By: The Observer
I fell head over heels for him without knowing who he truly was. At the start, he kept his cards close to his chest, never opening up. His gentle words, attentive listening, and caring actions led me to believe he was unattached. Never in my wildest dreams did I think a day would come when I’d watch him lying prostrate as the congregation chanted the Litany of Saints.
It all began when he was assigned to my parish for his pastoral year. The first time I laid eyes on him, I saw a shy soul. Wanting to break the ice and make him feel at home, I struck up a conversation. We chatted for a few minutes and swapped contact details. Later that evening, I dropped him a text to check in. From then on, our texting snowballed into frequent exchanges, and I began to pour out the deep issues weighing on my heart. He lent me his ear, offered advice, and even helped when needed. His calm demeanour and the way he related to everyone, especially me, won me over.
When his stay at the parish was drawing to a close, I couldn’t keep my feelings bottled up any longer. I texted him to ask if he’d be comfortable with me sharing something personal. His humorous reply gave me the green light. I picked up the phone and laid my cards on the table, telling him how I felt and how much it hurt to see him leave. He encouraged me, reminding me that life is about learning to understand our emotions and channel them wisely. He added that sometimes what we feel isn’t love but castles in the air.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, his ordination was around the corner, right at our parish! The moment I spotted the posters, I rang him up to congratulate him. I told him how thrilled I was to see him again. He chuckled on the other end of the line, and I promised to keep him in my prayers. Deep down, I wished he’d thrown in the towel, but I knew my wish wasn’t God’s will.
His ordination turned out to be a feast for the eyes, colourful and spirit-filled. I went to him for blessings and confessed that I still loved him, but this time it was a love that went beyond the ordinary. A love that longed to see him flourish as the good priest he had always aspired to be. I assured him of my prayers every single day, come rain or shine.