This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. By using this site, you consent to the placement and use of these cookies. Read our Privacy Policy to learn more. ACCEPT

Welcome The Stranger in Your Midst

My  father didn’t want me to be a Priest. Even though I went to public school and was an altar boy and a kind of “church mouse” when I was a kid, he said “absolutely not” every time I asked him about it. When I finally got the courage to ask him to explain, he said: ” you are my only male child and you must pass along the Marino name.” It wasn’t until High School was almost finished that he changed his mind hoping that, after a while, I would change mine. That never happened !

Now, thirty-six years after my Ordination, more people know the “Marino name” than he could have ever hoped for.

I do understand his concerns now, and I am sure that from Heaven, he is more proud than ever. In fact, a few months after my Ordination, I celebrated his funeral Mass.

I was a very happy young priest in my first assignment at Our Lady of Grace in Brooklyn for the first seven years, and then at Most Precious Blood in Brooklyn for two more years after that.  Then I had to re-learn what my ministry and my priesthood was all about when I was transferred to work in the Catholic Migration Office of the diocese.

I now had an office, a secretary, an Auxiliary Bishop as my “boss” and a whole new world of the Church to work in.  For the next twenty seven years I had the special privilege of directing the Church’s ministry to immigrants and refugees. I didn’t really like it at first, but gradually I grew to understand the great gift of the universality of the Catholic Church able to be experienced right here in our own Diocese.

I found myself celebrating Masses and events for immigrant groups of every nation  now present here. I saw their faith, their devotions, their love for the Church, their love of priests and I felt very humbled. I was happy to directly obey the Lord’s command to “…welcome the stranger in your midst” but I found that they knew how to welcome me more than I knew about them. In fact, I can say with certainty that the immigrants taught me more about the Church, the faith and the Priesthood than I could have ever learned in a classroom. I feel especially blessed as a Priest of this Diocese.

Two years ago, Bishop DiMarzio asked me to become the Pastor of St. Rosalia-Regina Pacis Parish in Brooklyn. With some hesitation I accepted this assignment and my happiness as a Priest grew even more. The challenges of administration were something that I had much experience with already as the head of a Diocesan Agency, and the pastoral challenges of a big parish would be an opportunity to renew my Priesthood again.

On my Ordination day in 1973 the Lord promised me that He would stay with me throughout, and supply me with everything I needed to be a good Priest and to serve Him in the Church as He would direct. I can honestly say that He has kept His promise throughout these years, and has given me more strength and courage than I could have hoped for.

I can see now why no one should doubt a possible vocation only because he feels inadequate or not “holy enough.”  The Lord still makes the same promise to every man who walks down the aisle of the Cathedral to be Ordained.  All that is needed is to trust and to let Him be in charge of your life.

 

Rev. Msgr. Ronald T. Marino

Rev. Msgr. Ronald T. Marino is the Vicar for Migrant and Ethnic Apostolates and Pastor of St. Rosalia-Regina Pacis Parish, Brooklyn.

 



concrete cowboy male enhancement pills reviews cannutopia male enhancement cbd gummies king kung male enhancement pills reviews truth cbd gummies male enhancement gummies choice cbd gummies reviews male enhancement pill ratings do you want penis enlargement pills clown keoni cbd gummies 1000mg hey kid want penis enlargement pills entourage effect gummies alpha elite male enhancement pills gnc penis enlargement pills size male enhancement pills does it work one pill male enhancement danger of penis enlargement pills pure kana cbd gummies are oprahs gummies safe male enhancement pills private label gummy bears youtube male enhancement 1 pill r1 performance male enhancement enlargement pills inviga boost male enhancement gummies where to buy ed gummies near me gnc natural male enhancement pills male enhancement pills brand names power bull cbd gummies price 72 hour male enhancement pill cbd gummys for erectile dysfunction thc gummies for anxiety and stress king cobra gummies reviews steve harvey vitality male enhancement pills fda male enhancement pills recall male enhancement pills that really works what are the top male enhancement pills

para que sirven slimming gummies are acv keto gummies fda approved how to make slime with gummy bears you can eat vegan acv gummies is oprah really selling weight loss gummies where can i purchase apple cider vinegar gummies does the apple cider vinegar gummies really work keto gummies juan rivera ree drummond keto gummies review max keto gummies reviews what do weight management gummies do keto ozempic keto gummies trace apple cider vinegar gummies vitafusion fiber gummies weight loss are keto gummies safe for type 1 diabetes blast keto acv gummies trubio keto gummies k3t0 keto gummies goji apple cider vinegar gummies lifetime keto gummies customer service number optislim keto gummies divinity keto gummies review phone number for true form keto gummies truly keto gummies reddit cheap apple cider vinegar gummies shark tank episode keto blast gummies true form weight loss gummies does shark tank promote weight loss gummies how do the keto acv gummies work truebody acv gummies super slim keto gummies bears pioneer woman keto gummies it works acv gummies crayon pop gummi diet uly keto gummies reviews reviews for keto acv luxe gummies customer service for keto gummies apple cider vinegar gummies bloating

best recommended cbd gummies to buy in michigan where can i buy cbd gummies near peabody ma purekana cbd full spectrum gummies reviews albanese cbd gummy bears prime cbd gummies amazon online cbd gummies cbd gummies kauai purekana cbd gummies en walmart cbd dosage for anxiety mg gummies cbd jello gummy recipes bio science cbd gummies reviews cbd gummies 20mg for sleep gummy bear cbd amazon oros cbd gummies amazon just cbd 500mg gummies vigorlite rx cbd me gummies smart cbd gummies 300mg side effects of delta 8 cbd gummies can i take cbd gummies on a flight cbd gummies for pain management keoni cbd gummies dick make gummies with cbd oil clean remedies cbd gummies uly cbd gummies review dale earnhardt cbd gummies native cbd gummies