HOLY REDEEMER: “The Redeemer of man, Jesus Christ, is the center of the universe and of history.” St. John Paul II began his papal magisterium with those penetrating words. Indeed, Jesus Christ must beat the center – at the center of my life and at the center of yours – if we are to experience the human fulfillment that our hearts so long for and desire. Christ must be at the center if we are to realize our greatest hope: life in Paradise for all eternity. Keeping Christ at the center is not always easy, is it? I struggle like you struggle. Together, though, as one family in Christ, even the struggle can be something beautiful. Walking with you over these past five years, I have known the profound beauty which Christ makes possible in communities of faith such as ours. Thank you for welcoming me into your parish and thank you for welcoming me into your lives! In the Liturgy of the Hours (the formal prayers that priests must pray throughout the day), there is a phrase found in the “Common of Pastors” section that always moves me: This is a man who loved his brethren and ever prayed for them. That is the kind of priest and that is the kind of pastor that I have tried to be for you. Admittedly, I have often fallen short. Too many times, I have been impatient in listening, abrupt in responding, or insufficient in my gift of self. No doubt, you could easily add to that catalog of faults! I sincerely apologize for each time I let you down or failed to be the priest that Christ expects me to be. I can say with assurance, though, that it has been a truly blessed five years for me here in Warren County. We have prayed together, worshipped together, laughed together (remember the time the pitcher broke during the Holy Thursday foot washing and everything and everyone got soaked?), cried together, mourned together, and peered into eternity together. In God’s mercy, I can truly say that I am grateful for each moment, even for the ones that were difficult, challenging or frustrating. God uses every one of those moments to draw us closer to himself, does he not? Now, as Jesus himself had to do, I must pack up and move on. I take comfort in remembering the Lord’s very own words: “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom (Lk 4:43).” As I leave our beautiful Catholic Community and travel west to another, I carry each of you in my heart. I appreciate you. I love you. I look forward to that day when we will all be together again in the kingdom of heaven. Once we are there, as we walk the streets of gold and listen attentively to the angel choirs, no farewells will ever again be needed.
EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL: Our Lord, in the Blessed Sacrament, is making his way through many areas of our nation, as weeks-long Eucharistic Processions converge on Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress in July. Our friend, Blessed Carlo Acutis, said that “the Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” Now, Jesus, in the Eucharist, is travelling actual highways, held aloft for the adoration of all. Often, here at church, I notice one or two people deep in prayer before our tabernacle. Maybe those folks feel the weight of heavy burdens? Yet, in prayer before the Eucharist, they are sure to find comfort, solace, and companionship. Remember that during the summer months, our church is normally open from early morning until well into the evening. Please, make a visit to our Lord. Kneel before his Eucharistic presence. Offer him your joys and sufferings. Several of our Warren County friends will be in Indianapolis when the National Eucharistic Congress convenes in mid-July. I am excited for them! But what if we cannot attend? Listen again to the soon-to-be canonized saint, Carlo Acutis: “We can find God in his Body, Soul, and Divinity present in all the tabernacles of the world! If we think about it, we are much more fortunate than those who met Jesus on this earth two thousand years ago, because we have God ‘really and substantially’ with us always. It is enough to visit a nearby church. ‘Jerusalem’ is in every church! No room for despair!”
EMMAUS: The annual priest convocation at St. Vincent College in Latrobe is happening this week from Monday evening through Thursday morning. Both Fr. Rick and I will be in attendance. Priests from the Diocese of Erie have been gathering for Emmaus for close to four decades now, I believe. There are opportunities for fraternity, prayer, Mass, and we are receiving talks from the Most Rev. David J. Bonnar, Bishop of Youngstown. He will be speaking to us on living a holy, vibrant and relational priesthood. Given the recent slew of assignment changes, the most oft heard phrase this week will probably be – “Now where are you moving to again?” Please keep Fr. Rick, me and all of your diocesan priests in prayer.
NEW ADVENTURES: Because last week’s bulletin deadline occurred before I was able to announce my transfer, this is the first chance that I have had to write to you in more detail. Let me admit, first, that as a former military officer – and therefore, presumably, a tough guy - I was confident that my heart was now impervious to the emotions of pulling up stakes and moving. Afterall, I have lived my entre adult life packing up and leaving for new assignments. The truth be told, though . . . I am not as tough as I make myself out to be . Goodness, I have been absolutely emotionally fragile these last couple of weeks. Oh my! You may recall that being here with you has been my first go-around at being a pastor. God was so generous to place me at Holy Redeemer–St. Anthony. I am most grateful to God and to you! Thank you for assisting me over these past five years to become a better man, a more faithful Christian, and a more capable priest. Please know that I did not request a transfer. I believed that I would be here in Warren County at least until the end of my 6-year term. That was not to be, though. The bishop (who has a diminishing number of priests and a lot of parishes to provide for) asked me to go to Sacred Heart, St. Paul and St. Joseph. I accepted. Quite a few other priests have been asked to move as well. Five priests (including Fr. Jim Gutting) are retiring this summer. You can understand that the bishop needed to make moves in order to ensure that each member of his flock was provided with a pastor. I was one of those swept up in the reassignment wave. We priests are well aware that change is a constant in our ministerial lives. My latest change will happen on July 9. On that day, I will begin my new adventure along the 26th Street corridor on the west side of Erie. My three parishes will be doing the work of both merging and partnering. It will take some time to accomplish, but by God’s grace, we will get the job done! Here at Holy Redeemer, the bishop is sending you an excellent priest. Hailing originally from North East and St. Gregory Parish, Fr. Mark O’Hern has been a pastor for nearly the entirety of his priesthood. He is a good one! He will love you and provide for you. Each priest, of course, has his own unique gifs and talents. I believe that you will enjoy Fr. Mark’s keen mind (he was an engineer, building locomotives at General Electric, before entering seminary), his deep understanding of the spiritual life, and his dry sense of humor. Please give him your full support and love!