Tower Topics ~ Spring 2002

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A final lesson from my pastor

The first time Father Lawrence Gidley came to our house for dinner he was our parish’s new pastor. This tall, robust man in cowboy boots asked with an air of importance, “What did you learn in school today?”

Hands shoved deep in my pockets, I shrugged and gave the typical 11-year-old reply: “Nothin’.”

I never made that mistake again.

Over the next seven years, whenever I knew I would be seeing Father Lawrence, I made sure to compile a mental list of every single thing I’d learned that day. Heck, sometimes I even wrote it out so I wouldn’t miss anything.

Father Lawrence was a generous, accommodating man who loved people and his little dog Dinah. But he was no pushover. He always put demands on me, and never wavered in his passion for learning. Every moment, he taught me by word and example, should be a learning experience that ultimately brings you closer to God.

Father Lawrence died Dec. 6 after languishing for nearly a week. He was 88 years old. Through the hospitality of the monks I was afforded the opportunity to take an inside look at how a Benedictine community faces the death of a confrere. I witnessed compassion, sadness, joy and, throughout it all, confidence. Monk after monk took a turn sitting at Father Lawrence’s bedside, like students at the knee of a teacher.

It was a beautiful experience, and a powerful lesson in living the faith (see Facing death...).

Following an all-night vigil in the infirmary, I said my good-byes to my old pastor (just in case) and rushed home for a midday shower and meal. There in my kitchen I received the phone call that Father Lawrence had died.

As I hung up the phone, I could just hear his voice:
“What did you learn today?”

Dan Madden

Director of Communications

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