PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Big Trial
By Ralph Cipriano
for Bigtrial.net
An oblate of St. Francis de Sales takes priestly vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. He prays to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
Few who pray that prayer could have ever imagined the fate that befell Father Charles Engelhardt.
That was the message of the homily delivered today by Father Michael Connolly at the funeral of Father Engelhardt, his friend and fellow oblate of nearly 50 years.
An oblate wears a silver cross around his neck, Father Connolly said. He fished his own cross out of his priestly garments to show the crowd. It’s a cross an oblate receives on the occasion of his first presentation of faith, the priest said. It’s not a crucifix; there’s no body on it.
“Charlie was the body on that cross in his life,” Father Connolly said. Like Jesus, “Charlie endured his suffering” with patience and humility, the priest said. Like Jesus, Father Engelhardt was falsely accused, tried, and convicted. Like Jesus, Father Engelhardt was painfully humiliated before he died a prisoner.
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