Cape Breton's Magazine

as being a boy. Uncle Charlie was a con? vert, and a great Knight of Columbus after he became a convert. So I went and I lived with them. That's why I lived all my life in Glace Bay. But it wasn't living in Glace Bay--I was home half the time. They'd take me in on the streetcar from Glace Bay to Sydney every week, spend the weekends at home. So I really had two homes. I never left my home, nor my mother I or father or brothers or sisters. That • s the way we were brought up: to love one another, not to be fighting, not to be getting into trouble. I blame all that on my mother-- she was a saint. My father was a burly old Irish? man, very strict. He was very strict with the older boys; he was never Tots & Toddlers Daycare and PreSchool 42 GLENDA CRESCENT • SYDNEY • 18 months to 10 years Full Time & Part Time |Open 7:30 • 5:30 Monday to Friday | 539-6717 MiJII' strict with me. We lived by the car barns down on Townsend Street in Sydney, on MacKenzie Street. And they were all sports. I was never any good at sports. I loved to see them play and I wanted to play, but I guess I didn't have the where? withal to be a good sport. So I went to Glace Bay. And I went to St. Ann's High School; the sisters there were the Sisters of Charity from Halifax. They were wonderful. They lived very, very close to my Aunt Ida and Uncle Charlie. They had great ideas of me going to col? lege and having an education. And when the time came for me to go to the seminary, I made the announcement at home. We were all around the dining room table, and I re? ceived a letter from Scarborough saying that I was accepted. And we were all sit? ting around the dining room table. I said, "I've got news for you, I'm going to Chi? na." My mother was very philosophical about it. She said, "Son, I'll give you three months. At the end of three months, if you want to come home, don't be shy in writing to us and telling us you want to come home. We'll send you the money to come home, if that's what you want." So I guess that's what I didn't want.... So I finally got my call. Do you know what a call is? You're called to become a priest.... (So China was on your mind for years.) All the time. People used to say, "What do you want to go to China for?" Priests here. I said, "I want to go where the people don't know about God. I want to teach them how to be good people, how to live good lives, and how to be faithful to Almighty God, and still be happy." I was always happy. And the first Sunday of every month is visiting day at the seminary. And I had made friends with the boys in the semi? nary, and their parents would come to see m Small Sizes fashions ChiUrm's ''Vear lioutupic Qirh and 'oys Jnjants to Size 16 210 Charlotte St., Sydney, NS BIP 1C5 • 562-6161 "Our Qualiiy JS/iekts 0u ''ereftcC CONNORS ' We carry one of the largest inventories of Office Supplies Furniture and Machines in the Maritimes OFFICE CENTRE We now carry a complete line of Drafting Supplies and Drafting Papers Computers and Computer Furniture for Home and Office Your One-Stop Shop in Cape Breton! Telephone (902) 562-7900 Fax (902) 539-8672 350 Charlotte Street, Sydney, NS