What Price Priesthood

By Judy Beckman

WHAT PRICE PRIESTHOOD?! This question constantly penetrated Father Joe´s mind as he tread a perilous path to fulfill God´s unmistakable call.

Heartbreak of infidelity
Christian Concentration Camp torture
New love and second broken engagement
Hurt, insensitivity, rejection
Injustice, humiliation, apathy
Marriage and divorce
Meager subsistence
Tragic devastating illnesses

This is a story of an average fun loving young man named Joe who did not want to be considered a "holy Joe" but succumbed to God´s dramatic summons to resign a promising professional position and enter seminary to become a priest.

This story paints a shocking picture of church politics which contributed much pain and frustration to Father Joe´s efforts. However, blessings triumph over adversity.

WHEN THE CHURCH FAILS, GOD PREVAILS!

Father Joe Beckman is the author of Chaplain on Wheels book which portrays one of his extraordinary ministries. Father Joe wanted to narrate experiences in this book himself but was called to his heavenly reward before the task could be completed.

Contact the author for a free copy of CHAPLAIN ON WHEELS book with orders of at least 25 WHAT PRICE PRIESTHOOD books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 8, 2007
• ISBN: 9781796069877

Judy Beckman

Father Joe Beckman wrote Chaplain on Wheels, story of an extraordinary ministry. He wanted to write this book but was called to his heavenly home before the task could be completed. The author is his widow, Judy. Both are experienced writers who published through their own corporation. Readers like their candid, direct approach regardless of personal feelings about religion. Judy has a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in Biblical counseling. She has several years experience helping people work out life’s dilemmas. Besides in the helping profession, she has worked in administration and customer service.

Book preview

Copyright © 2007 by Judy Beckman.

ISBN:                         Softcover            978-1-4257-7599-5

                                   Ebook                  978-1-7960-6987-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 09/25/2019

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

560444

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1   Foundation of Family Love

Chapter 2   Migraine Headache—The Call

Chapter 3   Father Joe

Chapter 4   Chaplain On Wheels

Chapter 5   Move From Here To There

Chapter 6   Secular Father Joe

Chapter 7   Floodlight Of God’s Love

Chapter 8   God’s Opinion

INTRODUCTION

Calling all who have been hurt by the church! Calling all who are disgruntled with religion! This story is for you. It is a story that some Christians won’t like. It is a view of a very ugly side of the church. It is an indictment of oppositional leadership. Too many are being rejected or mistreated by the church. But it’s true—God himself will sustain all who give him the chance. Read about his mighty acts in the life of this man who never lost faith amidst formidable obstacles as a priest submitting to God’s call.

Although focus is on Father Joe Beckman, the priest, his life contained many daunting hardships that could affect anyone. Destroyed career dreams, hurts of rejection, infidelity, devastating mental and physical illnesses, divorce, injustice, discrimination—anyone who runs into these situations will find hope in this book. Ironically, it is not a sad story but a joyful tale of a man who coped immersed in the power of God’s love.

At a time when dysfunctional church issues are brought to light, there is a need to reach out to those who are tempted to reject God because of being hurt by the church. God cares about how people are treated. He states in the 34th chapter of Ezekiel:4, 11, 12, 16:

"The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.

"For thus says the Lord God: ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

"As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.

I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick;’

May God be glorified!

CHAPTER 1

FOUNDATION OF FAMILY LOVE

The family was sitting in church, attentive to the Sunday worship service. The church was a majestic white brick building with stately wooden pews, brightly polished hardwood floors, glistening brass fixtures and was located in their pleasant, well-groomed middle-class neighborhood. Choir loft was adjacent to the expansive altar. Classic protestant hymns contemplating a placid, peaceful world beyond the cares of this one helped the group respond to prayers of comfort and providential care. The affable minister’s prudent, passive preaching invoked relaxing communication with God.

Peculiarly, a little toddler was seen, quietly making his way down the aisle, going up the single stair and around the parameter of the altar, solemnly exploring surroundings of this God-inspired gathering. The wavy blond-haired boy was wide-eyed and oval-lipped as he took in sights and sounds and just as quietly returned to the pew where he had been sitting with his parents.

Worship had not been disrupted by this excursion. In fact, when the service was finished, people remarked to the child’s father that he seems to have a precocious little boy, and the father was proud of his little son’s curiosity for things spiritual.

The toddler was to become Father Joe Beckman, and this was his first experience with the church and its goings on, a subdued beginning of a long, arduous journey which would provoke the question, What Price Priesthood?

Mr. and Mrs. Beckman were a happily married couple. They had dated five years before committing to a lifelong union on their wedding day. Mr. Beckman was twenty-three years old, working hard at Signode Company. He had followed advice of mentor, Ralph, who had suggested he give himself a lot of time as a single man before marrying and starting a family. However, after five years of steady dating, Edith decided it was time to get married or good-bye. Joseph Francis Beckman and Edith Mae Conover tied the knot on February 7, 1931. They gave their first son, Joseph, the middle name of Ralph in honor of the mentor, even though Edith wasn’t sure that man had been helpful in instigating their family life.

Joseph Ralph Beckman was born January 26, 1932 in Haddonfield, New Jersey at the family home. He would later tease his mother about being born on the dining room table on this cold winter day when they had to chop up the wooden back stairs to provide enough warmth for the baby. He was a large baby and caused a difficult birth for Edith who then experienced ongoing physical problems for a couple years afterward. Fortunately, at that time Edith, who had been an only child herself, was near her parents in the Philadelphia area. Her father helped her take care of the baby while she recovered from complications of childbirth. Their next son was born in a hospital four years later, and this completed their family.

