Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

I must admit that when it comes to technology, I am definitely behind the curve. Although my family was one of the first to have a television set in the neighborhood, we were one of the last to have a color TV.
 
Remember the CB radio craze? Well, I got into it just as it was ending. I even had my call name as “Father in Law.” (Get it? A priest with a law degree.) I was convinced to get the CB by one of my students at Quigley Preparatory Seminary. I envisioned myself on the rode microphone, communicating with my fellow rode warriors: “Breaker. Breaker. Good Buddy, this is Father in Law.” I was sent to Rome shortly before I could do any damage to this communication art. I sold my CB for pennies on the dollar.
 
Of course, I was into the 8-track tape recorder just as the cassette was making its way onto the scene. I actually had a converter that turned the 8-track into a cassette player so I could play all recordings. Wiring my turntable to the car radio would have completed the ability to play all recordings, but a lot of records would have been destroyed. Eventually, the tapes were given away.
 
Then, there were VCRs, and one had to choose between Beta and VHS. You guessed it; I chose Beta. Oh, I had studied all the experts who claimed the quality of Beta over VHS. In a sense, they were right, but the lower cost made VHS more accessible to the general public. The Beta movie recordings were sold at a garage sale, but I still have my Beta recording machine.
 
When I was in Rome, computers were not the “soup du jour.” IBM Selectric typewriters were used with memory attachments. I wrote my master thesis longhand; then, it was typed by someone who could type more than eleven words per minute.
 
I returned in 1983, and computers were coming in vogue. There were the 64k green screens and, if you were really advanced, the 128k green screen IBM computers. Later, there was the fight between Macs and PCs. I never entered into the battle. I was happy with my 64k green screen.
 
I did have a car phone in the early 1980s that was positioned in the trunk with a connection toward the front seat. The antennae were attached to the roof of the car. It was always a marvel to me that someone could reach you while you were traveling. The phone eventually became the size of a shoe – I think size 12. Do you remember Maxwell Smart? Yes, I had one. However, today I do have a smart phone and an iPad, but I have no idea what all the bells and whistles do. I couldn’t download an app to save my life. I still have my blackberry (because the blueberries and strawberries were not available), so if the blackberry ever comes back, I am ready.
 
It may seem strange to some that I am deficient in this area, especially since a part of my priesthood was spent in radio and television. Someone would think that I would be sophisticated in the area of technology. I did pay attention in graduate communication work at Loyola University New Orleans in 1971, and the most effective communication is always “facio e facio” (face-to-face). Therefore, I am great at lunches and dinners. I will not bring technology, just an interest in who you are and what you are doing, and perhaps a discussion about Jesus or the Church.
 
You know, I may not tweet, use Facebook or surf the web (do you need a board?), but I do email (I think you also use it!), and I know that we promote a great message that we should LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
 

Note: This blog originally appeared as the July 09, 2019 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.