I am on my way to Omaha for the funeral on Thursday
of my boyhood friend, Bishop Anthony Milone.

Pictured: Dick Roth (deceased), Ron Skoumal, Bishop Milone (now deceased),
Father Fitz, Lou Kelly (deceased) - All Classmates

After spending four years together as classmates at Omaha Creighton Prep,
one September morning in 1950, Carl Milone picked up Anthony and me
and drove us to Missouri where we began our college years
at Conception College, an adjunct of Conception Abbey.

Upon graduation four years later, Anthony was assigned
to the North American College in Rome and I to the Saint Paul Seminary in Minnesota.
Eventually we were the only two in our Omaha-class to be ordained.
Anthony’s first parish was in small town Dixon, Nebraska.
At that time - to my surprise - I was elected to represent our age group
on the newly formed Priest Personnel Board.
As our class rep, I recommended Anthony to become Pastor
of St. Bernadette Parish in Omaha where, as he had at Dixon,
he enjoyed fully being pastor and being close to the people he served.

When the Archbishop had a heart attack, Rome demanded he have a bishop helper,
and the Archbishop polled the priests and we voted for
a good pastor, rather than a chancery official.
So Anthony was the choice of his peers.

Later he was named Bishop of Great Falls, Montana where I visited him many times.

One year he invited me to give a Creation Spirituality workshop to his priests.
Afterwards I had lunch with several of his priests, and one said,
“I don’t get it. You quoted Matthew Fox, who is in disfavor with Rome!
How come Bishop Milone would invite you here?”

I responded, “Because he likes me and is my friend.”

Bishop Anthony also invited Sister Joyce Rupp, OSM, a mutual friend of our youth,
to give a retreat to his priests. He trusted her feminine wisdom and her spirituality.
She grieved with me the passing of this ever so pastoral a bishop.

Recently, I kept vigil with Anthony during most of his last days.
We said goodbye and I told him how much I loved him
and revered him as a roll model, a person, and a pastor.

YOU CAN READ MY WAKE REFLECTION ON THIS SAME SITE.
IT IS LABELED "6th Sunday of Easter".

And so on this Trinity Sunday I remember a Spirit-Filled comrade, as we pray:

Come source of all our store.
...You Of comforters the best
you the soul’s most welcome guest,
Sweet refreshment here below...