Greeting to all and welcome to my new friends to the East Wing.
Made a new friend last week, a man 85 years old, and sill working at the same job he started on October 7, 1950. Soon to be 59 years at the same job.
Now anyone who can do the same job for 59 years surely must have something special to bring to the workplace, or the workplace must be something special to bring to you, and that’s just it, the workplace is what drives my new friend, keeps him forever looking forward to the challenges of tomorrow, that keeps him forever gentle in the hearts of those who come in contact with him when he’s on the job, and he’s never off the job.
My Friend is Monsignor Ralph W. Beiting, a Catholic Priest. He has spent the last 59 years in the Mountains of Southeastern Kentucky. Father Ralph is on a 59 year mission to Appalachia.
The history of Kentucky developed thru Appalachia. The winning the Revolutionary War opened the way to the land west of the mountains. The passageway thru the mountains was thru Kentucky.
Everyone’s heard of Daniel Boone and his settlement in Kentucky. Many others well know historical figures used the same trails thru the mountains, those such as George Rogers Clark and James Herod just to name a couple.
Many more lesser know people came west thru those same breaks in the mountains, over there by Jenkins. Names such as Howard, Trusty, Minix, Manns, Walters, Tolson, King, Craft, Smith, Miller, White, Bailey, and the list could fill the rest of the page. But ya get the idea when I say most everybody I know has some connection to Appalachia, if not directly, then ya know someone who does, and in turn some connection to Father Ralph.
I venture to say that during the lifetime Father Ralph has spent in Southeastern Kentucky, he has touched in some way someone you know, or someone you know knows
(I love those kinda sentences, stuff like, I was looking back to see if you were looking back to see if I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me)
This land, Appalachia was once the booming gateway to the west. But foot paths thru the mountains soon gave way to the water trails of the rivers. It was much easier floating down the Ohio River than walking thru the breaks in the mountains into Kentucky. As the nation moved west on the currents of the waters, the pioneers in Appalachia gradually grew isolated from the rest of the country, due in a large part to the difficulty of travel thru the mountains.
Driving thru Appalachia today, traveling from Prestonsburg to Paintsville on a high speed 4 lane highway, it’s hard to imagine this trip taking several hours. It did. I made it with my parents more than once, many times. Traveling in cars without automatic transmissions, ya seldom got into high gear, too many curves, just when it’s time to shift to high, ya gotta slow down, downshift for the upcoming curve. Then do it all over again mile after mile after mile. Ya didn’t go fast back then.
The single most enjoyable stretch of Interstate Highway for me to drive is a section from Winchester KY to Salyersville KY. It’s called the Mountain Park Way, about 75 miles or so, but to me, a child of the mountains, its special, so very special. Ya drive from the rolling hills of Winchester Blue Grass into the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky. I’ve made that drive a lot and have never lost the excitement each time I see the distant mountains for the first time that day. The time for this trip today is less than 90 minutes. When I was a kid, in bad weather, ya started early in the day and ate lunch, and supper on the road when ya went from Salyersville to Winchester.
Father Ralph fell in love with the mountains, with its people, and their needs that autumn day 1950. Today we can only imagine the difficulties he faced. Talk about walking into the lion’s den, well there were no lions in Appalachia but there were tigers and bears, oh my. The bears were real bears, the tigers were real people, mean people, skeptical people, good people, frightened people, people without hope. Father Ralph won the hearts of ‘em all.
Now ya just can’t stay on the job for 59 years if you’re not doing something right. Even in this church business, ya gotta perform. Father Ralph has received dozens of rewards and recognitions from all over the country, universities, national charities, civic and religious groups, so I guess somebody thinks he is carrying the message. More importantly, those he serves know.
Father Ralph takes the message to the outside world. Father Ralph is a street preacher, anywhere and everywhere he can draw an audience. He has preached on the banks of the Ohio River. He has preached on banks of the Kentucky River. Father Ralph has taken the message of God’s love for mankind all over the Southeastern Kentucky. Father Ralph has “Told it On The Mountains” I am glad he came to speak at my Catholic Church, Saints Cyril and Methodius, in North Judson IN. He made a friend that day, me.
