June
2007
Reflections on Ministry1
A sermon by Rev. Dr. George F. Regas on the 50th Anniversary of his ordination
All Saints Church
June 17, 2007
Fifty years ago today, June 17, I was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church. So there is one distinct place where my reflections today relate to a Father’s Day celebration. After my ordination 50 years ago on June 17, some people began calling me Father Regas!
Now some of you think I must have been 10 years old when I was ordained! Just keep on thinking that.
Fifty years a priest – some reflections. Part of my sermon is autobiographical for only through these lenses can I accurately describe a 50 year ministry.
I.
As many of you know, I am the son of a Greek immigrant who came to America from Patras, Greece. He arrived in New York in 1903 by himself when he was 13 years old, speaking no English. Like so many at the turn of the century, he wanted to come to the New World with its glorious promise of opportunities.
He washed dishes in New York restaurants, learned to cook, worked on building railroads across the country. Five years later his two brothers joined him, and they eventually made their way to Knoxville, TN. In 1919, he opened Regas Brothers Café. It was only an 18 stool counter in the beginning, but over the years grew into one of the south’s premier restaurants. After 88 years, it is still going at the same location in Knoxville.
My mother died when I had just turned 5; my father, who never remarried, died when I was 21. The deep impoverishment of a little boy without a mother, and with a father who operated a restaurant which was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, gave shape to my life.
My father was a powerful influence in my life; I deeply loved and cherished him.
His love for America was palpable. He was always so thankful for what this country had offered him that he never stopped giving back.
He would often say to me, “go and make something of yourself, son.” The driving ambition for accomplishment and excellence so embedded in my soul by this father was a blessing and a curse. I’ve spent a lifetime struggling with those angels and demons. Read the rest of this entry »