A Priest is a Priest Forever

Description

This autobiography by Fr. Robert J. Fox was written at the encouragement of others. Fr. Fox initially rejected the suggestion to write a story on his life. Finally he agreed to write this autobiography for his 50th anniversary in the Catholic priesthood. The half-century that Fr. Fox has ministered as a Catholic priest, just over 48 years as a parish priest, have been years of great turmoil and crisis both in the world and in the Church. He presently lives near the Monastery of Our Lady of the Angels and the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament near Hanceville, Alabama. He offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at this Shrine. This priest writes from his heart about his vocation and of his priestly life for 50 years. He tells of both happy and sorrowful experiences. He writes both of the great joys and the trials he has experienced in the priesthood during the second half of the 20th century, into the beginning of the 21st. After writing more than 50 books and hundreds of articles for the Catholic press, being active in all areas of the Catholic media; after working much in the catechetical areas of Church life, leading and directing youth and founding an international Apostolate for the family; after both founding and serving as editor of the Immaculate Heart Messenger magazine, together with most of his priestly years serving as a pastor and parish priest, extending his priestly vision across the United States and to other countries—one can understand then why he has been asked to write a book on his life. In telling some of the events of his priestly life, and his spiritual thoughts in the exercise of Christ's holy priesthood, Fr. Fox makes every effort to write the truth of all aspects without compromise. It is hoped that this autobiography of a 77-year-old priest, who has lived his priesthood for 50 years, will serve as an encouragement and challenge to seminarians, priests, the laity, and the family that forms the domestic church within the Mystical Body of Christ. Jesus Christ is ever central as the author gradually unfolds the experiences of his life, especially regarding the Sacrifice of the Cross perpetuated at Mass. Yet, one senses in this book the close alliance between the Hearts of Jesus and Mary into which the author himself has entered through his total consecration to Mary. Father Fox has touched thousands of children, youth, adults, parents and total families, in various countries. Now the story of his life in living total consecration to Mary is destined to touch thousands more, including priests and seminarians. May it bring sanctification to families and inspire more young men to Christ's holy priesthood. TABLE OF CONTENTS Prayer Is Your Protection 9 - Childhood and Family 29 - Seminary at Last 79 - Preparation and Formation for the Priesthood 93 - Ordination to Christs Holy Priesthood 129 - First Priestly Assignment 143 - Growing in the Priesthood 159 Great Changes in the Catholic Church 173 A Crisis of Faith Invades the Church 187 Priesthood Reviewed in a Time of Crisis 199 - Holding the Line in Face of Crisis 211 - Mother Mary Expands Priestly Work 223 - Two Mothers in Heaven 241 - The Priest at Prayer 257 - Becoming a Chalice for the Suffering Christ 267 - Confronting the Faith and Catechical Crises 281 - Boyhood Marian Devotion Continues to Develop 291 - Ending Years as a Pastor and a New Beginning 299 - Appendix I. Conclusion of Last Will 329 - Appendix II. Selection of Poems 331 Chapter 3. Seminary at Last • Page 80 Then came the first day of summer, June 21, 1946. I was working in a large field with horses on a hay-rake, raking hay all afternoon. Those familiar with the old horse hay-rakers know that the driver sat very dose behind the horses; only a matter of a few feet. It could be dangerous. Young boys sent to the field to rake hay with horses on these machines were known to have fallen to the ground, down into the area of the prongs that gathered the hay and then the horses without a driver began to run away on their own; thus death to the boy. I was just about done raking the hay in that large field of alfalfa and it was late in the day. The sun was lowering. I was ending up in the center of the field, having started at the outside of the field, working inward. This meant the little that remained required frequent and abrupt turns. There was perhaps only a minute or two more work before I could head for home more than a half mile away. Suddenly one of the horses began bucking fiercely. The horse's hoofs at times went higher than my head or very close to my head. The other horse began running while its partner kept bucking high in the air. I suddenly felt a deep pain in my leg. The horse had broken my leg. I had been pulling the reigns to stop the horses, which only aggravated the situation. Then I discovered why that horse had gone mad. With the sharp abrupt turns as I was completing the field the driver's line somehow got under that horse's tail which obviously made the horse thinks something was attacking it. Pulling the reigns tightly only aggravated the horse more so it became more violent. I could not think or see straight, with hoofs flying at my face. Time was of the essence so I had to make fast decisions. I could no longer control the horses with the lines. I dropped the lines so they could hopefully get out from under the horse's tail. The horses were headed for a shelter belt of trees, running rapidly, it seemed with madness. I could see they were capable of running right into those trees planted and growing so close to each other. If this happened I knew I would be killed. I dropped the lines; then with great difficulty and pain I managed to turn around backwards on the rake's driver's seat. To do this I had to lift my broken leg with my hand to enable me to turn around. I sat there my back to the horses still running and took one more moment to get courage to jump. To have jumped, on a moving rake, with a broken leg which would have been at least five feet to the ground, could have had disastrous effects. During that moment I spent to gain courage to jump the horses stopped abruptly and stood still. I would not have to jump. The horses were now in the middle of a wheat field. They begin to eat the wheat which that year by June 21 was over two feet high. With the greatest pain and effort I got off the rake, which necessitated stepping down with only one good leg, praying the horses would not step or run ahead or I'd go under the rake by the prongs. They did not move a single inch but kept eating the dense wheat that had headed out.

First Sentence

I have been a preist for over 50 years [and] I was asked by laity, religious, also some priests that I write a history of my life, especially as a priest.

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• catholic