THE METROPOLITAN'S COMMENT

MISSOURI CITY TX. The memoirs of our most beloved Mitred Archpriest Clifton Ransom, M.Th., JD, LL.M., Vicar for Judicial Affairs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America, have recently been published under the title: Uncertain Trumpet with an American Family History. This book is a must read, as it gives an insightful look into the human and priestly journey of a young Afro-American man hungry for God. These memoirs are dedicated to Father Clif's beloved Dorothy: "I would like to dedicate this work to my loving wife, Dorothy, who pulled me up when I was down and kept me going all these years." 

VLADYKA IOAN

ADA MARGARET'S STORY

The second part on my book consists of stories handed down to me by various members of the family.We know that in the Louisiana French Catholic Culture we understand that miracles do happen, and when they do happen we don't try to explain them away. I mentioned this in my book, and I gave several examples which are said to have been experienced by family members. Ada Margaret Berry (Thomas) told the following story to me and  she wanted me to revise the book to include it.  I told her that I am finished revising the book, but I would tell her story to friends and family who might be interested.  The easiest way to do this, I suppose is to include it here on my blog.

Ada Margaret is my second cousin, the daughter of Thelma Burr (Berry)(Richmond) my mother's first cousin, and the daughter of Ida Burr, my grandmother's sister. Thelma's mother died while she was still a child and she was raised by her grandmother Elizabeth Linton.  Thelma ran a popular liquor store in Houston's Sunnyside subdivision for many years. According to Ada Margaret, one day Thelma's mother, Ida appeared to her and said: "Baby you be careful tonight because there's going to be real trouble." Her message have been delivered, Ida evaporated into thin air. Thelma immediately lit a candle to the Blessed Virgin Mary in front of a stature kept in the home, and  she told her son Ralph about the vision when he came home from work. That night Ralph got his double barrel shot gun and lay on the floor under the liquor store counter. About 10:00pm a young man came into the store, pulled a gun and demanded that Thelma give him all the money in the cash register. Then Ralph popped up, pushed the shot gun in the gunman's face and yelled: “Nigger if you don't get your ugly ass out of here right now, you ain't going to need no money where you're going.” Ada Margaret said that then the startled would be robber peed all over himself and ran out of the store leaving the gun on the counter behind him. Ada Margaret says that she still has the gun. I know that we all have been hearing stories like this all our lives, and I love hearing them and passing them along. I hope that you found it to be of interest. Lots of love.

Clif

Welcome to Uncertain Trumpet

Hello and welome!  My memoir "Uncertain Trumpet" concerns difficulties encountered by a young black man in trying to become a Roman Catholic Priest and serve as such in the American South.