A dear friend passed away yesterday morning. Fr. Anthony Gagliardo, 80 years old. He was our chaplain when my family was stationed in Italy from 1989-93 and had a strong impact on our lives. I was 10-14 years old. Years later, in my mid-twenties, Fr. Anthonys example rose strongly in my mind as I was discerning a call to the priesthood, and I will be forever grateful for his witness to manly virtue and Gods love. But as this loss is heavy in my heart, my hope is alive for him as he spoke earnestly about his desire to go home to the Lord. Heres a note I wrote about him when I met up with him in Rome in 2010, 17 years after I last saw him in Italy as a young teenager. These words express well the feelings I have today of respect, admiration and gratitude for Fr. Anthony: -------- I went to dinner last night with a priest who was our military chaplain when my family was stationed in Italy, at Camp Darby, Livorno. I was a young boy, coming of age (age 10-14), full of hormones & angst, hopes & dreams, uncertainty & confustion, yet never short on an opinion. Fr. Anthony Gagliardo was a man of virtue and conviction and holiness. He let his no mean no, and his yes mean yes; he kept his word if he gave it. He was dependable and strong, he visited our family often and was always big on respect for our parents, especially our mother. But above all, the most important thing to him was his relationship with God. And because that relationship was the central meaning of his life, because he was defined by his relationship with God, he was able to impact the mind and heart and life of a young boy who has come to realize that his relationship with God is the most important thing in his life. It was more than what Fr. Anthony said or did; it was who he was that had the most impact. Its been 17 years since Ive seen Fr. Anthony, he hasnt changed one bit. He is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a priest and I was so glad I could thank him for being such a great example in my life, especially on this occasion of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart and the ending of the Year of the Priest. God has blessed me throughout my life with so many good priests who have witnessed to a life dediated to love of neighbor because of their love for God. Please keep the priests you know in your frequent and fervent prayers. They need them to continue doing what they are called to do, which is to offer the sacrifice of thier lives for ours. That is what Jesus did and our priests continue to manifest that reality for us with their lives and their minsitry. Vatican City, 11 June 2010, Solemnity of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 23:37:15 +0000
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