Category: Pastor’s post

Weekly pastor’s post (April 21 – 27)

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Phew! Between being gone on vacation to see the eclipse and spending last week with my brother priests in preparation for the next stage of Partners in the Gospel, I am ready to be back to a normal(ish) routine at the parish…. though I’m dreading the inevitable onslaught of deferred messages and tasks. Ah well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

On top of the regular routine of life, preparations for the upcoming transitions at my current and future parish assignments are taking up a LOT of my time. Though I have been able to touch base with my successor here at Saint Mark parish (Father Cody Ross) and my predecessors at the Catholic communities of the Olympic National Parks region (Father Randy Guarino and Father Peter Adoko-Enchill), details & questions abound! Decisions need to be discerned, discussed, and made about living arrangements & Mass schedules – decisions that must be sorted well before July 1st so that they can be communicated and prepared for in advance.

Yesterday I wrote up a brief reflection on priorities and mission in the process of discerning change. I’m reminded of what I call “The Three ‘M’s’ of Madness: Music, Money, and Mass times”. Any priest – heck, any regular Catholic – can testify to how a community will go mad at the prospect of changing (or even discussing, often) one of these parts of parish life! Let us be sure to pray for each other as we discern these and other important changes, inviting the Holy Spirit to guide our deliberations and open our hearts to what the Lord has in store for us.

A photo of three oil stocks on display behind glass
The three holy oils on display – image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

April 21 – Congratulations to our three parishioners who were confirmed this Sunday at the 8:30 am Mass. These parishioners were part of our adult faith formation program but couldn’t join in the celebration at the Easter vigil Mass. Let us pray and praise God for all of those who received the sacraments of initiation over the last few weeks!

A painting of Saint George in the background on a horse attacking a dragon on a hillside by the water, with a woman fleeing in the foreground. From the heavens, the Lord looks down with rays emanating outward

April 23 – Today is the optional memorial of not one but two saints: Saint George & Saint Adalbert. Saint George is perhaps most famous as having confronted a dragon, recounted in The Golden Legend (a collection of hagiographical saints stories). Saint Adalbert was a bishop of Prague who faced great opposition in ministry. Read about both of them at Catholic Culture.

April 24 – Born in Sigmaringen, Germany, Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen – whose feast day is today – was a lawyer who joined the Capuchin Order. He was such a powerful preacher that after his death, he was proclaimed the patron of the propagation of the faith. Read about him at the Capuchin Franciscan’s website.

A print of a winged lion with a scroll unfurled in front of and around its legs, representing the apostle Mark

April 25 – Today is the feast of Saint Mark, the patron of our parish and author of the Gospel of Mark. The symbol of the lion is taken from the imagery of the prophet Ezekiel, especially because of how the Gospel starts (the voice of John the Baptist – crying out in the wilderness like a lion’s roar. Read more about him at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The Microsoft Office PowerPoint logo from 2000 to 2003

April 26 – From 6:30 to 9 pm, the Young Adults group is hosting a PowerPoint party in Sullivan Hall. If I remember right, the only rules are that presenters limit themselves to 10 minutes or less and offer a presentation on something they’re passionate about! Read about PowerPoint parties at Microsoft’s tech community.

A color line art picture of people gathered around an altar as incense rises above them to heaven before the three Persons of the Trinity, Mary & Joseph, and all the saints & angels.

Priests celebrating their anniversaries this week

Remembering our deceased priests

  • Father Joseph Conway (April 21, 1948)
  • Father Thomas McEnnis (April 21, 2012)
  • Father John McMahon (April 25, 1984)
  • Monsignor Henry Boltz (April 27, 1970)
  • Father Williams Fisser (April 27, 1938)
A black and white line art drawing of Christ the judge enthroned within an arch with angels seated on pillars to His right and left with stars behind him.

(re)Introducing the weekly pastor’s post!

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Almost a year ago, I started a series at the parish website – a weekly pastor’s post. I quickly found that I enjoy the opportunity to research saints I wouldn’t otherwise celebrate or know, muse a bit on topics that didn’t quite fit the bulletin or in a homily, highlight current events in-parish and out, or learn about odd trivia for a given date.

With the announcement of the upcoming priest transitions in Partners in the Gospel, it occurred to me that this was a good time to move over to my personal blog for this kind of thing – that way I can continue doing these while not necessarily obligating my successor to do so when he arrives in July. I usually post them on Mondays or Tuesdays – I hope these offer a pleasant way to start the week!

P.S. I’ve added a new feature to these posts – the week’s priestly anniversaries and necrology. Please spare a moment to pray for these priests this week!

Drawing of Giovanni da Pian del Carpine meeting with The Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

April 16 – 779 years ago today (1245), two Franciscan envoys left Lyon as missionaries to Mongolia. Giovanni da Pian del Carpine and Benedict to Pole were the first Catholics to make this trip. Upon his return, Carpine was the first European to give an account of a Mongolian court! Read about them at the Central Minnesota Catholic website.

Image courtesy Archdiocese of Seattle (used with permission)

April 17 – Please pray for all of the pastors the archdiocese today through Friday as we gather together in preparation for the next phase of Partners in the Gospel. As you might imagine, we share in the anxieties and hopes of every Catholic in the archdiocese! Know of our prayers for you, too, during this time.

A volume of the Liturgy of the Hours in Belarusian, open to one of the offices

April 19 – Though I am away, our parish school will nonetheless gather at the normal time in the church for prayer. Since the pastor is away (that’s me 😬), the school will be praying Lauds or Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. Though clergy and religious are required to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, all Catholics are encouraged to enter into this liturgical practice regularly. If you’re intimated by the books, consider using an app! I highly recommend iBreviary and Divine Office – both of which have browser versions and apps for iPhone and Android devices.

April 20 – This Saturday (and Sunday) kicks off the Saint Mark parish ministry fair! Organized by one of our pastoral council members (thank you, Paul!) and staffed by representatives from our parish ministries, programs, and groups, this is an opportunity for every parishioner to see, celebrate, and support the good work that is done year-round in our community. Especially as we prepare for the new pastor & vicar of our parish family, we need folks to help ensure that these efforts may continue to thrive and grow! Read about it in the parish bulletin (page four).

A color line art picture of people gathered around an altar as incense rises above them to heaven before the three Persons of the Trinity, Mary & Joseph, and all the saints & angels.

Priests celebrating their anniversaries this week

Remembering our deceased priests

  • Monsignor Gustave Achtergael (April 14, 1943)
  • Father Hervey Vanasse (April 14, 2001)
  • Father Joseph Doran (April 15, 1964)
  • Father August Banasky (April 15, 1985)
  • Father John Koehler (April 15, 2013)
  • Archbishop Thomas Connolly (April 18, 1991)
  • Father Patrick Donnelly (April 19, 1968)
  • Father Francis Jones (April 19, 1936)
  • Father Joseph Simon (April 19, 1959)
A black and white line art drawing of Christ the judge enthroned within an arch with angels seated on pillars to His right and left with stars behind him.