Chapter 251 – Reminder of a Promise
From where he was sitting, Father Mark put his hand on each Jack and Elizabeth's shoulder.
"Heavenly Father." Father Mark prayed. "Please watch over these two young people as they are struggling with finding a balance of loving each other and respecting the limitations and boundaries that have been placed on them. Help them to remain focused on You as they move forward planning the wedding. Help them to remember that the wedding is only day one of the marriage. Being ready to live a Christian lifestyle after the wedding is as important as the wedding. Help them not to be caught up in all the ribbons and paper of the wedding and forget that it is the start of a marriage. Help them to remember the pledge they have made to each other tonight, now and as they move forward. Hold them close and comfort them as they deal with other issues joining two lives present. Lord God, You and You alone know the cries of their hearts. Hear those cries and help them to be ready to take this next step in their lives. Amen."
"Amen." Jack and Elizabeth both said.
"Thank you for everything." Jack said. "I know that it hasn't been easy for you to be there for me, especially today, but thank you."
"I told you that I would always be there for you." Father Mark said. "I made that promise more than three years ago for the first time and I have since repeated that promise with a stronger emphasis.. I told you no matter where life takes me, I would be there for you. I am a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, but you are my family. I may one day get moved from Saratoga, but you are still my family. Nothing is going to change that."
Jack just shrugged his shoulders. Father Mark took Jack by both shoulders and turned him to face him. He then lifted Jack's chin to look him in the eye.
"Even though I had promised to always be there for you." Father Mark said. "What did I promise you when we were sitting in the hospital waiting room waiting to hear any news about Laura? What did I say to you? If you don't remember, we can go ask Doug or Lee, they were right there. But I know you and I know that you remember that conversation. I also know that it has been something that you have clung to over the years, especially with everything with your parents."
Jack just hung his head.
"I am not going to give you a pass on this." Father Mark said. "Tell me what I promised you that day."
Jack closed his eyes as the tears filled them. Elizabeth sat there silently waiting to hear what Jack was going to say. She looked at Father Mark and saw a look that she couldn't quite make out. There was compassion in his eyes, but there was something else that she couldn't quite discern.
"You …." Jack said. "You said you would always stand behind me."
Jack wiped a tear that slipped from his eye.
"No." Father Mark said. "What did I say word for word?"
Jack took a deep breath.
"You knelt in front of me." Jack said. "And you said other than the vows you would make as a priest the following would be the most important words you would say in your entire life. You then said
1) you would resolved, with the help of the Holy Spirit to always be there for me no matter where life took us
2) you would resolve to always honor my choices, even when you disagreed with them morally
3) you would resolve to always faithfully and reverently pray for me and those that were important to me
4) you would support my choice of spouse no matter what
5) you would never look down on me because I wasn't exactly the way that you wanted me to be or thought I should be
6) you would always trust my judgment when it came to horses and business, even if you would do it differently
7) and finally you resolved to always make time for me when I was in need of a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on.
You then drew the sign of the cross on my forehead to seal the promises that you made to me."
"That is right." Father Mark said.
"Why seven different things?" Elizabeth asked.
"Because when we take vows as a priest." Father Mark said. "We are asked seven questions that we agree to before the Bishop prays over us. At that time, Jack would have recognized the significance of the seven things."
"I did." Jack said. "I also realized what you were doing by kneeling in front of me and drawing the sign of the cross on my forehead at the end. And you are right, I have gone back to those words many times over the years. And you are also right, you have upheld everything that you promised that day, even if I haven't been the best person. You were there for me when I was at my lowest and have been there for me every day since, even if we don't see each other every day."
"That explains why you are so close, especially with your age difference." Elizabeth said.
"Other than Doug and Lee." Jack said. "You are the only other person who knows what was said that day and I would like to keep it that way. Other people might not understand and they will take it the wrong way."
"I won't say anything." Elizabeth said.
"Thank you." Jack said. "As of this afternoon, there is nothing that Father Mark doesn't know about my life. I told him my feelings about Laura. So now there is nothing that he doesn't know about me. He knows every password, every passcode that I have. He has access to everything I have if there was ever a need. Since I have been sixteen years old, there is nothing that I have held back from him, with the exception of how I felt about what happened to Laura."
"Everything?" Elizabeth said.
"Everything." Jack said. "Every victory, every failure, every business decision. Everything. I talked to him about taking over, before I talked to Grandpa John. I might not have used the words 'Coal Creek' but I am sure he figured it out."
"Jack and I have talked at least weekly since the day he left the hospital when Laura was injured." Father Mark said. "Obviously when he has been here, it has been more, but even in the city we would call. I knew about the struggles with Jack's parents before he talked to Doug or Lee. They may have observed things, but he talked to me first. I knew about you the night you arrived at the apartment. Jack might have only sent me a quick text to pray, but I knew. I talked to him early the next morning. I knew about his feelings for you before he figured them out himself. I heard it in his voice that first morning when you were at the apartment.
