Assistant Editor
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard may be enjoying the dazzling snow blanketing the Albany Diocese a little less than some people: During Sunday night's snowstorm, he fell and broke his right ankle.
The Bishop told The Evangelist that his car became stuck in the parking lot of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, which hadn't yet been plowed during the storm.
When he got out of the car to see what he could do to free its wheels, he slipped on the ice and fell.
"I could feel [the bone] snap, so I knew it wasn't good," he said. "I broke my wrist playing football as a youngster, and I'd broken my nose before; but when you break your nose, there's nothing much they do for you. With this, the doctor tells me I'll be in a walking cast for about six weeks and using crutches or a cane most of that time."
Toddling along
Bishop Hubbard said he hadn't yet tried to drive his car, but he assumed that since his right ankle was the broken one, driving wasn't an option.
Still, he planned to keep his packed schedule for the week, which included Wednesday's State of the State address by Gov. George Pataki, a Confirmation ceremony and Mass with college students, a meeting with the other bishops of New York State and a Public Policy Committee meeting. He also planned a trip to New York City soon.
"I have to get somebody to travel with me," he noted. "It's going to be more of a burden for other people to help me than it will be for me."
Mobility humility
While he said that coworkers and others have been "more than gracious" about offering to help, the Bishop admitted that he's not used to depending on others for things as simple as transportation.
"Patience was never one of my great virtues," he confessed. "I think this is God's way of making me learn to be more patient!"
On a more serious note, he said that he's always enjoyed good health, so his accident has helped him relate to other people struggling with mobility problems.
With an injury or disability, "if you forget something on the other side of the room, it's a hassle to get back," he remarked. "It makes you stop and plan every step of the way."
The accident "provides a little humility," said the Bishop. "It makes you appreciate what happens when you lose your mobility. I'm really not conversant about how much it's going to curtail my activities."
Enough to do
Bishop Hubbard did note that while he wants to fulfill any prior commitments, he doesn't plan to add more to his schedule.
A few things will go by the wayside, he said: For example, "there are a number of priests of the Diocese in the hospital. I've been going around visiting them." Between crutches, icy hospital parking lots and long hallways to walk, the Bishop said he wouldn't be able to make the visits for a while.
However, he expects to make a full recovery and be back on his feet -- both of them -- after his cast is removed.
Prayer request
The Bishop said he appreciated people's thoughtfulness, but asked those hoping to send "get well" cards to "save the 34 cents on a stamp and just offer a prayer that it heals well."
In the meantime, he said he was learning to use crutches for the first time in his life: "It just takes longer to get places. I'm getting used to that; practice makes perfect, I guess."