Yesterday was the day we all celebrate Father's Day. It's a bit odd to me that we have to set aside a day for that when it should be part of our everyday lives. Like many things, with our busy schedules and myriad distractions, it is easy to let things slide and forget to take a moment to honor the people we appreciate and love.
I had a wonderful time with the family. Two of my three daughters were home, my other daughter in Illinois called me at 1:05 a.m. Sunday. I think she forgot that she's an hour behind us... it was 12:05 there. She wanted to be the first one to wish me a happy father's day. Fortunately I was still up.
Family means everything to me, and I have done all I can to be the best father I can be.
You do what you can every day, one day at a time, and it's never to get any special honors or Hallmark cards for your efforts. You just love your children so much you want to do everything you can for them. It reminds me of the love God has for his children: I believe a father's love -- and a mother's love -- is modeled after God's divine and pure love, since the Bible says we were created in God's image.
You know my daughters must really love me because they watched the end of the U.S. Open with me. They're not golfers but they humored me. And what a great match it was -- with Tiger Woods tying Rocco Mediate on the last hole. They're having an 18-hole playoff today to decide the championship. Got to root for Rocco -- he hasn't won a PGA tournament in 6 years and would be the oldest U.S. Open champ ever. Meanwhile, what hasn't Tiger Woods won?
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I've been getting calls about the Father Murd trial. Most callers feel it was a travesty that the priest was not convicted of sexual imposition. But even so, he confessed to fondling a strange man in a hot tub. It's on the record, it will not be swept under the rug.
I think it was commendable that shortly after the verdict, the Toledo diocese issued a press release re-stating the fact that the priest had resigned as pastor and is undergoing treatment, and it encouraged other victims of clerical sexual abuse to contact law-enforcement and diocesan officials.
Here's part of the diocesan statement: "Father Murd resigned as Pastor of Saint Joseph Parish, Maumee on April 8, 2008 and continues to be reassigned to a residential facility for appropriate spiritual remedies and for professional evaluation and counseling. He will return to that facility today.
To report any suspected or actual sexual abuse by Diocesan personnel, immediate contact should be made with local civil authorities, and with the Toledo Diocesan Case Manager, Mr. Frank DiLallo. He can be reached at 419-243-2150 (private line) or 419-244-6711, ext 632 in the Toledo calling area, or 1-800-926-8277, ext 632 (Outside Toledo, Within Ohio)."

Toledo, Ohio
June 16, 2008