I wrote in my journal that morning that I was going to be presiding over Jack's wedding before I knew it. He might have known that he cared for you when he drove away after leaving you at your father's house that afternoon, but it was talking to Jack the next morning that I realized that he loved you and that you were going to be the one he was going to marry. I cautioned him to be a gentleman and take his time. Well at least he listened to one and was a gentleman."
"Time is relative." Jack said with a smile.
"Good to see that smile again." Father Mark said. "It has been missing the last few days."
John, James and Margaret sat at the table and talked about a few other things, including the unreasonable actions of their children. They would occasionally glance back toward the library, but then go back to their conversation. They wanted things to work out for Jack and Elizabeth, but they were also worried that they had been in there for so long.
"Should we check on them?" James asked.
"As worried as we all are." John said. "We need to let them work it out themselves. They are in good hands with Father Mark, as I am sure that you are aware."
"Yes." Margaret said. "He has always been able to get JP to see reason. It wasn't until the last few weeks, how much of a difference that Father Mark has on JP."
"I think they have been like that for a long time." James said. "I mean despite their age difference, they have always been able to talk about things. I have heard them talking about horses, business, music and many other things."
"I know that JP talked to Father Mark before and during our time while putting the plan for the future together." John said. "I don't know how much he shared the details with him, but I know that he bounced ideas off of him and asked him about how to word certain things. Honestly, I am glad that he has someone like Father Mark that he can go to. It is great that he has Doug, Lee and now Nathan and Frank, but I think it will be Father Mark who will be the one to keep him grounded."
"I would have to agree with that." Margaret said. "I just hope that others won't read into the situation the wrong way. I mean Father Mark has been very involved in Jack's life, especially the last few years. He was there for his confirmation, then again for baccalaureate and graduation Mass. Now, he is staying out here while JP and his friends are staying as well."
"I think we will be fine." James said. "If someone says something, it can be addressed that Father Mark is family and we have always allowed him to be out here whenever he wanted. The fact that he gets to relax and hang out with his cousin and friends doesn't change that."
"True." Margaret said. "I just know how rumors can get started and grow. They can ruin a person, even if there is no truth to them."
"We all know that." John said. "But let's not borrow trouble."
The three grandparents sat and continued to talk about things, but once again the conversation was brought back around to family and those that had gone astray. They were all worried about what those who were no longer in the family circle would do with not only Jack and Elizabeth getting married, but him taking over both companies. John knew that he had written the contracts and wills in a way that they couldn't be contested. John was still worried that they could cause other trouble.
"Do others realize how close you are?" Elizabeth asked, looking between the two.
"I think Doug and Lee know how important Father Mark is to me." Jack said. "Other family members, I don't know. I think Gran sees to an extent. I think most of them think we bonded over horses and our shared love of music. My family might not have known that I played a bunch of instruments, but they have always known that I loved music. I have a very large collection of vinyl records and CDs. My collection is also very eclectic. While it mainly consists of country and Christian. I have everything from rhythm and blues, jazz and Southern rock to classical and opera. I have music from the forties and fifties to things that came out this year."
"What are we talking about?" Elizabeth asked. "Like how big?"
"Big enough that I have an insurance policy on it." Jack said. "Devin moved everything over to the apartments when he moved my stuff out. There are boxes with several thousand records and others with several hundred CDs sitting in the second bedroom of your apartment right now. Along with my stereo system in the library. Depending on what happens, I might have to put some of it in storage or even move it up here. A third of my collection is here up in the music room. Well in the loft above."
"And you like music as well?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes." Father Mark said. "I got a Bachelor of Music degree while also getting my Bachelors of Sociology and Theology. I technically have multiple advanced degrees. I might not play as well as Jack, but over the years we have shared a love of music from listening to playing. Jack really expanded my musical palette. I mainly listened to what I was raised on, plus Church music. Now, I love a good jazz album or even an opera."
Jack again ducked his head at the compliment. He still had a hard time accepting praise. Elizabeth looked at him and smiled. She loved to see the friendship between Jack and Father Mark. Even if they were related, their relationship when well beyond that of cousins. She was glad to see it.
"Wow." Elizabeth said. "I knew that most ministers went to school, I didn't realize that they had advanced degrees."
"We are required to get a four year degree before we enter seminary." Father Mark said. "I had three of them when I entered seminary. While in seminary, I got my masters. One of the priests that I went through seminary with had a four year degree in education with a minor in theology. He finished seminary with masters in theology. He was ordained and now teaches in the city."
"I just thought all those who graduated from seminary went on to be priests." Elizabeth said.
"He is a priest." Father Mark said. "He is just not a diocesan priest like me. He was ordained as a religious order priest and is a member of the Jesuits. They are primarily known for their education and have many schools throughout the country. He was able to combine his love of teaching and his call to the priesthood. It works perfectly for him. He says Mass and does other things that priests do, but he also happens to teach high school math."
"That is cool." Elizabeth said. "So did you attend Catholic school or public school?"
"Both." Father Mark said. "I attended a public elementary school and then graduated from Saratoga Central Catholic School."
"I thought there wasn't a Catholic high school." Elizabeth said. "Which is why you are building one."
"We didn't say that." Father Mark said.
