Happy Sunday!

These last days of July have come upon us quickly! Teachers start back this Wednesday and soon our school will be filled once more with our wonderful students! I hope everyone is able to enjoy their last days of summer break. These last days of July are also beautiful days in the Church. On the 22nd we celebrated the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, on the 25th St. James the Apostle, the 26th was Sts. Joachim and Anna, the 29th Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and on the 31st St. Ignatius of Loyola. On four of these feasts we celebrate saints who would have lived close to Our Lord. The last one, St. Ignatius, was the founder of the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits.

Beloved friends in Christ,

I want to thank you for the warm welcome I have received from you and your families. I am very grateful for your support and for the ways in which you have already helped make me feel at home at San Francisco de Asís Parish. I am looking forward to getting to know you better and spending time with you. I have been a priest 8 years and served the Church as a Franciscan friar for 18 years before I entered the Diocese of Phoenix.

Happy Sunday!

We’re midway through July already and I can’t believe it. There continues to be quite a bit of activity in the parish. It’s a gift for me to see so many of you giving so generously of yourselves. There’s of course the regular events involving our funeral volunteers, rosary volunteers for funerals, cleaning the church and the chapels, as well as groups like the Knights of Columbus and our Senior Luncheon volunteers. Thank you so much to everyone who make our parish such a wonderful place to be.

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone had a safe and restful Fourth of July. June was a whirlwind. We hosted a Mass with Fr. Joseph Nguyen, a Women's retreat, Vacation Bible School, and Camp Invention. For that reason, we shut down the office last week for a little repose. This week, we are open again and beginning to gear up for the coming year. Next weekend, our teens will be at the Steubenville West retreat in Tucson. Please keep them in your prayers as they take this time away to be with other teens and encounter the Lord more deeply.

Happy Sunday!

I can’t believe it’s been one year since I’ve arrived back in Flagstaff. It has been an incredible gift to be here, and I hope to be here for many more years. Thank you for welcoming me back so warmly and making this such an incredible year. I am so grateful to be here and to know each of you. This week we welcome our new parochial vicar, Fr. Michael Gilbert. While the office will be closed this week, you’ll be able to catch him at a daily Mass or two, and then on the weekend.

Happy Sunday!

We had a great week this past week with all the children present for Vacation Bible School. Thank you so much to all of our volunteers who helped to make this such a great week. As I mentioned last week in my letter, I would like to invite everyone to participate in the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary beginning on August 6. The consecration is 33 days and involves various prayers each day. It will finish on September 8th, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers in our parish. I hope it is a day of prayer, joy, and rest. It is always a gift to see you coming to Mass with your children and grandchildren. We know that all fatherhood is learned from God the Father who loves us first. This Sunday we hear about the parable of the mustard seed, that tiny seed that becomes the largest of all bushes. The many sacrifices of parents are their own mustard seed. We are grateful today for the sacrifices of the fathers in this community who desire to bear fruit in their families.

Happy Sunday!

This weekend we welcomed back Fr. Joseph Nguyen to celebrate Mass here as a priest! His ordination on June 1 was a beautiful experience. We give thanks to God for such a wonderful priest for our diocese. I want to thank everyone for being so kind, generous, and welcoming to Fr. Joseph this past year. He was a gift to our parish and I know he loves each of you very much. Thank you for your part in forming him for the priesthood.

Happy Sunday!

This weekend, on Saturday, was the ordination of Dcn. Joseph Nguyen to the priesthood. We are very excited to welcome him back next weekend, now Fr. Joseph, to celebrate the 4:30pm Mass. There will be a reception afterwards for everyone to greet him and receive a blessing.

Once I was at a meeting with representatives of various religions. On a coffee break, a man from another religion mused to me: “You know, with all our differences, all religions are really about being good people.” I lowered my cappuccino and said as warmly as I could, “That’s not what mine’s about.” His quizzical look begged for clarification. “Mine is about plunging into the life of God,” I said.

Happy Sunday!

Congratulations to all of our graduates in the parish. I know this has been a full weekend with lots of celebrations, the culmination of lots of hard work. We offer our prayers for our new graduates as they embark on the next stage of their journeys!

Happy Sunday!

A very happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers in our community. We are so blessed by the gift of motherhood in life. I hope it's a relaxing day filled with gratitude for all of you!

We are very excited that Vacation Bible School is quickly approaching! Each year we have about 100 children attend, with many teens helping lead the week. If you have school age children or grandchildren we hope to see them there. If you’ve ever wanted to support the youth of the parish in their journey of faith this is a great way to help.

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone has had a great week and been able to enjoy some sunshine! I’m so glad it's May and looking forward to the warmer weather. While Sacraments have been completed for the children and adults in the parish, we continue to have a full schedule. Next weekend will be Dcn. Joseph’s last weekend in the parish. He will return on Sat, Jun 8 to celebrate the 4:30pm Mass. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. The school year is starting to wind down but that also means getting ready for 8th grade graduation. Please pray for our students as they complete their school year.