Fr. Peter Joyce

I travel often since I have experienced that if I am close I often return to work. Being on another continent makes returning early a challenge.
After I was ordained I purchased plane tickets and treated my parents to our first trip to ireland. I met my grandfather's brother and my Irish cousins. It was so wonderful we returned several times before my dad's stroke. Walking the roads my ancestors did and praying in the church my grandfather was baptized in were wonderful moments.
Since then I have been blessed to be able to travel to Italy, Portugal, France, the Holy Land, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Haiti, Greece, Turkey, and last month to China.

I attended my local parish school, Saint John in Clinton. I was taught by the Sisters of the Presentation of the BVM. The school closed in 1973.
One of my favorite memories of a Catholic school happened a few years ago. I had a busy day and feared I was running late for a Mardi Gras celebration. As I came through the door a couple of our preschools were waiting with Miss Pollone. They greeted me as I hurried past with response that perfunctory distracted by my worry that I was late.
After I left them, Sam turned to Miss Pollone and observed that I was very 'crabby.'. He keenly observed from their celebration earlier that day that probably hand't gotten many bvalentines.'. So, to cheer me up, two days later a couple dozen of beautifully crafted and tender hearted bvalentines arrived on my desk!