Father Joseph

Hidden away about forty minutes out of Ogden, through the Wasatch Mountains, around many windy and curvy roads, past grand log cabins decorated like gingerbread houses, inside a large iron gate there sits quietly almost forgotten amongst the trees, the Huntsville Monastery.
The monastery has existed since before the Great Depression. In its thriving years the dedicated monks had large fields where they harvested many crops. They had a good sized herd of dairy cattle, and one of their prized possessions was their honey. It was treasured among all their friends, and members of their catholic congregations. It came in all flavors from original to rum, each packaged and boxed with love.
Among the monks there was a Father Joseph. Father Joseph was 30 years old when he joined the service. Originally from Kentucky, he decided to dedicate his life to the Love of God. He was sent to Utah among the first of the monks in Huntsville.
In the community at the Monastery every man played a very important role. Some were bread makers, others were honey harvesters, others manned the telephones, but Father Joseph was in charge of the dairy. Father Joseph was put in charge of starting up the dairy, in the first years there, and then keeping it running, and that´s where he stayed, quietly watching each year come and go.
The decision to become a monk isn´t just a one time thing, it´s a decision to leave all you know and love behind, and to dedicate your whole life to serving God. When father Joseph left Kentucky he rarely saw his family again. The brothers at the monastery became his family and friends.
About forty years after Father Joseph arrived at the monastery he was introduced to a young, outgoing, full of life young man. Ross had just graduated from high school and was out doing his first job, selling products to dairies when he ran across the dairy at the monastery. He was introduced to Father Joseph and they became really great friends.
Ross from that time on went out of his way to make sure to always stop in to see Father Joseph, when he met the love of his life Father Joseph was one of the first to know. And when Ross´s first son was born they named him Quinton Joseph.
As Ross´s family started to grow up, and life started to get a little hectic the visits to the monastery became fewer and far in between, however around Christmas time every year the family would pile into the car, they´d embrace the windy curvy roads, the blizzards, and the slippery trek and they´d drive up to visit their Christmas friend Father Joseph.
It became such a tradition that on the rare occasions that they´d stop in to see him any other time of the year he would think something was desperately wrong. Every year Ross would go in to find him, leaving his family in the car, and every year the family would wait in anticipation. They never called before they went up, they just went up hoping to find him still in good health and cheer. Sometimes they´d wait in the chapel, where the other monks would greet them with the same enthusiasm, usually remembering each of their names, and asking them questions about their lives.
Father Joseph was always found in different places, sometimes in the boiler room staying warm, sometimes in his room taking a nap, sometimes in the cafeteria eating…but he was always found. Ross would walk out with him, and Father Joseph would be all smiles as he´d greet the children, and Lori. He´d always say….” I was just thinking about you guys.” They´d talk for about an hour, catching up on things that were going on each other’s lives, and then the family would leave with promises of next year, and wishes of a very Merry Christmas.
One snowy December night the family set off for their annual trip to Huntsville. Something seemed wrong but they decided they´d go anyway and find out what was up. As they pulled in to the monastery and Ross went in, the family waited and waited and waited, when Ross finally came out they knew something was wrong. He explained that Father Joseph had been moved to a nursing home in Salt Lake about an hour away.
After a family council, they decided that they just couldn´t not go see Father Joseph. So they set off to find the nursing home, not knowing at all where it was only knowing the name. A few hours later, they pulled in to a Catholic Nursing home. They were directed to Father Joseph´s room, and they all walked in creating the best Christmas surprise ever.
Father Joseph looked up, and with tears in his eyes said “I didn´t think you would find me.”
There´s something about the love of a Monk, and the love a dear friend and his family at Christmas. It goes un broken, and it creates a bond, that lasts through the year and into the next Christmas season.
As father Joseph would say, “May God Bless you, and your family at this Christmas season, and i´ll see you next year!” …

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Once again my family found Father Joseph this Christmas. It was wonderful to see him again and catch up. I missed him last year, and wonderful to carry on our Christmas Traditions!

Emmy