that is we understand things according to our individual gifts.   

 Jesus says, in chapter 16 of John, “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.”   Jesus is saying this to us also, that each one of us learns differently and we only have the capacity to learn as our gifts have been given to us. So we are all not all expected to be great Theologian’s.  We all grow in our faith differently as our gifts allow us to learn.    

 

In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus say, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”  Writing about the works of the Holy Spirit, St. Basil says, “The Holy Spirit raises our hearts to heaven, guides the steps of the weak and brings to perfection those who are making progress.   He enlightens those who have been cleansed from every stain of sin and makes them spiritual by communion with himself.”

 

The point I want to make is that the gift of the Holy Spirit continues to live within each Christian. And throughout our lives helps us through many ways including outward revelations, the most important in my mind is the guidance that we all receive from Holy Mother Church through our priests.

 

So let me introduce myself to you.  My name is Tom Barford, a permeant deacon from St. Paul Catholic Church in Westerville.  And Msgr. Ed Fairchild asked me to preach at this celebration of his 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.  After Msgr. asked me to preach I was feeling honored.  I give my thanks and appreciation to Msgr. for all that he has done for me over the years.

Msgr. Ed and I have become very good friends over the past 25 years from the first time I met him at St. Peter church.  At that time I was a newly ordained deacon, almost two years when we found out the Msgr. Ed would be coming to be our new pastor.  And then I received a phone call telling me that Msgr. Ed would like to talk to me.  I really did not know what to expect.  As I entered the office at St. Peter Parish I was a nervous wreck, I felt calmed by Carol Wooten, Msgr’s Secretary.  Carol has always had the way to make people feel more comfortable.  Any way I think the interview went well, or at least he didn’t fire me.  One thing I did notice was that he did not seem to have a very good sense of humor; he was all business; which is day and night different from me.  I live by the words of Will Rogers; “Everything is funny, as long as it’s happening to somebody else.”  But over the years he seemed to put up with my humor.

Msgr. Ed, like all the priests, moved to different parishes throughout their priesthood and hold other positions in the diocese.  But we all know that the two most important positions were one, as the founding pastor of Seton Parish and, two as pastor of St. Paul in Westerville.  I have always known Msgr. Fairchild as a humble priest who did not push to be assigned to any one parish but served the Bishops of Columbus be going where they needed him from Bishop Issenmann, who ordained him to Bishops Herrmann, Griffin and Campbell.  Msgr. Ed has always loved his God, his Church and his Family.  

Msgr. Ed is and has been a good family man ever since I’ve known him.  Before her passing I had the pleasure of meeting his mother, Marie, at parish gathering at St. Paul.  I approached her and introduced myself and she looked at me as if I were “strange”.  I’m not sure she enjoyed meeting me but I felt good.  Msgr’s brothers Bill, Joe and Jim have always been close to him.  They still go out with their wives to dinner four times a year, and try to go on vacation each year together. 

      

Msgr. Ed has and will always be an avid reader.  I’ll let him tell you about his favorite authors.  And you know that most of us as we grow older, we tend to grow wider.  Msgr. Brags that he still weighs the same as he did in high school.  I for one believe him!

But I have to tell you that Msgr. Ed has had three serious love affairs in his life!  My wife, Halina, told me not to say “love affair” well because he is a priest!  But you’ll understand. 

The first love was his pickup truck; a 1970 Chevy that he bought from his youngest brother, Jim.  He took me for a ride as he told me of the way he had taken care of the truck over the years.  I smiled a lot, but I have to tell you, I just don’t get into cars or trucks that much.  I think he loved that truck because he could carry a large deer to the butcher shop several times a year.  I did learn some things to do for my own car that would prolong its life.  The truck is gone but he took great care to put it in the hands of someone who would take care of it.  I’ll bet he sold it with the stipulation that he get weekend visitations.  

His second affair was deer hunting.  A love he shared with many friends.    I think he lived by the words of George Bernard Shaw, who said, “Everyone can see that people who hunt are the right people and the people who don’t are the wrong ones.”  Again he would spend time telling me of the ones that “got away” or how long he sat in a blind for hours and never firing his gun.  He probably was reading a book and didn’t see the deer passing by.   All I could think of is “wow, how exiting!”  He has hung up his guns and no longer hunts, but I am sure he still has some stories about the “ones that got away.”  I do have to say that he gave Halina and me, on several occasions, some deer sausage, and some venison, which was great.  I’m pretty sure that Msgr. Ed has eaten every part of deer that can be eaten.

And his third Affair is still going on.  The love he has for his dog, Paulie.  He had another dog, a pug, when he retired from St. Paul who was getting older, so our school principal, Ann O’Flynn had the St. Paul School  children gave him a present of a puppy; a pug.  So you can see where the name “Paulie” came from.  Paulie is still with Msgr. And I know that the two just love growing old together.

  

In my 27 years as a deacon in the Diocese of Columbus, I can tell you that I have always found Msgr. Ed Fairchild to be a very spiritual and compassionate person and I have learned a great deal about how to be a person of service from him.  Msgr., please accept my sincere thanks for all you have done for Halina and I and may God bless you with many more years of priestly ministry.

 

As we turn now in anticipation of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, let us recall his pledge to send the Holy Spirit and the importance of the Holy Spirit into our lives.  In all we do, the Holy Spirit is with us. When the Scriptures are proclaimed, the Spirit opens our ears to hear the word of God. When bread and wine are offered, the Holy Spirit descends on them, making them Christ’s Body and Blood. Likewise, we offer ourselves so the Holy Spirit may descend on this community of believers, truly making us members of the one Body of Christ.