Berwyn Heights, Maryland 20740-2632

May 4, 2000

Editor

Catholic Standard

145 Taylor Street NE

Washington, D.C. 20017

Dear Sir:

As we remember John Cardinal O'Connor this week on the occasion of his death, I would like to share a brief encounter with the Cardinal that has made a lasting impression on my family and me.

One November a couple of years ago my wife had an opportunity to attend a professional conference in New York City. We had always dreamed of taking our four children to the Big Apple, and we saw this as a chance to mix some business with pleasure. My wife flew to New York early in the week, and I drove up later with the four kids ranging in age from 9 to 19. This included our severely and multiply-disabled daughter Julia. A blood clot prior to birth had left her blind, severely retarded, and with cerebral palsy.

We had such an exciting weekend planned!!! A friend who lived nearby was to meet us there and escort us to all of the main attractions. We had tickets to the fabulous Radio City Music Hall Christmas Extravaganza with its unforgettable live Nativity scene! We were going to ride the elevator to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building! We would shop at Macy's and stroll along 5th Avenue! We also had hoped to visit St. Patrick's Cathedral! It was to be a dream come true! And to a great extent our hopes were, indeed, fulfilled.

We were enjoying a wonderful New York weekend and awoke Sunday morning to walk to St. Patrick's Cathedral for 10:00 a.m. Mass. We were delighted to realize that our presider would be, in fact, John Cardinal O'Connor! How fortunate could we be! Little did we know the real highlight of the weekend was awaiting us there. The Holy Spirit had planned for us a far more exciting event than we could ever have thought of on our own.

From the moment we entered the church, I sensed something special about the place. Upon seeing my daughter Julia in her wheelchair, ushers ran to greet us at the front door. We were quickly ushered to the front pew with Julia in her wheelchair just in front of us. The readings and the Cardinal's homily seemed to be written just for us. The first reading was from the prophet Ezekiel, "Thus says the Lord God: I myself will look after and tend my sheep....... the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal, shepherding them rightly." In Matthew's gospel we heard the disciples ask Jesus, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or see you thirsty and give you drink?" And Jesus responded, "I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me."

In his homily Cardinal O'Connor spoke so eloquently about our need to serve the poor, the unborn, and the disabled among us. At times I felt as if there were only two people in the church, the Cardinal and myself. Throughout the Mass I was thinking how special this Mass was and how lucky I was to be a part of it. Then it was time for the final blessing, and the Mass was ending. As the Cardinal recessed from the altar, he passed just in front of Julia, my wife, and me. He stopped at Julia, bent down, and blessed her. Then he turned to my wife and asked, "Are you her mother?" My wife said yes and Cardinal O'Connor replied, "Thank you for taking care of her. God bless you." Then he turned to me and asked me if I was her father. Though overcome with emotion, I managed to nod my head yes, and Cardinal O'Connor blessed me. He gave Julie a final good-bye and continued on his way. It was a moment none of us will ever forget as long as we live. And as if this event could be made any more special, all of this occurred on Julie's 16th birthday!!! It was, without a doubt, the most meaningful birthday present we have ever received!!

All other New York attractions suddenly seemed, by comparison, to be insignificant.

Our precious Julia died last year on July 30 at the age of 18. Since I learned of the Cardinal's death, I have been trying to imagine the meeting that took place in heaven. I picture Julie running to greet Cardinal O'Connor to welcome him ..... and to thank him. To thank him for carrying out the Lord's command, "Tend my sheep." Surely, John Cardinal O'Connor has heard our King say to him, "Come. You have my Father's blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world."

Sincerely,

Robert L. Wassmann