THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION: WHY?

Mom told me this story long after I was married. At that time, I didn’t equate it with what happened to me at my second confession. I don’t think I ever told anyone my own tale. I must have thought what happened was actually my own fault and I really had done everything wrong.

From a young age my Mother studied piano and organ. For years she was the organist and soloist at church. When she and my dad got engaged, they picked a wedding date and made all their plans. Mom went to the parsonage to arrange for a church wedding on the day they had chosen.  Immediately the priest became outraged and accused her of purposely choosing that date so that he would be excluded.  The wedding day coincided with his annual vacation time. She told him she simply had forgotten and never intended for that to happen.  He refused to believe her and as a result HE NEVER SPOKE TO HER AGAIN!

He knew all the men, women and children in his parish, so he certainly knew who I was when I went to confession after catechism class on that Saturday. I now think he was paying back my mother, but she never knew what he had done to me.

Years later in making my own wedding preparations, I went to the original church where I was baptized and made my first communion. I needed a copy of my first communion certificate and the pastor was helping me. We both looked through all the documents and I was not listed anywhere. I told the priest that I remembered making it there and he said “I know you did” and gave me the necessary document.

I never found out why there was never a record of me.