“Thou Art A Priest Forever”

Fr. Carroll was a good friend of mine. He was a good friend to many people… young and old. We loved Fr. Carroll…my wife, our children, our grandchildren, and so many others. He was a good priest. He had a twinkle in his eye, like he knew something that you didn’t know. I bet Jesus had a twinkle in his eye. 

Fr. Carroll died the other day and I’m sad that he is gone. I’m going to miss him. He reminded me of St. John Vianney, the Cure of Ars; he had almost no possessions and spent hours a day hearing confessions. The only thing he really enjoyed was talking about God. He loved to say Mass, to read his Bible, to hear confessions, and to talk about God…. he did enjoy a good dessert at times when he wasn’t fasting…which was frequently.

Fr. Carroll heard thousands and thousands of confessions. He heard my confession many times… always ending with “okay, be encouraged”. I think there should be a confessional carved on his gravestone. 

I don’t think you would say that Fr. Carroll had a lot of social graces. He could be a little grumpy at times. He didn’t beat around the bush when he gave his homilies. His concern was pleasing God, not pleasing man. 

Fr. Carroll didn’t live for this life on earth, he lived for heaven. His eyes were always on heaven. He always said that life on earth is a school to prepare us for real life in heaven. Well, he graduated from this “school of life on earth” with flying colors. He graduated “Summa Cum Laude”, and now he’s off to real life. May he pray for all of us until we’re together again….in real life. Thanks for being our good friend and good priest.

Thou Art a Priest Forever
J.B. Henri Lacordaire, OP

To live in the midst of the world, with no desire for its pleasure…
To be a member of every family, yet belonging to none…
To share all sufferings; to penetrate all secrets; to heal all wounds…
To daily go from men to God to offer Him their petitions…
To return from God to men to offer them His hope…
To have a heart of fire for charity and a heart of bronze for chastity…
To bless and be blest forever.
O God, what a life, and it is yours,
O Priest of Jesus Christ!