Fr Bob. RIP. And Tessa too...

It seems that in the midst of life, we continue to be in death. After the death of Fr Peter Cross, and the tragic accident which resulted in the loss of two young SVD students (one a newly ordained deacon), comes the death of Fr Bob Drake. Fr Bob—a priest of the Sandhurst Diocese—was a faithful teacher at the Provincial Seminary of Corpus Christi. I had the pleasure to meet him several times, once while visiting my friend Fraser, the Lutheran Pastor of Bendigo. Fraser and I went to a vigil mass at Fr Bob’s parish, where he made us both very welcome. I was saddened to hear of his illness, and even more saddened to hear his passing announced today at Mass. Rest in peace, Father Bob.

In the mean time, my kids are in tears because their uncle had to have Tessa, one of his labrador dogs, put down due to illness. An important opportunity to explain the fundamental difference between animals and human beings, and that we don't treat human beings like animals when it comes to terminal illnesses.