My father-in-law, John O’Hara, was a devout Catholic. He was born in 1918. His mother Mabel and his father had just gotten off the boat from Ireland when Mabel was widowed by the Flu Pandemic with a newborn. John eventually had the good fortune to have a well-off person in New Port Richey become his sponsor when he won a Roller Derby Contest in the 30s in Scouting. The gentleman put him through U.F. He served on a destroyer escort in the North Atlantic during WWII. I asked what action he saw. Only once were they sitting on top of a U- Boat that had them drop depth charge. The battle of the Atlantic was brutal, lucky with just one sighting.
So here it is, 1998, and I decided to get him a Papal Blessing for his 80th birthday. I went to Blessed Sacrament Church, which John had helped build in the 1950s, and saw the church secretary. She knew me well as I had been part of the family since 1975 when Janis and I married.
There was this book like a wedding album with a cushioned cover with sample papal blessing certificates in it. They were unbelievably garish and over the top, except for the first simple tasteful one. And the cheapest. I recall it was $35 so I completed the application and paid.
The next day Janis called me at the office and said the church secretary had called. I immediately knew what it must be about! She had gone to Father Tim who told her she didn’t think I was Catholic. She called Janis to ask.
“You lied for me, didn’t you?”
“I’m not going to lie to the church secretary!”
I went to see her. She was mortified at her error. I told her not to be. I had been to any number of christenings, confirmations, weddings, and funerals over a quarter of a century with the large O’ Hara clan (9 children plus in-laws, out-laws, and ex-laws). No reason that she shouldn’t think I was Catholic. I told her she had no reason to be embarrassed.
She explained that the parish priests of both the givers and the receivers had to sign the application to confirm both were practicing Catholics. I told her no problem. I was doing stamp shows selling stamps to collectors as a dealer (I began again in 1984 after a 20-year hiatus) and was staying with Steve in Jacksonville, John’s son, and I’d have him be the applicant.
I’m at Steve’s and I tell him the story. He was quiet and thoughtful when I said:
“What?”
“Well,” he said, “Two things.”
His wife Jeri was the leader of the PTO at their parochial school and, did not like the principal! And led the complaints that got her dismissed. Their parish priest was quite angry at them as HE had hired the principal, and Steve didn’t know if he would sign.
“Oh, come on, Steve, he’s going to sign. What else?”
“I can’t believe the Jewish son-in-law is the one who thought of doing this for Dad!”
The church secretary called me to come pick it up. It was letter sized, 8’’ X 11”. I made color photocopies for Steve and myself and got an off the shelf frame for it.
Janis’ reaction is that her Dad wouldn’t be impressed by it. I said:
“You don’t know your Dad!”
So here I am with John and Ann (her mom) presenting it to him. He couldn’t wait for the next Knights of Columbus Meeting to show it off. I was right. It hung on his bedroom wall until long after he passed away. And then Mother-in-law leveled one of her looks at me. I had said it was from Steve and me.
“Philip Spitzer! I know you have never lied to me. NOW tell me whose idea this was?”
So, I told her the whole story.
“I know my son would never have thought of something like this.”
I want to add Steve and I were very close friends until his passing. May his memory be for a blessing.
