May God grant you always…a sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering angel so nothing can harm you, laughter to cheer you, faithful friends near you, and wherever you pray, Heaven to hear you. –An Irish Blessing

Day 76 of 365.

It seems only appropriate to recognize today, on the feast of St. Patrick, a Roman Catholic priest by the same name. Today is the feast of his namesake, so I’ve chosen a man who I have known since my oldest son was in the 2nd grade. That same kid is now a college junior! Nick was in the very first group of grade school children at St. Louis de Montfort to have their first reconciliation and receive their first communion from Fr. Pat Click. In the years that followed, Fr. Pat was present for two more first communions as well as the confirmation mass of my oldest son. We’re thankful to him for conferring on all of us the sacraments over many years.

Fr. Pat spent some time before he moved to Fishers as the Pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church on the Purdue University campus. I’m fairly certain it was this assignment that gave him such great affinity for my beloved Boilermakers. We’ve traded some excitement about some fun Purdue football and basketball victories over the years!

The special quality evident in Fr. Pat that I have noticed over the decades is his unique ability to provide comfort to those who are mourning. Many, many families have been the recipient of his pastoral giftedness in this area over the years, including my own. His presence and his words were powerfully helpful when my mother-in-law, Jane Thieme, passed away. I was grateful at that challenging time, and my gratitude remains. I know that there are so many others who have had a similar compassion-filled experience at what is a truly challenging time in life– as we mourn.

Thank you, Fr. Pat, for the gift of your thoughtful service to so many families over the years. We hope you are having a FANTASTIC St. Patrick’s Day and we wish you many blessings now and always!