The impact this priest has made on the lives of people he comes in contact with is best illustrated by sharing a story from his book about one such outdoor service.
It happened to be in Leslie County that Father Ralph was setting up his microphones and loudspeakers. Seeing a fellow setting on the front porch in a swing, Father Ralph walked up said he was going to put on a program of preaching and singing . It was to praise God and his son, Jesus Christ, could he use electricity to power the loudspeakers.
The man on the porch said ok. Father Ralph went for the extension cord, upon his return with the cord the man ask what religion did he belong. Father Ralph told him he was a Catholic Priest. The Man said “Well, you’ll get no electricity here. I want nothing to do with that false religion”.
At this point a person of lesser convection may have walked away, Father Ralph did not. “Sir, if I asked you for a cup of water in Jesus’ name, would you give it to me?” asked Father Ralph.
The man said “Well, yes I would cause the Bible tells me to do that”. Father Ralph said “Well, I’m asking for the same thing, a plug full of electricity in his name”.
The man scratched his head and said “I don’t see how the two are the same, but I’m afraid to take a chance, Go ahead but you pull off one Catholic thing out there and out comes your pug”.
So it was in the presence of doubt, Father Ralph preached the gospel. He talked about the Lord’s great love for us and how he asked us to love one another. Preaching and singing for 45 minutes.
Father Ralph when to retrieve his cord and thank the man for the use of the electricity he found him with tears running down his face. “Do you know who I am?” the man asked.
“A kind old man” replied Father Ralph.
“I’m a Baptist Preacher, he said “and I almost prevented the word of God from ringing from these hills, filling the valleys. You spoke so beautifully of him, can you ever forgive me?”
“Of course” replied Father Ralph.
“I want a promise from you. When you come this county again, will you preach from my front yard?”
Father Ralph did not get back to Leslie County for a couple of years. When he did, he walked up the path to the porch. This time his wife was seated in the rocking chair. “I reckon you’re looking for my man” she said. “He went off and left me. We buried him on the hill behind the house. You may want to know what went on just before he died. He told me when the Catholic man comes back, you be sure to give him electricity.”
Having been exposed to the religions of the mountains at a young age, I for one, can appreciate the difficulties Father Ralph had to deal with.
A few weeks ago I talked about Tommy Tucker being a black friend of mine when I lived at Weeksbury KY. Someday I may write about another friend in Weeksbury, Tommy Silkurk, a little Catholic boy that lived next door.
Father Ralph has the same passion for his work today as when he started, maybe, just maybe, even more so today. There will come a time in the future that God will say to Father Ralph, “Well done my faithful servant, go rest high on the mountain”
Until that time, Father Ralph will continue to preach the gospel, he will continue to serve the people of Appalachia in any way he can, and whenever necessary to carry out the mission, he will not hesitate to ask for a plug full of electricity.
It’s my intension to assist Father Ralph in his work in Appalachia, the world is filled with people in need, we can’t help ‘em all, so it is only right to touch those at arm’s length first. I invite you to come along.
The girl dogs are enjoying the air conditioning of the East Wing as usual, while Sophia The Republican Cat is still gloating over the amount of email she received from her last tirade when she jumped on the Blue Cat Democrats. (Damn Republican Cat)
I’m amazed how much email that cat did get. Some of which she shared with me. The more sensitive stuff she said I would have to get a security clearance from the former President Bush’s people in order to see the emails.
I trying to negotiate an agreement with Sophia to allow me to publish some of her emails. We’re still working out the details, but she has agreed to one just as an example.
Sophia, I loved what you had to say about Obama! You Go Cat! You tell that *&^*&%$$ the way it is ! How come BobbyRay keeps calling you Damn Republican Cat? BITE HIM WHEN HE SLEEPS!
The true heat of summer has finally come, this ninth August day of the year. If ya love the summer heat, and I do, that’s what I’m talking ‘bout!
Nothing is more pleasant than fine company on such a warm summer evening. Thank you for visiting the East Wing this August Sunday.
Stay safe in Baghdad and Afghanistan.
From the East Wing when Monsignor Ralph W. Beiting came to visit
I wish you well,
BobbyRay
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