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"In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit..."
This is the distinctive roofline of St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Church at the corner of State and Gray Streets in the heart of the city. It was completed in 1893. At the time, the parish was composed of the heavily Irish-settled neighborhood of Gorham's Corner and and Knightville in South Portland and some residents of Cape Elizabeth. Today, it is the home of the Irish Heritage Center. St. Dom's played an intricate role in my Dad's life. He was christened here in 1915. He served many years, growing up, as an alterboy at the services. He sometimes took my brother and me here to early Mass on Sunday, before transporting us to Riverside to caddy. In later years, he passed the offering basket during Masses, and as a matter of fact this is what he was doing Christmas Eve 1997. He passed away later that evening. His funeral was held here three days later. Although the priest at the hospital told me how lucky he was to be taken 'home' by God on this holiest of nights, it doesn't make the anniversary each year any easier for our family.
Some say our lives move in a circular fashion.
His certainly did.
He was never far from home.