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Reunion a special day for 4-year-old |
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By Dave Hrbacek
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Wednesday, 02 June 2010 |
Joseph McGarry of Guardian Angels in Oakdale likely is the only child in the archdiocese with a pectoral cross.
Photo courtesy of McGarry family Archbishop Harry Flynn with Joseph McGarry.
It is something typically worn by a bishop. But the 4-year-old boy came
to own this rare treasure due to an act of generosity by Archbishop
Harry Flynn, who gave it to the boy in September 2006 at St. Odilia.
The two were reunited May 23 at St. Peter in North St. Paul. Joseph’s
parents, Tracy and Mike McGarry, learned the archbishop would be
celebrating Mass there that day, so they came. Joining them were Mike’s
mother, Dolores McGarry, and Tracy’s parents, Richard and Jeanette
Carle, who are parishioners at St. Peter.
To the family’s surprise, Archbishop Flynn remembered the event and even
mentioned it at the end of Mass. Then, he met with the McGarrys
afterward and posed for pictures.
“I was just shocked that the archbishop remembered,” Tracy said. “This
is the first time we’ve seen him since that meeting [in 2006].” (Read original story)
Archbishop Flynn also got to meet Joseph’s younger brother, Jacob, 2.
Both children were adopted from Guatemala — Joseph in 2006 and Jacob in
2008. Upon meeting Jacob, Archbishop Flynn joked that he would not be
giving away a second pectoral cross.
That’s just fine with the McGarrys, who are grateful for the one they
have, which hangs in a frame on the wall of Joseph’s bedroom.
“We’ve had it in a frame ever since we got it,” Tracy said. “We took it
out of the frame and explained to him what was going to happen. . . . He
kind of held it up [for Archbishop Flynn to see], so I think he did
understand that it was a meaningful thing. He felt special. After we got
home, he asked if it was still his special day with the cross. And, I
said, ‘Oh yes, today’s a special day for you.’”
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