Teresa Camilleri was exactly where she always is for noon Masses on Sundays at St. Michael鱿鱼视频app Cathedral Basilica when she met a nice young priest in a purple cassock. But this wasn鈥檛 Sunday and priests don鈥檛 wear purple cassocks.
Camilleri had snagged a ticket to the March 25 installation of Archbishop Francis Leo. Turns out the nice young priest she had just met was about to be installed as Archbishop of Toronto.
Before the phalanx of bishops were all in place and the formal installation could begin, Leo walked around the sanctuary of his new home greeting as many people as he could. He had just finished checking in with members of his family in the front row, then a few old friends in the second row, when he decided to continue on and shake hands with Camilleri in her wheelchair, tucked into the space between the second and third rows.
鈥淚 said, 鈥楳y name is Teresa. And I鈥檓 sorry, who are you?鈥� He was like, 鈥極h, I鈥檓 the new archbishop,鈥� 鈥� Camilleri told The Catholic Register. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure I turned the colour of his garment. I said, 鈥極h, wow.鈥� I was just like, 鈥榃ow.鈥� 鈥�
It was a moment no photographer could resist. I had a 14-to-24 millimetre zoom lens mounted on my old Nikon D600. At f2.8 and 1/80th of a second (really too slow, but the light away from the altar isn鈥檛 great) and ISO1600, I circled around, got down low and managed a short sequence of four or five frames.
"I said, 鈥楳y name is Teresa. And I鈥檓 sorry, who are you?鈥� He was like, 鈥極h, I鈥檓 the new archbishop.鈥�"
鈥淚 was aware of you,鈥� Camilleri said. 鈥淭here was this guy with this big, huge camera. This was not a little phone-digital thing. This was a professional dude.鈥�
For Leo, meeting Camilleri was exactly the sort of encounter he had been hoping for.
鈥淚t was a true joy to meet Teresa,鈥� Leo later told The Catholic Register in an email.
He described Camilleri as 鈥渁 faithful and devoted member of our Church family.鈥� In that sense, Camilleri was not unique among the 1,600 invited guests present for Leo鱿鱼视频app installation.
鈥淚 was overjoyed at the immense kindness and closeness shown to me on that special day,鈥� Leo said. 鈥淚t was very touching and encouraging to be welcomed with such open arms and open hearts.鈥�
Camilleri told Leo to expect more of the same.
鈥淚 said something to the effect of, 鈥楧on鈥檛 worry. I鈥檓 here every week at the 12 o鈥檆lock Mass. I鈥檓 sure I will be seeing you.鈥欌��
A ticket to the archbishop鱿鱼视频app installation was not necessarily an easy catch. With 62 bishops and two cardinals, well over 100 priests, to say nothing of dignitaries from all levels of government and various other friends of the archdiocese who all needed to be accommodated, there just weren鈥檛 that many tickets to go around. The ace up Camilleri鱿鱼视频app sleeve was that St. Michael鱿鱼视频app Rector Fr. Frank Portelli is Maltese 鈥� just like her (she was actually born in Vancouver and grew up in Mississauga, but Maltese families stay Maltese).
When Camilleri asked Portelli about a ticket the initial answer was no, simply because Portelli wasn鈥檛 involved in the ticketing process. But then it occurred to Portelli that Camilleri鱿鱼视频app wheelchair was actually an advantage in this situation. Nobody would have to give up a seat to accommodate Camilleri. She brings her own chair.
Portelli swore Camilleri to secrecy before her picture was splashed across the pages of The Catholic Register.
In the rest of her life, there鱿鱼视频app no pretending that Camilleri鱿鱼视频app wheelchair is an advantage. At 62, she鱿鱼视频app been wheelchair bound for three-and-a-half years.
鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app not easy,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 had a house. I had a car. I had a job. Now I have none of that because I couldn鈥檛 do stairs. I had to sell my house.鈥�
Like many little people with achondroplasia, the same form of dwarfism that actor Peter Dinklage has, Camilleri has had surgeries at various times. The last one, in late 2019, didn鈥檛 turn out as well as Camilleri had hoped. Since then, she鱿鱼视频app been tied to the schedules of personal support workers (PSWs) who help her get from her bed and into her wheelchair, among other vital tasks.
Despite the hardships, Camilleri comes downtown to St. Michael鱿鱼视频app Cathedral Basilica from her home in North York every Sunday.
鈥淚 love going to church,鈥� she said.
While there鱿鱼视频app a perfectly good parish church in her neighbourhood, Camilleri is drawn to St. Michael鱿鱼视频app.
鈥淭he cathedral has the choir. The cathedral has the incense 鈥� the whole pomp, that whole thing. I love it. I love going there,鈥� she said.