And to think I missed this.
It's old...but hey, it's the Duke! No other reason is neccessary.
Posted on 10/28/2005 6:29:19 PM PDT by franky
Earlier, Mara had spoken of his father’s unshakeable Catholic faith.
“My father’s faith was his strength,” Mara said. “It never wavered no matter what happened in his life, no matter how sick he was. He and my mother went to Mass every day and made sure that we went on every Sunday and Holy Day. Long after we were married with children of our own, he would still call to remind us about an upcoming Holy Day of Obligation. Each year at Christmas time, the confession schedule of our parish was hung on the refrigerator door with a little handwritten note: “No confession, no Santa” he wrote.
“As sick as he was, he still received communion every day in the hospital, his rosary beads never left his hands. His family was his pride and joy. He was married to my mother for more than 51 years and they had as wonderful a marriage as I have ever seen. I can’t even remember them raising their voices to one another. They met, of course, in church when a woman fainted and they both ran to assist her. My father later claimed that the whole thing was staged by my mother’s Aunt Lil in order to get his attention. Well, after 51 years of marriage, 11 children, 40 grandchildren soon to be 42, I would say that she got his attention. When my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary about a year-and-a-half-ago right here in St. Patrick’s, my mother asked him if they could renew their vows. He was very reluctant at first. but went along with it. When Cardinal Egan asked him during the ceremony, ‘Will you accept children lovingly from God?’ the look on his face seemed to say, ‘Your Eminence, I think that ship sailed a long time ago.’”
(Excerpt) Read more at giants.com ...
Cardinal Egan perhaps best summed up Mara. “Wellington Mara,” he said, “was a Giant in every best sense of that word.”
Great man, great family, great post. Thank you.
Neat! RIP, Mr. Mara.
And to think I missed this.
It's old...but hey, it's the Duke! No other reason is neccessary.
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