A Tribute to Father Keating

Father Robert Keating, the first pastor and founding father of the parish, was an energetic, dedicated priest, a sports enthusiast, and an eloquent speaker. He was much in demand at award dinners throughout the country. His personal friendship with professional athletes (golfers, baseball and football players, etc.) drew celebrities and fans to the Annual Sports Night in the church hall. Father Keating used his sports connections for the good of the church. The funds he raised from his speaking engagements and the award dinners paid off the debt on the buildings and built up reserves for the parish. Father Keating is most remembered for his tireless devotion to his people. Even after his stroke, he visited the sick and shut-ins at home, in hospitals, and in convalescent homes, and made communion calls on a regular basis. His portrait now hangs in the newly dedicated Fr. Keating Room off the church hall.

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To read Mr. Score’s obituary and see pictures of the day of the infamous line drive, click this link.

PERSONAL DEVOTION
By Father Keating

We know, from our teachings, that it is appropriate to ask the saints for their help in obtaining favors from Our Lord. As St. Jerome puts it, "If the Apostles and Martyrs, while still in the body, can pray for others, at a time when they must still be anxious for themselves, how much more after their crowns, victories and triumphs are won! . . . shall their power be less after having begun to be with Christ?"

A personal devotion to a particular saint, such as St. Jude, is easily understandable, then, in view of the Church's teaching about the intercession and invcocation of the Saints. Among the many saints to whom we might turn for assistance, we tend to choose those whose lives or virtues particularly appeal to us. Mothers are likely to turn to the Blessed Virgin, fathers, to St. Joseph those in "impossible" situations today turn to St. Jude.

Devotion to St. Jude has been shown by many, one of those a great sportsman, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, Herb Score.

The fans in Cleveland Stadium were on the edge of their seats, watching eagerly as the Cleveland Indian's 22 year old ace pitcher Herb Score, began his efforless windup. The Yankees' Gil McDougald stood ready at the plate, his bat poised. A blazing fast ball twirles off the end of Score's fingers, low and headed straight across the plate. There was a crack, Mc.Dougald's bat connected and the ball, later estimated to be traveling at a speed of 100 miles per hour, came right back at Score so rapidly that he did not see it until a moment before it struck his eye, felling him with blood spurting from his eye, nose and mouth.

As he dropped, Score gasped, "St. Jude stay with me!"

This was not the first time young Score had turned to St. Jude in a time of crisis. Many years before, Herb's legs were crushed by a bakery truck. His mother called their pastor who blessed the badly hurt boy with a relic of St. Jude. Although the doctor had recommended an operation, overnight Herb's bones somehow went back into place and the operation was not necessary.

Now, as the big league pitching star was hustled off to a hospital, he called once again on his patron, St. Jude, for assistance. And assistance did come, for although there was grave fear at first that Herb would lose his eye the crisis passed and the eye was saved. And next season Herb Score was back on the mound again, befuddling his opponents with his fast breaking curves and his smoking fast balls. Apparently once again the powerful intercession of St. Jude had helped him out of a desperate situation.