Dear Friends in Christ,

So, to finish, in extremely condensed form, my spiritual journey up to now…When I came into full communion with the Catholic Church I got heavily involved with my local parish, St. Joseph’s in Anderson. I started out singing as a tenor in the choir. Then over time I got more involved with other ministries. Soon I was also serving as a lector, CCD instructor, Finance Council member, money counter and later as President of the Men’s Club. I was a leader in our parish pro-life movement, organizing a trip for the parish to the pro-life march to the State Capitol in Columbia each year. It got so that, when I was away for a weekend, I had to find about three people to cover for me in the ministries in which I was involved. At that time, I was newly divorced and still felt that I wanted to be remarried. I tried eHarmony.com, Catholic Match and even hired a match maker from Greenville to help me find the right woman to marry. But…it was not to be.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Last week I left my life story at the point when I was serving in the Army and worshipping at the Protestant Chapel or Protestant services of one type or other. At about the ten-year mark, I felt that God was calling me to leave the Army and be a Protestant minister. I got accepted at Gordon Conwell Seminary (the same seminary that Marcus Grodi and Scott Hahn attended.) Then I went to see Chaplain Troy Carter, an Assemblies of God Chaplain, and told him my desire to leave the service and become a Protestant minister. He listened intently to me and then leaned across the desk and said powerfully, “Forget about it!” That was quite a shock, but then he paused and said… “But it you can’t forget about it, maybe you should think about it.” I was about to make Major, so I prayed about it, talked to mentors and decided that I would stay in the Army and be the best lay witness that I could be.

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.)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We give a heartfelt congratulations to our parishioner, Alex Leguizamon, who on Sat, Feb 4, was ordained to the Holy Order of the Diaconate. Alex has been preparing for over five years, and now his prayer and hard work have come to fruition! Since Alex is bilingual, we will be seeing him serve at both the English and Spanish Masses.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“The anniversary of a church’s dedication is celebrated with the rank of a solemnity.” – Roman Pontifical, Rite of Dedication of a Church, 27.

This Sunday we recall the day our church building was consecrated and dedicated to the worship of God. At that moment, this space was transformed from being a mere building into a church – a true, holy place of worship. If you were present on that chilly night of February 2, 2015, you might recall the first action of the Bishop was to sprinkle the people, the walls, and the altar with blessed water. This symbolized the moment of your own baptism, that exact moment when you were transformed from being a “regular person” into a true temple of God, a temple of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Saturday, February 4, our parishioner Alejandro
(Alex) Leguizamon will be ordained a deacon at our Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston. For about five and a half years, Alex has been preparing, and now the time has come! Please pray for Alex and his family as he makes his final spiritual preparations for this important gift of the Holy Order of Deacon.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Thinking back into one’s childhood, one of the things that often comes to mind is learning to say “thank you.” It seems odd that such a thing has to be a learned behavior. As we grow older and reflect on the love and sacrifices others make for us, I believe it becomes easier to see and appreciate the importance of expressing gratitude to those around us.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This Sunday, Jan 8, as we joyfully celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord, we also are happy to host a visit from our Bishop, Jacques Fabre. This will be Bishop Fabre’s very first visit to Aiken. The Bishop will be the main celebrant for the 11:00am and 1:00pm Masses. Then, at 2:30pm we will host reception for him in St. Angela Hall. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Bishop Fabre!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy New Year of Grace – 2023! The civil new year brings us an opportunity to have that moment in time to start again. For us as Catholic Christians, we have a unique opportunity since this transition occurs during one of our most powerful and important liturgical celebrations – the Season of Christmas. In particular, today is what we call the Octave Day of Christmas and the celebration of the most important title of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Mother of God.