Home for Dad's Birthday

Poor Clares' Adoration Chapel near where I grew up--this was an important place of prayer for me as I was discovering my vocation.

Close-up. The nuns are on the other side of the wall praying...

Dear Friends and Family,

I write you this afternoon from Bay Village Ohio, where we are celebrating my Dad's 70th birthday. So much to be thankful for! I've been very blessed to have a dad who has so many virtues: honest, hard-working, generous, loving, willing to discipline, etc. etc. (and a good sense of humor :). I have been thanking God today for this wonderful gift of a good father, which I'll probably only fully appreciate one day in Heaven.

So, I drove home Friday afternoon from Ottawa and am spending yesterday and today with my family. Yesterday we treated my dad to a Cleveland Indians' game, something he used to go to as a little boy, then that he took us to as kids while we were growing up, and still enjoys. Here's a photo of us at the game:

My brother TJ, Dad, sister Elizabeth at the game (brother Andy really wanted to come but will have to fly in later).

Yesterday included the fun activity of my niece and nephews showing me the "cave". The cave is located on the side of my parents' house it is... a little area in the bushes in front of the house, hidden in between the bushes and the wall of the house, where they put down pavers in order to make it a sort of club-house or tree-house where they could sneak away to be. Was fun to have them show me this and in general is very good to catch up with them and my siblings.

Speaking of which I will have to make this post short because I need to go back to be with them for dinner which will begin in a few moments, but I wanted to pull away to write you all.

This week I'll be essentially spending all-day every day studying for my comprehensive exams in canon law and also for the comprehensive exam (baby-bar) in civil law. So no risk of being bored! Providentially though I'll be doing that at home with home-cooked meals before heading back up to Canada.

But before that I'll have a fun evening which I had best get to now...

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Tony Pillari