This will be my last column as your Pastor. I’ve struggled with what to write and I keep coming back to what it means to be a Pastor. On October 31, 2020, I was assigned as Administrator to St. Mary’s. It wasn’t until March of 2021 that I was officially made Pastor of St. Mary’s. When I was asked to come to St. Mary’s, it may come as a surprise to you that I initially said no. I was extremely happy with the parish I was pastoring at the time and felt I had more work to accomplish there. The Holy Spirit had other plans, and despite my initial ‘no’, I was brought to St. Mary’s.
When I arrived at St. Mary’s with Fr. Luke, we found a parish that was limping along, hurt by the past, struggling to move forward, but ready for something to change. It didn’t take long to see what a great community of faith St. Mary’s is, and you were primed to embrace the future. Over the past two years and three months, we have made remarkable progress. I can only consider my time here at St. Mary’s a true blessing. Being your pastor was an honor and I am so proud of the many accomplishments we have achieved together. We began together with some tough conversations about trust, scandal, money concerns and doubting leadership. I don’t know if you remember, but the first six months were pretty tense. As your pastor, I hope you see how authentic, honest and upfront I have tried to be with you, and you have been the same with me. This created a foundation for St. Mary’s to make amazing progress. I can now only describe my time here as blessed. I would like you to consider a reworking of this week’s Gospel as part of my final column and as a reflection of what I have found at
St. Mary’s…
Blessed are…
- The parishioners of St. Mary’s parish, for they build the kingdom of God in the Swormville and surrounding communities.
- The students of St. Mary School – for they bring joy, life and energy to our parish.
- Our Faith Formation Families – for they grow together in their role as disciples and build a foundation fort he future of our parish.
- Our parish leaders who serve our parish so faithfully and help lead her into the future.
- Our many volunteers and ministers, who model the love of Christ by serving others.
- Our staff who work hard and dedicate themselves to making St. Mary’sthe best parish she can be and have been the stability needed to lead her through difficult times.
- Our Deacon who is a model of diaconal ministry through his service atthe altar, and to the community of St. Mary’s.
- All those who encounter Jesus here at St. Mary’s, for this community is a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Lastly, and most importantly, I am the one who has been blessed the most. You have allowed me into your lives and shared your most intimate moments with me. Thank you. It has been an honor to be your Pastor, to love you, guide you, encourage you, challenge you and to bring Jesus to you.
I may be leaving as your Pastor, but please know of my continued prayers for all of you as we move forward on life’s journey and I humbly ask that you remember me in your prayers. Please pray for Fr. Luke also, and whoever the new pastor of the family of parishes will be. These are challenging times, and yet we have to trust that God will provide.
I love you all, and I sincerely mean it when I say I am proud to have served as your Pastor.
Keep smiling, 
Your Pastor, Fr. Bryan