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Circle of life: priest administers baptism to great-nephew from his sick bed

Deacon Greg Kandra - published on 10/17/15

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A special baptism at Regina Cleri

Beautiful story, from The Boston Pilot:

On Oct. 3, senior priest Father John McCormick baptized his great-nephew Owen Rourke, pouring water over the 3-month-old’s head and blessing him, just as he had done for all his other family members — but this time was different. Father McCormick administered the sacrament from his sick bed in Regina Cleri, the archdiocese’s retirement residence for priests. Jay Rourke, Owen’s father and Father McCormick’s nephew, explained to The Pilot that Father McCormick is suffering from cancer, and due to his declining health wasn’t able to perform the baptism in a church or in even in Regina Cleri’s chapel. But, Rourke explained, he was more concerned about having his uncle be the one to perform baptism than where it actually took place. He said that his uncle had administered almost all of his families’ sacraments, including the baptisms of his other two children. “He’s married everybody, he’s baptized everybody, he’s buried everybody — he’s performed all services for every member of the family since he was ordained,” Rourke said. But Rourke said his connection with his great-uncle goes beyond these spiritual moments, calling Father McCormick his “best friend.”

Read more.

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