Dear Friends in Christ,

As a young boy, growing up in northern Minnesota, I could not have imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that I would one day be Catholic, be able to speak two languages, and be Pastor of a large bilingual parish and Dean of a subdivision of a Catholic Diocese. There is no way that I could have ever conceived a future like that for me.

But our God is a loving and merciful God, one who provides for us, one who makes Romans 8:28 come alive: “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Dear Friends in Christ,

This is my first letter to the parish, and I hope that it will be the first of many. As I have shared with many of you, my assignment to St. Mary’s came as a total surprise to me. I had told several people and some priests that I planned to stay at Our Lady of Peace for as long as I could still walk down the aisle…whether that be in six months or ten years. But it was not to be. On January 24th, I received a call from Msgr. Cellini advising me that the Bishop wanted me to move to be Pastor of St. Mary Help of Christians. It was certainly a shock to me. But, as I reflected on it, I realized that January 24th is the feast day of my patron saint, St. Francis de Sales. It was no coincidence that I received that call on his feast day. St. Francis de Sales was almost constantly on the go; he exercised a truly mobile ministry. May the Holy Spirit help me to be as faithful and committed to the people of God as he was.

When I became the pastor of a large parish, I soon found myself, for the first time in my life, riddled with anxiety, headaches, difficulty making decisions, and fatigue. I called a therapist friend and told her my symptoms and asked if she thought I needed a serious medical exam. She said, “How much water do you drink?” I told her, “I haven’t had time to drink water lately.” She responded, “You’re chronically dehydrated. Drink eighty-five ounces a day and call me in a week.” I started guzzling water and in a week all my symptoms went away. I felt great.

As a kid I remember looking at my sister and thinking, “No man is ever going to marry her. She is way too…my sister!” I couldn’t see her as anything except my goofy, emotional, cooties-laden sister. Years later, on her wedding day, I remember seeing how her husband looked at her, he was totally in love with her, his watery eyes full of overwhelmed joy, drinking in her beauty and grace. He was the one who actually saw her. Blinded by familiarity, I had not been able to see her until now. She was glorious. I finally saw how beautiful my sister really was.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The words from Ash Wednesday still echo in our souls: “Remember you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.” Recalling that our time on earth is limited can help us be about the business of discipleship in the here and now. For a disciple, there should always be a certain sense of urgency. We marked ourselves with ashes as a “new beginning,” allowing the life of Jesus Christ to make us whole and new again, and to fill us with renewed purpose for living His life through our own.

As we go with Jesus into the desert this Sunday, we notice some liturgical changes to the liturgy. The Church alters the liturgy somewhat in order to help us enter more deeply into this most penitential of seasons. First, you’ll notice more silence. This is meant to help us enter more deeply into contemplation and to meditate on the Word of God and the Sacrament we are receiving. There is no Gloria for the Sunday Masses. This hymn of joy along with the Alleluia we forgo until we joyfully bring them back again at Easter. We do, of course, live today on the “other side” of the Resurrection. Our fasting, prayer, and almsgiving is done in joy because we already know the supreme happiness that awaits Christ’s faithful in heaven. It has already been won for us through the Passion, Death, and glorious Resurrection of Christ.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We stand again on the brink of the holy season of Lent, forty days of grace to prepare us for our great feast of Easter. This Wednesday, Feb 22, is Ash Wednesday. While not a Holy Day of Obligation, it is nevertheless an immensely important day in the life of every Catholic seeking to be a more faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. Masses for Ash Wednesday: 8:20am, 12noon, & 5:30pm in English; and 7pm in Spanish.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In case you missed my announcement at the Masses last weekend: The Bishop has asked and I have accepted a new assignment. On Mar 9, I will take on the position as rector of the cathedral parish in Charleston. (Some have asked what the title “rector” means. Traditionally, the priest in charge of a cathedral parish is called “rector” since the bishop is considered its proper “pastor.” It is also where we get the word “rectory” to designate a house where priests live.)