Happy Sunday!

I am writing this ahead of time since I will be finishing up my retreat this weekend. Thank you for your prayers for me while away. This week we have a Holy Day of Obligation on Wednesday, November 1st. Please see the Mass schedule in the bulletin for the Mass times and locations. I will be back for all of these Masses.

Happy Sunday!

This past Friday I left for my retreat. I will be gone until All Saints’ Day. Please keep me in your prayers during this time of retreat. I am grateful for Fr. Peter and the Newman priests for covering Masses, confessions, and sick calls while I am away. At first, when I found out I would be the only priest for a few months I was hesitant to take my already scheduled retreat. However, our office staff and these priests have been incredibly gracious in helping cover the needs of the parish while I am away.

Happy Sunday!

As the semester gains steam it makes me thankful for all the wonderful volunteers we have in our parish. One way that many of you volunteer is by bringing Holy Communion to the sick and homebound. A few weeks ago on a Sunday, one of our wonderful volunteers reached out and told me they had just been to visit someone in the hospital who was very ill and dying. The gentleman (we can call him Leo) had asked to be baptized. Leo was in his mid thirties and had been sick for a while. Our volunteer prayed with him and soon reached out to me to see if baptism was possible. That Sunday I had all the Masses, but being able to go see Leo after the last Mass of the day was so energizing!

Happy Sunday!

We are a week into October and I can’t believe it. Time has flown quickly since I’ve been and I’ve been grateful for every moment. Thank you for welcoming me back to Flagstaff so warmly. As October gets going we have much to look forward to. This past week on the 4th we celebrated the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, our patron. St. Francis was very special to me before I was first assigned here.

Happy Sunday!

Thank you to everyone who showed up to Texas Roadhouse this week to support our school fundraiser. It was a great evening and fun to see so many of you there. Please keep our middle and high school students in prayer this coming Saturday. We will be hosting a retreat all day for them. It should be a great day, as of this writing I’m not sure if registration is closed but I’m sure it never hurts to reach out to Katherine Buckley if your middle or high schooler is interested in attending!

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.