I must admit that with the necessary recovery time afterwards, I am sometimes tempted to wonder if time away is actually worth it. Perhaps this is part of why the Church encourages us to undertake a daily examin at the end of each day - not only to regularly consider where we are need of God's mercy, but also to regularly rejoice with Him in how His graces have touched us. I won't say I wrote my Ignite NW 2026 daily reports for that purpose (check them out - parts one, two, and three, with a final reflection probably coming soon!), but reflecting on God's grace during that time away is a reminder that there are often a plethora of graces that come from a chance of pace, environment, and even people!
One wonders: bed.... or medieval torture device? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
At the same time, it is GOOD to be home - especially for not having to sleep on a wooden dorm bed with what laughably passes for a mattress (cotton wrapped in vinyl....ouch)! Plus, my cat was quite happy to have me home, once the obligatory silent treatment period had expired, of course!
Things back here at home continue forward, though more rapidly as we look down the barrel of a rapidly concluding summer time. We're not done just yet, but fall is on the horizon and so we are preparing more deliberately (and perhaps with just a touch of anxiety!) for the upcoming sacramental preparation, liturgical, and leadership needs that begin anew in September.
Not to wax too reflective, but I've been thinking a lot lately about the purpose of a pastor in today's age. It seems to me that there was a generation of Catholics and their clergy whose mission was primarily about establishing structures (physical and communal), followed by a generation (or several!) whose mission was primarily about safeguarding & sustaining those structures. In service of the needs of the time, many churches, schools, and institutions were erected and expanded - across the archdiocese (indeed, the world!) we owe so much to these generations.
In my own priesthood - and likely in the recent generation(s) before - I have found that we have a different mission: that of shaping, trimming, and pruning. Sometimes that takes the form of cutting away rot that has set into the institutional Church - sometimes literally manifested (hello, old church roofs!), other times more spiritually evident (hello, bad theological & liturgical practices). This has often involved painful moments of confrontation between things & practices held precious that must be changed or abandoned altogether. Even before Partners in the Gospel, I found this to sometimes require the terrifically difficult work of shuttering churches and closing parishes. As we move between expansion and contraction periods in the life of the Church, this is all the more pronounced nowadays (even as we see signs of expansion!).
One of the things I have more or less come to accept is how my Catholic life - and priesthood - is likely to be one of clearing away the debris of what was but no longer is while laying the foundations of what may be.....but likely not to bear direct or immediate fruit in my lifetime. The work of our generation - by which I mean all Catholics alive during this and the next few decades! - is to prepare the way for and build the beginnings of a foundation for new structures, literally and spiritually speaking.
Practically speaking, this means balancing vision between the immediate needs of our community and the anticipated needs of our community in 3, 5, 10, and even further down the road. How are we preparing for the next generations of parishioners and others who come to our churches? What foundations are we laying so that they will more easily continue the work we are doing - or beginning to do - nowadays? Where are we recording the how/what/where of our work so that the wisdom we have received is not lost when we are no longer around?
Of course, we continue to address the needs of the moment we are in, but I think that this forward thinking really will bear great fruit for the Church, not only in Partners in the Gospel (but yes, also that!) but far beyond. May we invite the Holy Spirit to help and guide us, that however we are called to labor, we may do so according to God's will, according to the vision He has entrusted to and is laying out for us.
P.S. This week marked the death of a parent of two different folks, the father of Father Ed (Peter White, RIP) and the mother of one of our faithful chancery employees (Marta, RIP). Please play for Peter, Marta, and their loved ones. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Saints & celebrations
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- August 2 - Saint Stephen I - Elected as the 23rd pope, Stephen I is probably most notable for having formally declared the primacy of Rome, making explicit the understanding from Jesus' words ("you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church" - Matthew 16:18). Learn more about him at the Saint for a Minute website.
- August 3 - Saint Lydia - What little we know of Saint Lydia comes from sacred scripture itself. In the Acts of the Apostles, she was the first disciple of Saint Paul being baptized after hearing his preaching and offering hospitality to him & his companions. Read about her at the Vatican City State website.
- August 4 - Saint John Vianney - Today the Church celebrates the patron saint of parish priests. Called the "Curé d’Ars" ('the parish priest of Ars'), he was a simple priest dedicated to ministry to his people, especially in the confessional. Especially through the intercession of Saint John Vianney, let us pray for parish priests! Learn more about him at the Vatican News website.
