[Magdalen] 54 years a bishop...and counting

[Scott Knitter]

Chicago's former bishop, +James Winchester Montgomery, reaches his
54th anniversary as a BISHOP this Sunday. There will be a big
celebration at the Church of the Atonement here in Edgewater.

Our priest-in-charge, ordained by Bp. Montgomery, said this week he
felt called to visit the bishop in his senior apartment near the lake
and take him Communion. When he arrived, the bishop was writing
Christmas cards. (Those who know Bp. M will know where this is
headed.) Fr. Raymond asked him why he's doing this so early in the
year, and he said it's because he's got 800 people on his Christmas
card list, having pared the list down in recent years from 2,000.

Every time I've served as subdeacon for a Mass at which he has been
celebrant, I have received in the mail a couple of days later a
handwritten thank-you note from Bp. Montgomery, and it has always
mentioned something we talked about in the sacristy. Molly, I believe
I conveyed greetings from you on one such occasion, and his thank-you
note also thanked me for doing so. Most longtime Chicago Episcopalians
I know were baptized or (more likely) confirmed by him, and he seems
to remember something significant about each of them if you mention
their names to him. Amazing pastor.

He's been a little less mobile lately (owing to being 95!); when he
lived in the Edgewater Beach apartments, he swam in their pool every
morning before walking to Atonement to say or attend daily Mass. Now
he's a few blocks farther away but still gets to Atonement regularly.

May God continue to bless him and give him as much more time as he
wants and needs to finish his faithful work among us.

-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA