A Final Farewell for Father Larry

This past weekend, we at Ascension Parish bid farewell to our beloved pastor, Father Larry McNally, as he ends his 12 years at Ascension, and heads to St. Matthias in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood to be pastor there.  (Interestingly, the years he was Ascension's pastor is the same number of the tribes of Israel and the apostles.)

Back in March, as the time for his departure grew closer and closer, Father Larry, in his weekly bulletin letter, said a local newspaper reporter was going to do a story on his departure, and was looking for a few parishioners to share with him.  I gladly volunteered for this opportunity to offer tribute to Father Larry.  That piece was published in The Wednesday Journalearlier in June.

I typed up 2-3 pages of thoughts on Father Larry to give the reporter plenty of material to use.  Because of limitations of space, not everything could be included.  But to give a final farewell tribute to Father Larry, I share from the content of what I sent here.

The one thing about Father Larry that stands out to me from his time at Ascension Parish is his pastoral nature, which I saw on full display in my involvement in the Religious Education (RE) ministry.  He makes a point from time to time to visit the Religious Education classes.  He made arrangements to come soon after Confirmation for the class of 2014 to talk with the recently confirmed teens about their experience.  Every Lent, he comes to have the young people experience the sacrament of reconciliation with him.  Later on in the RE year, I asked him to come to my class, and when an initial date we set didn’t work for him, he made every effort to arrange a different one, as I could tell he really wanted to be present.  We did a show-and-tell during the class he came, and he even shared something special to him.

And when the Confirmation students have their monthly preparation meetings, he comes by to visit with them, fielding questions, and offering his spiritual insights, showing up at every meeting, except one that fell when he was on an annual outing in Wisconsin. 

I remember when the 2014 class had their first preparation meeting back in December 2013.  Before the DRE started the formal part of the meeting, Father Larry opened up the floor for questions.  Right away, someone asked him why God allows evil and suffering if He’s all good.  It was a serious question, but Father Larry was ready, and he gave it a solid answer.  One thing he said in response was the example of the tornado that had just happened in Washington, IL.  This disaster brought out the good in people as many aided in the recovery efforts.

Throughout the preparation process for the Class of 2014, through all their preparation meetings, and then after the Confirmation retreat at Brookfield Zoo, Father Larry made a point to be present to the students, encouraging them in the process of their preparation for this sacrament.  At Mass on the Sunday evenings of the meeting dates, he used his homily as an opportunity to speak to the young people about what Confirmation means for them. 

As for his homilies in general, he uses great, and sometimes humorous, stories in his homilies to help drive home the insights in the liturgy.  He uses a variety of interesting stories for his Easter Vigil homily, like the time he got locked out.  Then, one year on the Feast of Ascension, he told a story about when he booked a room at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

There was also the time when, in one of his homilies, he showed a newspaper—a technique he learned from a seminary professor—with a story about a cover-up of sexual abuse by priests.  He was apologetic about the conduct of his brother priests.  It was something profound to hear him honestly acknowledge this situation, and to own it, in a sense.

He shows his pastoral nature with the younger ones among us, too.  Every May come the First Communion Masses.  After the gifts have been brought to the altar and the altar has been prepared, Father Larry walks to the pews where the first communicants are seated with their families, gathers them together, and leads them up to the altar, where they stand behind him as he says the Eucharistic Prayer.  Last year, May 2014, I was at one of the First Communion Masses that happened to be on the weekend of the 4^th Sunday of Easter, which is also referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday.  By leading the children up to the altar, Father Larry gives a beautiful image of our Good Shepherd.  When I witnessed this last year, it touched me so greatly, almost to the point of tears.

He has a good, healthy sense of humility.  There was one night I had a dream in which he made an appearance.  The next time I saw him after Mass, I told him this had happened, and the first words out of his mouth were, “Oh no, a nightmare!”, in a tone that suggested he didn’t want to make too much of the fact he was in my dream.  Another time, when he was announcing that he was going to help teach one of the RE classes, he used that same tone of voice to say that they were really scraping the bottom of the barrel by picking him to teach.

Father Larry also knows how to have fun, even beyond his (in)famous puns.  He never passes up a good opportunity to acclaim his White Sox pride, or to kid around with those displaying their Cubs pride.  This got particularly interesting one time when, as part of the Ascension School Centennial Celebration block party, he went on the dunk tank seat in White Sox paraphernalia.  A kid so frustrated he couldn’t hit the target with the ball finally pushed it and down went Father Larry.  While walking around the courtyard dripping wet, he met a very distinguished guest—none other than former IL Governor Pat Quinn.

At the end of the 2013-2014 Religious Education year, at the catechist appreciation brunch, the entertainment was one of the sisters from Late Nite Catechism.  Father Larry was present, and I can still remember how red his face turned from laughing at Sister’s jokes.  He was having fun with that woman!  He definitely knows how to laugh.

He never ceases to express his appreciation for our participation in the life of the Church.  Every time he celebrates Mass, when he comes out before the assembly before the opening procession, he always thanks the people for coming, whether a nice summery day, or a wintry day with a raging snowstorm.  In doing so, he acknowledges that we aren’t robots who arrive at church at the press of a button, but recognizes the effort we make in the midst of everything going on in our lives to come to church to worship the Lord with each other.  Even though there is an obligation, he doesn’t presume upon that, and makes sure to express his appreciation for our coming to be present with the Lord and one another.

