A Few Words Spoken on the Occasion of Fr. Romario’s Ordination

I'm going to break protocol here, now, to say a few words. What I'm going to say is in praise of God for the memory of some people who have passed through our lives. 

One of them is Abbot Cuthbert McDonald, who conceived, articulated, and initiated the implementation of this foundation here in Mineiros. Another is Abbot Thomas Hartman, who continued this implementation. After him, the other Abbots carried on this mission: Brendan Downey, Owen Purcell, Rafael Koehler, Barnabas Senecal, and our current abbot, James Robert Albers.

Let's remember Bishop Matthias Schmidt, who arrived here in 1961 with Bishop Otho Sullivan and Bishop Stephen Burns to begin the foundation. 

Let's remember Bishop Herbert Hermes, who arrived the following year with Bishop Ralph. Ten years later, Bishop Matthias became a bishop, and ten years after that, Bishop Herbert was also called to the episcopate. 

After them came Dom Eric and Dom Luke, who left deep marks on this city not only in spirituality, but in all sectors. Dom Luke was a painter and, in addition to energizing and giving life to youth groups, he taught many of them to paint, influencing some to become painters. He suffered a car accident, returned paraplegic to the United States, but left his mark here and never forgot this city. 

Then came Dom Rui (that is, Fr. Duane Roy) and Dom Robert Heiman. Today is the birthday of Dom Rui's sister, Linda Roy, and the day before yesterday, in the early morning, I finished translating into Portuguese a book of hers telling the story of Dom Rui, the mission, and the family. Some of you are in this story, and I guarantee that all of you, when the book is published, will enjoy reading it. Dom Rui lived among us for most of his life. Brother Robert worked extensively with Dom Eric in the development of agriculture and livestock farming in our area, when new planting techniques, pasture management, and improvements in livestock breeding were implemented.

 Then came Dom Henrique (Henry Deters), Dom Tadeu (Jude Burbach), Dom Franklin, and Dom Quirino (Kieren McInerney). They did much work in Mineiros, Perolândia, Portelândia, and Santa Rita do Araguaia. Dom Quirino worked for years in Ruy Barbosa, Bahia, with Dom Mattchias, and Dom Ruy in Cristalândia, with Dom Herbert. Dom Tadeu was a very close friend of my family, as was Dom Quirino. 

Dom Denis also passed through here, leaving his mark throughout Goiás, working and being highly sought after in the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, helping many families resolve their marital problems. 

Dom Romário, priestly ordination is important. But even more important is the burial. All those mentioned here have already passed away, leaving deep marks, especially on spirituality, and helping our Church to grow and become what it is today. May you, as a priest, also leave your mark, make history, so that one day the story can be told.