You are one of them. You are a direct descendant of the twelve who were handpicked.  You can trace your lineage back to Him, who chose them and before your birth chose you.   You are one of them, a follower of Jesus.  A disciple, a slave of Jesus chosen to be obedient to the Will of God.

 Thank you for answering the call.  Thank you for showing us by example what it means to be a disciple of Christ.

 You are a priest forever under the order of Melchizedek.  Thank you for choosing to say no to the secularism, materialism, hedonism, and consumerism.  The cross before you, the world behind you, no turning back you decided to follow Jesus.  You answered the call and said: “yes Lord, here I am Lord, I will go where you send me”. 

 Thank you for saying no to the creature comforts of home, and cars, and yachts and wife and children, and money and position and power.  Thank you for saying no to the American dream in order to dedicate your life, reminding us not of a dream, but of an eternal reality.

 Thank you for preaching the gospel without words, but by example.  Thank you for preaching the gospel without addition, without omission and without distortion but with personal conviction. 

 We are grateful to have you as a faithful, loyal, devoted, zealous priest, full of the Holy Spirit emanating and radiating from within.

 Thank you for interceding for us, for baptizing us, for absolving us by listening to our confessions.  Through your conviction, our faith is validated through confirmation.  You nurture us with the Holy Eucharist.  Thank you for counseling us and joining us in Matrimony.  Thank you for anointing us when we are sick and dying.  Thank you for consoling us when we are grieving.  Thank you for remembering our birthdays and anniversaries and taking time to send us cards years later, even when you are no longer pastor of our parishes.  We remember how you love us. 

 Thank you for making yourself always available, 24/7.  You are a full time, 24/7 doctor of the soul.  Thank you for taking care of our spiritual needs in the middle of the night, in the wee hours of the morning. 

 Thank you for coming to visit us when we are homebound.  Thank you for coming to us in the hospital, the nursing homes the ER, the jail.

 Thank you for interceding when our teens get into trouble.  You have not become so absorbed in the social action and political action of our times that you neglect the most important action you were called to do… to say MASS on our behalf and to PRAY to Him for us!!  Who is minding the “store” of the altar of God??

 For Thirty years you have been faithful, loyal, fervent and devoted. Thank you for stretching out your arms to bless us, for opening your arms to embrace us, for lifting up your arms to pray for us.  Thank you for accepting the Call to Jesus and placing the gospel in your mind, in your heart, and on your lips to everyone you speak to, in your eyes to everyone you look at, in your ears to everyone you listen to, in your hands to labor in the fields planting seeds of faith and performing the sacraments.  Blessed are your feet, you come bringing the Good News.  Your exemplary life impresses Catholics and non-Catholics alike to take notice of what Holy Orders is really all about, to say “no” to the secular and yes to the sacred so that you are free 24/7 to be obedient to God and to care for His people without distractions and other obligations to take away the time and energy to serve God and care for His people and be ready any time of the day or night to talk with Him in prayer.

 We are grateful to you for all your time, your energy, your thoughts and prayers, your intercession on our behalf.  You perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

 We follow you, we know that you cling to Jesus and Mary, and we in turn cling to you because we know that you will not lead us astray. 

 You have shown us how faith without works is useless. Thirty years ago, you were ordained a priest.  You took vows called Holy Orders.  Orders to obey not only the bishop and holy father in Rome, but direct Holy Orders to obey the Supreme General of all creation.  Thank you for remaining with us through all the turmoil and chaos and havoc and upheaval of the 70’s and 80’s throughout the seemingly shapeless, murky confusing “collide-o-scope” of the 90’s.  You never abandoned us.

 When you are mocked and ridiculed and criticized and despised, be not discouraged.  He will lift you up.  Be not afraid, He goes before you always.  May He continue to hold you in the palm of his hand, and we will continue to pray for you and be grateful for your presence in our lives. 

This is only a piece of paper, but we know already that your name is permanently inscribed in the Book of Life. There is a direct correlation with the degree of your suffering to the degree of your love for God.  Those who are willing to suffer and sacrifice much, will be rewarded accordingly to their proximity to God.  May your suffering and humility grant you the higher seat.

John 14: 21 “He who has My orders and observes them loves Me, and he who loves me will be loved by My Father”.
Matthew 9: 37 “The harvest is rich but the workmen are few, therefore, pray to send out laborers in His harvest.
Luke 9: 3 “Go forth, take nothing for the journey neither staff nor bag nor money nor an extra tunic. 
Be catchers of men.  
Feed my sheep, gather us up when we become lost and scattered.

On this day, Saturday May 25, 2002, we acknowledge you for thirty years of service as a disciple of Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James, Thaddeus, Simon, John, Judas, Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, … Dennis.

 Fr. Dennis, you are one of them

                                                                                   Kathy & all your parishoners