Jim, thank you! It was a big joy to be able to call Father Poblocki on the phone after listening to him on the radio and getting such a kick out of him. It's fun to have Substack now as an excuse to approach people I might not get to talk to otherwise!
Fr. Rick was not afraid to tell the truths about the Catholic faith. He did it in love in order to save as many souls as he could. He often said, "Hey, I'm just in sales. HE (pointing to the heavens) is Management!"
In his mind, his job every day was to bring souls to Christ. That is all he cared about. Here is an example: I have worked in Music Ministry for over 45 years. I have worked with priests who did not want to do extra masses on Holy Days of Obligation - a common excuse being that "people don't show up." My response to that was, "Well, did you TELL them that they have to show up?" Fr. Rick was the opposite. He not only told people that they had to show up, but he reminded them that it is a mortal sin to "blow it off." (If you think he's wrong, check the catechism.) Not only that, but since you would be in a state of mortal sin, you could not receive Holy Communion again until you confessed your sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Otherwise, receiving Communion in the state of mortal sin would be ANOTHER mortal sin! (The sin of sacrilegious Communion. Again, check your catechism.)
As a good shepherd, Fr. Rick put his money where his mouth is. For Holy Days of Obligation, he would provide MORE masses than even on weekends, to give people every opportunity to attend and fulfill their obligation. (BTW, Fr. Rick celebrated all the masses himself - as many as 5 for a Holy Day.) He would remind people of their obligation every week for at least 4 weeks prior to the Holy Day. Then he would provide extra opportunities for Confession for those who may have "blown it off." The result was that we would get MORE people in church for Holy Days than on Sundays! I suspect that a lot of people from other parishes came because their pastors didn't want to provide mass for them.
Does anyone know a priest who would go out of his way like this for his flock? I don't. This is just one of many examples of how Fr. Rick had been a good and faithful servant for God, and a loyal shepherd for his flock.
Steve, thank you so much for all this! Father Rick really did fight the good fight, and it was an uphill battle with the general "anything goes" attitudes in the Catholic Church. I love that he held extra masses for Holy Days. You almost have to ... people are working, it can be harder to fit with your schedule, it's tough so you don't go. (I used to be a cafeteria Catholic.. I know the mindset). I love the clip you posted on Facebook of Father Rick on Catholic Radio. What a classic! I saw your comment because I was going to link to that video. It has Father Rick showing off all the different voices in his repertoire!
Hahaa... Referencing "In Like Flynn," I learned it from my German parents! My dad had us watching all the Errol Flynn classics, like "Robin Hood." My Uncle Joe especially idolized Errol Flynn... I will have to tell the story of how that affected his life! Thank you for bringing this smile to my face!
What a lovely remembrance of your friend. And yes, he was your friend.
Monica, you are the sweetest, as always. Thank you!
Wonderful memories of a special man. I guess that's one of the best parts of being a journalist, is that you meet so many interesting people.
Jim, thank you! It was a big joy to be able to call Father Poblocki on the phone after listening to him on the radio and getting such a kick out of him. It's fun to have Substack now as an excuse to approach people I might not get to talk to otherwise!
Fr. Rick was not afraid to tell the truths about the Catholic faith. He did it in love in order to save as many souls as he could. He often said, "Hey, I'm just in sales. HE (pointing to the heavens) is Management!"
In his mind, his job every day was to bring souls to Christ. That is all he cared about. Here is an example: I have worked in Music Ministry for over 45 years. I have worked with priests who did not want to do extra masses on Holy Days of Obligation - a common excuse being that "people don't show up." My response to that was, "Well, did you TELL them that they have to show up?" Fr. Rick was the opposite. He not only told people that they had to show up, but he reminded them that it is a mortal sin to "blow it off." (If you think he's wrong, check the catechism.) Not only that, but since you would be in a state of mortal sin, you could not receive Holy Communion again until you confessed your sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Otherwise, receiving Communion in the state of mortal sin would be ANOTHER mortal sin! (The sin of sacrilegious Communion. Again, check your catechism.)
As a good shepherd, Fr. Rick put his money where his mouth is. For Holy Days of Obligation, he would provide MORE masses than even on weekends, to give people every opportunity to attend and fulfill their obligation. (BTW, Fr. Rick celebrated all the masses himself - as many as 5 for a Holy Day.) He would remind people of their obligation every week for at least 4 weeks prior to the Holy Day. Then he would provide extra opportunities for Confession for those who may have "blown it off." The result was that we would get MORE people in church for Holy Days than on Sundays! I suspect that a lot of people from other parishes came because their pastors didn't want to provide mass for them.
Does anyone know a priest who would go out of his way like this for his flock? I don't. This is just one of many examples of how Fr. Rick had been a good and faithful servant for God, and a loyal shepherd for his flock.
Steve, thank you so much for all this! Father Rick really did fight the good fight, and it was an uphill battle with the general "anything goes" attitudes in the Catholic Church. I love that he held extra masses for Holy Days. You almost have to ... people are working, it can be harder to fit with your schedule, it's tough so you don't go. (I used to be a cafeteria Catholic.. I know the mindset). I love the clip you posted on Facebook of Father Rick on Catholic Radio. What a classic! I saw your comment because I was going to link to that video. It has Father Rick showing off all the different voices in his repertoire!
Ah, the voices of Fr. Rick…we got to hear them every week in his Sunday sermons.
I’ll try to find more clips from the radio show.
I always said "In like Flynn!" to my kids and grandkids when putting them in the car. I have a feeling I learned it from my Irish mother.
Hahaa... Referencing "In Like Flynn," I learned it from my German parents! My dad had us watching all the Errol Flynn classics, like "Robin Hood." My Uncle Joe especially idolized Errol Flynn... I will have to tell the story of how that affected his life! Thank you for bringing this smile to my face!