Here is a Buzzy-Sunday-go-to-church-story for you.
At Buzzy’s funeral service in 2009, Father O’Connell discussed when he made a visit to the Store to say hello to Buzzy.
Father noted that when he entered the Store, a cast of “characters” were seated at the Buzzy bar counter and that they all greeted him with silence. (Note that I put the word characters in quotes. That is because Father caveated his description of Buzzy’s clientele by saying that he didn’t really know how else to describe them other than that they all appeared to be “characters.” He actually used air quotes to make this point.)
Father continued by saying that he made his way to the counter where Buzzy was camped out reading the paper. Father noted that he then had a very nice visit and conversation with Buzzy about a number of things. Father said that when he left and was on his way out of the Store, all of the “characters” seated at the bar said goodbye to him.
But the story doesn’t end there. Father continued by observing that the following Sunday, he looked out from the altar as he conducted the early Mass to see Buzzy seated in the last row of the church. Father clarified that again, he was choosing his words carefully as he said “I was a little surprised to see Buzzy there because, let’s just say, that he was, for the lack of a better term, an infrequent Mass attendee.”
Father went on to note that at the end of Mass, he processed to the door to greet folks as they left. Buzzy, being in the back row, was one of the first to exit and as he did so, Father said to him “Buzzy, it’s good to see you here.” Father noted that as they shook hands, Buzzy simply responded “You come to my place, I come to yours.”
Musically, big hit here currently on the Christian Music Charts:
Not as hot today, but heat or no heat, any day is a good day to ride down to Buzzy’s for a cool one.