Given the politics of making saints in the Catholic Church, with the exception of historical saints established centuries ago, I am pretty picky as to whose feast days of people I actually will acknowledge as legitimate saints. and also acknowledge that God is far more forgiving and merciful than I. So, I have put together my own calendar of saints that will never have the political clout nor the money to push them through the canonization process. People I know to have been saintly in their lives, who strived to live Jesus’ commandment to love by welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to those who are thirsty, caring for the sick, and, visiting those imprisoned.
Two such saints are Deacon Frank Asenbrenner and Barb Ciresi, whose feast days are today.
Frank died on this day in 2014. He and his wife, Margaret, who preceded him in death, were married 52 years. They were parents to eight children. Frank’s primary job for many years was as a band director at Hill Murray High School. He later became principal of Hill Murray. I first met Frank at St Rose of Lima parish in Roseville, MN where he directed the church choir. Not only an accomplished band director and musician, Frank was also an accomplished performer on the accordion. The annual St Rose of Lima choir party often featured Frank playing polkas etc on his accordion. At my wedding dance, Frank joined the band on stage and jammed with them on accordion. I believe Frank was one among the first class of ordained deacons in the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis. Ruthie and I attended Frank’s wake where we encountered the deacon couple of Jerry and Barb Ciresi.
Barb died on this day in 2018. Barb and her husband, Jerry, were members of my diaconal ordination class. At the time of her death, Jerry and Barb were married 54 years. Barb was a registered nurse by profession. She worked at various hospitals as a nurse in neo-natal, obgyn, and later as a hospice nurse. As a nurse she was not only professional in her care, but equally compassionate in her care. In addition to her vocation as a nurse, she and Jerry were parents to four children. She also raised and bred English Springer Spaniels and was often sought after for her professional expertise in the care of English Springer Spaniels. Jerry worshiped the ground upon which she walked. Like my wife, Ruthie, Barb worked night shifts. I remember Jerry telling one Valentine’s Day about greeting her return from work by making sure the driveway was shoveled clear of snow and placed rose petals on her pillow. He utterly adored her. Barb also had a sharp mind and could be incredibly critical of men in authority, not only those male doctors with whom she had to work, but also critical of male clergy in the Catholic Church. It was on more than one occasion that she mentioned that these authoritarian males could benefit by cutting of their hanging participles. Needless to say, Barb was a force to be reckoned with and a person to be respected. Barb later in life began to suffer from a gradual onset of dementia. It was very difficult for Jerry when Barb needed to be placed in memory care. I believe a big part of Jerry’s heart died when Barb passed away on this day. Jerry died on November 22, 2020, almost two years after Barb’s death.
