Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone had a great week. It’s hard to believe that I’m coming up on just three months back here at SFdA. It has been so good to be here and be the pastor of this wonderful parish. Thank you everyone for being so kind, welcoming, and patient with me. I look forward to many years here!

Happy Sunday!

This week the priests of our diocese will gather here in Flagstaff for our annual Priest Convocation. This is a unique time of year when we gather together as a presbyterate to share prayer, community, and discuss topics pertinent to our priestly ministry. The main portion of this week will be spent together listening to presentations on evangelization in the modern world. It’s always a good time when we can gather together and take time apart to rejuvenate.

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone had a restful Labor Day weekend last week. By now you have probably seen our seminarian for the year, Joseph Nguyen, serving Mass here. Joseph is a seminarian for our diocese in his final year of academic studies for the priesthood. He has been assigned to our parish for the year as part of his formation. You will see him serving Mass, teaching classes, assisting with youth group, and much more throughout the year. If you get a chance, please stop and introduce yourself to him.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Labor Day weekend to everyone! It’s pretty wild that September is already here. We’re a month into the school year already and things are off to a great start. As we look forward in September the parish continues to increase in activity. Religious Education, Youth Group, and RCIA will all be getting underway. If you are an adult who has never received the Sacrament of Confirmation please reach out to Michael Vollmer about receiving this Sacrament. Confirmation will be conferred in the spring but a semester-long class called “Renew Our Faith”can be taken this fall to prepare for Confirmation in the spring. This class begins September 18 and runs every Monday from 4:15-5:45pm. Hope to see you there!

Happy Sunday!

This week is Fr. Dan Vanyo’s last week with us. I want to thank him for his presence here these last four years. I have been grateful for his help since I arrived just two months ago. He has been very generous with his time, especially being present to the school children by offering adoration every week. This has had a tremendous impact on our school and it is in large part due to his efforts. Please keep him in prayer as he begins his time as Parochial Administrator at El Cristo Rey in the Grand Canyon. His first official day there will be this Friday, September 1. If you are able to make it there is a farewell barbecue for him Sun, Aug 27 at 4:00pm. We wish him well!

Happy Sunday!

It has been great having the school kids back from the summer. I love seeing all the families each morning at drop off and pick up. Our school is very vibrant. We have great families, great teachers, and our new principal, Mr. Sorci, has been doing a wonderful job. I believe there are some Open Houses coming up in the fall so keep an eye out for those dates.

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone had an excellent week. Last weekend we announced that Bishop Dolan has appointed Fr. Dan Vanyo the new Parochial Administrator at Cristo Rey parish in the Grand Canyon. His new assignment will start on September 1. I am very sorry to lose him so soon. It has been a great gift for me to work with him. He loves this parish very much but is looking forward to this new assignment. I have been told that we will receive a new priest at some point in September. We are not sure yet who this will be or when exactly he will arrive so please keep this transition in your prayers.

Happy Sunday!

Well, it finally came, the start of a new school year! It’s great having our students back on campus. This past week was filled with teachers, parents, and finally the students making their way back to the halls of SFdA. I’m grateful for the leadership of our new principal, Mr. Tom Sorci, as the academic year gets underway. Please keep our students in your prayers for a successful and grace-filled year.

Happy Sunday!

I am about a month in here at SFdA and finally writing my first bulletin letter. Typically, I like to give everyone updates on what is happening around the parish in these letters. Sometimes I will offer a short reflection on the Sunday readings here, or talk about a saint or feast day that we will be celebrating in the week. This week, I want to offer words of gratitude to each of you for welcoming me back so warmly. When I found out the bishop wanted me to return to Flagstaff I was very grateful. However, there is always an element of the unknown, even in the things we know. I had no cause for concern!

Life, like the church, is often burdened with evil, smallness, and impurities. The Lord’s parables give us a hope-filled perspective on all three.

Evil: in Jesus’ parable about the good farmer whose enemy plants weeds at night, Jesus tells us that God is not the cause of evil but permits evil to exist with good out of his patient love. He will finally deal with it, but his love lets things stay messy for a time.

Over the years I have wasted a lot: a lot of money, a lot of time, and a lot of talent. Sometimes I didn't realize I was wasting these things but, after reflection, I realized I could have done more and accomplished much greater things. Of course, I think that is part of our imperfect humanity. It truly is easier for us to waste our gifts than grow them into something more. The parable of the sower speaks about the word of God that gets planted in our hearts. If the soil of our heart is rich, than the word will grow and change us. If that soil is rocky or full of weeds, the word will lie there without any impact, bearing no fruit.

Do you ever feel restless? certainly do. Daily tasks and challenges, but also the more basic demand of simply existing – sooner or later, this can all feel crushing and tire us out. Which is why Jesus' words are such stunningly good news: "Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

As a boy my favorite board game was “Chutes and Ladders.” The players roll dice to move from the start to the finish, from the bottom of the board to the top. If you land on a chute, you slide back and down. It was a bummer. Land on a ladder, and you jump well up the board and near the goal. It was a thrill to find a ladder and draw closer to the goal. That’s life, isn’t it? At every moment, we’re either moving closer or farther from the goal of our lives.