Rabboni
This year, celebrating my 74th Anniversary of Ordination!
May 6, 1944
Seventy-four years ago, at my Ordination Time to the Priesthood, I selected several holy cards to send with my invitations to my First Mass. One card had a poem entitled “Rabboni”, a name meaning Master or Teacher. Mary Magdalene addressed Jesus by this name when she met Him in the garden on that first Easter Morning. This treasured poem proved to be a prophetic piece of writing as the events of my life unfolded.
I have one of those cards left, with its edges torn from the many times I have picked it up and read those lines. Life is difficult for everyone, no matter what vocation one follows. If one were to start out with this premise that life is difficult, then the actual suffering would be easier to bear.
Embrace suffering when it comes in all its various forms and circumstances. Refuse to complain, grow bitter or run away to find escape in drugs or alcohol. Instead, ask yourself, what can I take from this cross that will help me grow as a human being and a child of God? Can I grow in patience, compassion for other and humility? Can I enhance my spirit of prayer?
Often, life in the priestly ministry brought me to a painful ending, but only for a short time. That pain then would lead me to a blessed beginning. For me, the sudden ending seemed like the end of the world, but remembering the words of the poem Rabboni, I held on for dear life to the hem of the Master’s robe until a new beginning took place.
Rabboni
When I am dying, how happy I shall be,
That the lamp of my life has burned out for Thee.
That sorrow has darkened the path that I trod,
That thorns and not roses were strewn o’er the sod.
That anguish of spirit so often is mine,
Since anguish of spirit so often was Thine.
My cherished, sweet Rabboni, how glad shall I be,
To die with a hope of a welcome from Thee.
Fr. George McKenna
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About
Fr. George P. McKenna
Born July 12, 1919
Entered Eternal Life January 25, 2019
The son of Patrick and Mary (O’Malley) McKenna, Fr. George was a graduate of St. Theodore Grammar School, Quigley Seminary North, and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary. On May 6, 1944, he was ordained by Samuel Cardinal Stritch and faithfully served the Archdiocese of Chicago for 75 years.
His assignments included: Maryville Academy (1944-1949), Teacher at Quigley Seminary North and South (1949-1968), Christ the King (1963-1968), Pastor of St. Barnabas Parish (1970-1976), Missionary at Fairbanks Diocese in Northern Alaska (1976-1977), Pastor of St. Catherine of Alexandria (1978-1982), Associate Pastor of Our Lady of the Snows (1982-1989).
While assigned to Our Lady of the Snows, he would walk around Midway Airport for exercise and would stop in there to warm up. When he realized there was no Chapel at Midway, he knew his next calling and he founded Chicago Midway Airport Chapel on July 24, 1988 and served as the Chaplain until 2011.
His life long quest was to know and love Jesus of Nazareth, and Fr. George traveled to The Holy Land 27 times during his life, to walk in His footsteps and grow in his love an understanding of Our Lord.
Fr. McKenna wrote four books: A trilogy titled “I’ll Only Speak for 3 Minutes” and his last work, “Wisdom From the Pulpit“. After his retirement as Chaplain in 2011 he started this Blog and began sharing old and new messages of faith, hope and love that he had written as homilies over the years. This Blog will remain active until his treasure trove of messages is exhausted.
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God is Good! 
Thank you for your wisdom and encouragement, Fr. McKenna. Congratulations on your anniversary and may God continue to bless you.
Congratulations Father! Thank you for your continued words of wisdom. God Bless.
Hi Father George,
That was such a nice pown and story for today!
Was nice to see such a nice picture of you. I hope you’re feeling well Father and in good spirits !!
Thinking of you, Fr McKenna
In each moment of your 74 years of priesthood you have nourished His sheep with His Word & His Sacraments. How blessed are we all for your faithfilled guidance. Your devotion, reverence & faith reveals His Love to us. The sheep say thank you for the blessing you are…you have made an eternal difference in our lives! God Bless you Fr. George! With gratitude & love, Marianne
Your message is like a delicate flower pressed between pages of a book to be enjoyed over and over again by future readers. Thanks for sharing so deeply. May you have your heart’s desire.
Congratulations on your 74th anniversary. Knowing you and your subtle words of wisdom has truly been a blessing for me. Thank you for letting me share some of your time with me.
Thank you for your priesthood, Father, from one of your old Quigley South students and grandson of Nick Biever, who used to open Christ the King church every day for your early morning Mass. Ad multos annos!
Hi Father George and a very happy 74th anniversary of your ordination! I am so glad to see your smiling face in that picture of you. You are a dear man and a wonderful priest. I love that poem Rabboni, it’s beautiful. I will copy it and carry it with me always. Thank you for sharing it with us. We will all miss you terribly when you’ve left us, but oh how joyous it will be to think of you united with Jesus in heaven! Death for so many is very frightening, but those of us faithful shouldn’t feel afraid.
I hope that you enjoy today with your wonderful family. I’m sure they will help you celebrate in style! I love you, dear friend. I’m praying for you!
Love,
Nancy
God bless you Fr. McKenna and thank you for your 74 years of priestly ministry. May God continue to hold you in the palm of His hand. Pam Gervais
Happy 74th anniversary on your priesthood. What a blessing for us!. Karen R
I had a card with this prayer on as a child. I remembered the first and last stanza but hoped someday to read it all again. It made a profound impression on me. I am delighted to find it here again and know the author’s name and story. I am a Sr. Of Mercy for 70 yrs and relate so much to his life story. God bless any and all who made this possible
I learned that poem some 50 + years ago saying it often ..the first stanza. Now going on 84 i will memorize the second stanza and hope it will be my last spoken words. Never knew about Fr McKenna til now. May he be still reciting it with us
Arthur J. O’Deaajo@whimsyfarm.com