He has had good rapport with people at our parish, enjoying good conversation with people in the church entrance after Mass.  In June of last year, when Ascension was featured on the Sacred Spaces House of Worship Tour, Father Larry was out in front telling visitors about the features out there.  The volunteer helping check visitors in at Ascension pointed out that Father Larry kept waving to people who drove by the church, as there are many he knows in the community.

Father Larry has also affirmed me in personal ways.  Back in May 2012, when I had come home for the summer from college, I opened a letter envelope from Ascension.  Inside, I found a typed letter from Father Larry, asking me to serve on committee that would help plan and run the Theology on Tap speakers’ series at Ascension that summer.  He said at the top he had been “snookered” by the Archdiocese’s Office for Young Adult Ministry, not aware that when he agreed for Ascension to host, that we would have to run it.  He then added a handwritten note at the bottom suggesting this would be a good opportunity for me.  I agreed to help out.  After our first committee meeting, Father Larry’s concern over doing this relaxed into delight that many of us young adults had so eagerly pitched in to help, with all our creative ideas.  Being part of Theology on Tap was one of the best faith formation experiences I ever had, not to mention a great way to spend a few summer Sunday evenings.

After graduating from college, I was struggling with some issues as I started out in my career life.  I asked Father Larry if I could meet with him, and he carved out a time in his schedule for me.  During the course of our conversation, he urged me to make good use of all the talents and skills I have in some kind of work, even drawing from his own life experiences.  Hearing those words from him spurred me on more than when I had heard such sentiments from anyone else during those first few months after college graduation.

There was one other great affirmation I received from Father Larry.  It was the day that the Confirmation Class of 2014 received the sacrament back in October of last year.  I had been out with others during the day, and was not present at the Confirmation Mass.  In the evening, after I had finished dinner, I decided to go for a walk to Ascension, to see if I could catch Bishop Kane, who had confirmed me back in 2005, and was there for the class of 2014.  As I approached the church, I looked over to the side entrance by the parking lot, and saw a group of people standing there.  Lo and behold, the group included Father Larry and Bishop Kane.  After greeting the Bishop, and exchanging a few words with him, Father Larry then told him about how involved I was in Church ministries, saying that Bishop Kane’s confirmation of me had “worked”.  It was an amazing moment in which I could take stock of how I had grown in my faith life since the day I stood before Bishop Kane to receive the sacrament, and where that path had taken me, even to participate in the formation of those who had just been confirmed that evening.

This past weekend, Father Larry celebrated his last Masses as Ascension pastor this past weekend, and it was one of those few times that Mass was an emotional experience.  I went up to Father Larry as he walked into Church right as 7:30 Mass was about to start, and told him that it was time for me to say goodbye, but that it would take an hour to do so: I would use the Mass liturgy as my farewell to him, because no matter what circumstances are before us, the liturgy is what God gives us through His Church as our prayer back to Him for whatever is on our hearts.

I’m certainly going to miss Father Larry, because he has had such a good presence at Ascension as our pastor.  In fact, it’s kind of hard for me to picture Ascension without him, because I associate him so strongly with Ascension. But I take comfort that we are part of the Body of Christ, which transcends all time and space, spanning Earth and Heaven, which we celebrate every week at Mass.  And so we shall continue together, even in separate geographic locations, on this Earthly pilgrimage, as we await the day we join together in Heaven before God.  And as he has said he shall always pray for us at Ascension, I shall unceasingly pray for him, especially that he will faithfully do the work God has for him as pastor of St. Matthias.

I also cherish an adage that I encountered a couple of times during the festivities held throughout the weekend to honor Father Larry: “Don’t cry because it’s over, but smile that it happened”.  Even in the midst of wistfulness, I am definitely smiling, knowing how blessed all of us are at Ascension Parish that we had Father Larry as our pastor for these past 12 years.

Father Larry (in red shirt) singing "Getting to Know You" at the Variety Show held on Saturday

Father Larry at his last Mass at Ascension as pastor, in a green vestment, seated in the presider's chair, just to the right of the Chi-Rho (XP)

Father Larry bows his head as Deacon Joe Walsh, to the left of him, leads the congregation gathered in a farewell blessing for Father Larry

Father Larry on the move...approaching the church vestibule at the end of the recessional that closed his final Mass as Ascension's pastor, ready to walk out of Church and speak with the throngs of parishioners who gave him their farewells

A throw-back to October 15, 2005, a good day many years ago:  Here I am posing with Father Larry at the reception following the Mass at which I was confirmed, the start of a great new phase of my faith journey.  Less than two weeks later, Father Larry would be in heightened euphoria celebrating the White Sox victory in the World Series.

P.S. There was a Variety Show held on Saturday, with a great collection of acts in tribute to Father Larry.  Here's a list of a few more songs that I feel befit this occasion, if you care to take some time to listen to them, as a few more for the road:

"It's Time to Say Goodbye"

"Don't Cry for Me, Argentina"

"Amigos para Siempre"

"The Circle of Life"

"My Place in this World"

"No Longer Strangers"