- August 5 - Saint Oswald - A king and martyr of the seventh century, he took up the cross as his standard against the Britons to free his country. He rooted his leadership in Christianity, working closely with religious to have churches & monasteries built across the land. He was killed in battle by pagans under the rule of Penda of Mercia, but his remains were venerated for centuries after. Read more about him at Catholic Answers.
- August 6 - Saint Hormisdas - Another early pope, Saint Hormisdas was elected during the Acacian Schism - a division between Rome and Constantinople. Thanks to his Formula of Hormisdas, the two sides were formally reunified in 519. Read about him at the EWTN website.
- August 7 - Saint Donatus - Today's saint has just the coolest name, coming from the Latin a Deo natus or 'born of God'. He was a bishop of the city of Arezzo in the fourth century and what we know of him primarily comes from The Golden Legend, a collection of hagiographical stories of the saints from the Middle Ages. You can read his entry over at the UC Davis website.
- August 8 - Saint Dominic of Guzmán - Hopefully Saint Dominic doesn't take my teasing of his confreres too seriously! Today they celebrate the feast of their founder. For over 800 years, his order - the Order of Friars Preachers - has been and continues to be a blessing for the Church and the world! Read about him at the Vatican News website.
Priests celebrating their anniversaries this week
- Rev. Perry Petrich, S.J. (July 6, 2020)
- Rev. Anthony Davis (July 7, 1985)
- Rev. Kingsley Tebulo (July 9, 2011)
- Most Rev. J. Peter Sartain (July 15, 1978)
- Rev. Gregory S. Celio, S.J. (July 15, 2020)
- Rev. Myong-kun “Clemens” Park (July 16, 1993)
- Rev. Aloysius Ssensamba (July 16, 1994)
- Rev. Peter Tynan, O.S.B. July (16, 2011)
- Rev. Paul Nkolombidzo (July 18, 2009)
- Rev. Maurice Mamba (July 19, 1998)
- Rev. Joseph Akor (July 19, 2008)
- Rev. Peter Adoko-Enchill (July 20, 1986)
- Rev. Norlito Concepcion (July 24, 2013)
- Rev. Stephen Okumu (July 26, 1986)
- Rev. Dominic Tran, C.Ss.R. (July 28, 1990)
- Rev. Gerald Woodman (July 29, 1978)
- Rev. Albert Grasher (August 1, 1986)
Remembering our deceased priests
- Msgr. John F. Gallagher (July 8, 1954)
- Fr. Francis X. Murphy (July 13, 1993)
- Fr. John R. O’Brien (July 14, 1954)
- Fr. Jon Frankovic (July 19, 1992)
- Msgr. John Egan (July 21, 1966)
- Msgr. John P. Doogan (July 22, 2003)
- Abp. Raymond G. Hunthausen (July 22, 2018)
- Fr. David Gese (July 22, 2024)
- Fr. Jerome A. Dooley (July 24, 1993)
- Fr. J. Michael Holland (July 24, 1998)
- Fr. Patrick J. Ritter (July 26, 2020)
- Fr. John J. Gribbin (July 27, 1914)
- Fr. Jeremiah F. Milner (July 28, 1993)
- Fr. Raymond F. Heffernan (July 28, 2019)
- Fr. Michael Rosol (July 29, 1947)
- Fr. James E. Mallahan (July 29, 2011)
- Fr. Gordon W. Douglas (July 30, 2024)
- Fr. Thomas L. Vandenberg (July 31, 2024)
- Fr. Michael J. McCauley (August ~, 1894)
- Fr. Patrick J. O’Reilly (August ~, 1924)
- Fr. William G. Fitzgerald (August 1, 1952)
- Fr. Andrew F. Donohoe (August 2, 1986)
- Fr. Richard P. Lesnick (August 2, 2020)
- Msgr. John B. Boulet (August 4, 1919)
- Fr. Albert Bremer (August 4, 1968)
- Fr. Andrew Squier (August 7, 1996)
- Fr. David E. White (August 8, 2004)
Good blog. “rapidly concluding summertime” . Say it isn’t so. It reminds me when I was a kid (long time ago in a city far, far away) that JC Penny would advertise back to school sales way too early during summer break.
May summer weather continue!