Joe regretted that he had not been given the middle name of Francis after his father. Around the time he was hearing God’s call to the priesthood he had chosen for himself a saintly mentor who was named Francis, Francis of Assisi. However, at the time his parents chose the middle name, they had no idea where life would take their son, and they decided they did not want him to be called junior. After Joe had become a priest, Joe and his parents agreed to have his middle name changed to Francis in honor of Francis of Assisi but also in recognition of his father whom he also greatly admired, and he began going by the name of Joseph Francis Beckman, Jr.

This was a loving, generous, fun-filled family. Mother took care of the boys while Dad moved through the ranks of a sales career at Signode, manufacturer and distributor of steel strapping products. Mr. Beckman began his job at Signode when he was 16 years old, working in the warehouse and doing various small jobs—whatever could be handled by a young teen. An error promulgated Mr. Beckman into his dream career of a salesman. Mr. Beckman was helping process an order which had either too many zeroes or a misplaced decimal in the quantity section, resulting in a shipment of thousands instead of hundreds of the item. Mr. Beckman handled this error by making contacts and selling the excess product. That was the end of warehouse days as his marvelous potential was recognized, and he was promoted to the sales division.

Joe was still a baby when the family moved to Portland, Maine from Haddonfield, New Jersey, which was located just across the river from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. No longer living near extended family, mother independently took care of the boys while their father spent time away from home in sales work and the growth of Signode. In the span of his 50-year career at Signode Mr. Beckman worked his way to the highest position possible, executive vice president. He first had to move his family east to Maine, then west to Los Angeles at the time of Joe’s high school years, and south to New Orleans for Joe’s college years. The title of executive vice president required a move to corporate offices in Illinois. This move occurred after Joe graduated from college, and he decided to stay in New Orleans.

Joe was happy to have the opportunity to spend his boyhood in the beautiful area of Portland, Maine where he could take advantage of four seasons to enjoy year-round sports activities. Joe enjoyed skating, sledding, hockey, skiing, every winter sport this area of the country provided, as well as swimming, hiking, and canoeing in the summer, baseball in the springtime, and in the fall, he played football, his greatest love of all sports. Even though he traveled quite a bit, Mr. Beckman had time to be a companion to his sons and participate in sports with them at home. Mr. Beckman had seriously considered a career in baseball since he was very talented in this sport, but he acquiesced to more certain opportunities for security at Signode, an advantage which his wife was not reluctant to point out.

Mr. Beckman saw natural athletic ability in Joe and molded him in directions of baseball and football. On the baseball team he trained Joe to be a catcher which put a lot of stress on the boy’s knee. Suddenly, all sports activities were disrupted because Joe’s first bout with major illness struck before he was ten years old.

Joe came down with a raging fever which rose at an alarming pace despite immediate efforts to break it. Medication and cold baths were ineffective. Anxious mother insisted that Joe be hospitalized even though she was told the hospital had no room for them.

I want him in the hospital now even if you have to put him in the hall, she firmly demanded. Suddenly room was available.

Doctors did a lot of testing but could not discover the cause of this continuously escalating delirious fever. Eventually tests pointed to osteomyelitis, a severe infection of the bone and bone marrow just above the knee. They did surgery, cutting into muscle, leaving an eight-inch gap the size and shape of a toy football, but this did not end the fever. The disease had a vague symptom of tenderness just above the knee where the bone was infected, but there was no visible wound or injury. It was felt that the cause was probably a splinter that entered the blood stream when Joe was playing ball. Doctors said it may be necessary to amputate the leg above the knee which would seriously prohibit walking, much more any involvement in contact sports. Mr. Beckman would not allow his son to endure that kind of handicap. He contacted medical specialists all over the country to find something that would save his son’s leg.

Next procedure that was tried was a body cast. The gregarious, fun-loving Joe was forced to spend three months confined in plaster from his neck down. His mother spoon fed his meals. A teacher from the school came to the house and tutored him so that he kept up his studies. Mother read to him to help pass time. To enjoy visits with family and friends Joe’s father picked him up and carried his hefty, heavy son down the stairs to the living room. This long, difficult three months of stiff immobility did not cure the disease.

A new medicine called sulfa, forerunner of penicillin, was entering the market. Doctors decided to try it on Joe. Sulfa was the long-sought miracle which saved Joe’s leg. Next step was several months on crutches to return his body to full strength.

After a long time, young Joe was able to get out and play sports again. In junior high he was eager to get on the football team. The use of crutches had widened his broad-shouldered upper body even more than he would have naturally developed, making him perfectly built for football. This combined with his buoyant enthusiasm and thorough knowledge of the sport added up to a realistic dream of a career in professional football. However, disease reared its ugly head again. Osteomyelitis returned when Joe got on the junior varsity football team. He had everything going for him, but his sick leg would not allow him to play. Joe had to quit the team and go the route of treatment again.

About this time Mr. Beckman was transferred to West Los Angeles area of California for position of regional sales director. During the move Joe crossed the country on crutches, not letting his crippled leg stop him from exploring Mammoth Cave. Joe was a fighter on the sports field and in life. He did not let anything get him down. His motto was never give up. Even though he couldn’t play junior high football, he was not giving up his dream of professional football.

Joe’s leg had been healed by the time he was eligible to play high school football. Joe eagerly played and was an asset to the team, but his ideally suited body again would not cooperate. Osteomyelitis returned, forcing