"No, we said it would be nice to have another option." Jack said. "Central Catholic has a huge waiting list because it is the only Catholic high school in the county. Its admission is first come first serve. The one that we are raising money to build, would give priority to the two parishes in town."
"Oh." Elizabeth said. "I guess that makes sense."
"There is enough interest that it is going to be worth it." Father Mark said. "It will probably eliminate the waiting lists for the high school."
"Why didn't you go to Catholic elementary?" Elizabeth asked.
"Siblings, money, parents preference." Father Mark said. "You need to understand, my parents, while in a great place now, it hasn't always been that way. Gran loves my parents and she loves us, their children, but it wasn't without struggles. My parents were married outside the church. They got married because they got pregnant. They struggled being young, married and pregnant. They had issues and that led to them stepping back from the Church, instead of seeking out help. Gran and Grandpa tried to help out, but my parents resisted that help. They wanted to prove that they could do it on their own. Gran always made sure we had food and clothes, but there wasn't much more from what I understand.
When I was born in the late eighties, my parents were still at odds with the Church. When I was about eighteen months old, I had a very bad bout of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus.) Mom was scared I wouldn't make it. She immediately called the priest. Because I hadn't been previously baptized, he did that and then did a prayer of healing for me. My brush with death brought my parents back to the Church getting their marriage blessed and my siblings getting baptized and godparents named for me."
"How sick were you?" Elizabeth asked.
"Sick enough that I was hospitalized for more than a week in Albany." Father Mark said.
"Oh." Elizabeth said.
"I don't remember." Father Mark said. "I just heard the stories later. Even though that insistence brought my parents back to the Church, they were never what you would call devout. We went to Church on Sundays and holidays, but that was about it. As we got older we went to religious education because of Gran forcing the issue."
"Then how did you end up at Central Catholic?" Elizabeth asked.
"I received my First Holy Communion in second grade." Father Mark said. "Along with the other kids in my grade, but for me it wasn't enough. That day after Mass, I turned to my father and told him I was going to be a priest when I grew up. He said 'that's nice' and patted me on the head. I don't think he thought I was serious or maybe I would change my mind. No one knew that I had had a dream and I saw myself as a priest. That was just weeks before my First Holy Communion. Then that day, I had a very strong sense come over me that I would be up behind that altar one day. I didn't know how to tell everyone what I was feeling or what had happened.
Some time later, I also told Grandpa and he made me a deal. He said if I studied real hard he would see what he could do about getting me into Central Catholic and then a Catholic University of my choosing within the diocese policy for priests or I could go to any university and then enter the pre-seminary program. He even said he would pay for it. So it was Grandpa and his belief in me that I started sixth grade at Central Catholic and quickly showed them my academic prowess. See unbeknownst to my family other than Grandpa, I was advanced. Teachers didn't know what to make of me. Despite having perfect grades, I didn't engage much.
They insisted on having me tested within my first month at Central Catholic. I tested off the charts. I don't have a photographic and/or eidetic memory like Jack here, but I am able to retain large amounts of information by just reading it once. I showed that I was good at many subjects and excelled in math and science. It was because I had retreated to reading everything I could get my hands on when I was little. As much as I loved to ride and be around the horses, I didn't always like spending time with my siblings, so I would finish my chores and then head off somewhere with books. I don't think anyone realized that I was reading material far beyond my age level and I retained the information I read.
I was quickly put on an advanced track in school. I went from the first month of sixth grade to taking some classes with eighth graders. I was taking classes across several grades and the classes that I skipped, I was given credit for since I demonstrated I understood the material. I graduated in the spring when I was sixteen and started at college in August of that year, turning seventeen a month later. It was surreal for me. I was the youngest one at college, living on campus. I was taking classes and going to chapel everyday, but that was about it. I would finish my work for my classes and then I would grab a book and head over to the chapel. I would spend hours at the chapel reading and praying."
"So where did you go to school?" Elizabeth asked.
"I went to Fordham University in the city." Father Mark said. "I was there five years including summer sessions, and got three four year degrees – music, sociology and theology and two minors – Irish studies and creative writing. I then went to seminary at St. Joseph's Dunwoodie Seminary in Yonkers."
"So even in high school you knew you wanted to be a priest?" Elizabeth asked.
"My calling only got stronger as I got older." Father Mark said. "I expressed the desire in high school and even took classes that would help, such as advanced Latin and a few years of Spanish. I knew I wanted to be a priest, so I had looked into the requirements when I first started at Central Catholic. I started making sure I was doing all that was required of me, daily prayer, daily time in the chapel and obviously remaining pure of character. However, given my age people thought I would change my mind. So I was encouraged to go to college and then decide.
There were even people who encouraged me to spend time with young ladies and date. To satisfy my parents and several others, I went on a few dates. Mostly to a school dance, it never went beyond holding hands and awkwardly dancing with an equally awkward young lady. After I turned thirteen, I never went on another date. I did go to the school dances and I did dance with a number of young ladies, but they were never dates, it was always as friends. I had never had any interest in dating, because I knew that was not where I was being called."