This weekend we welcome Fr. Ryan Keating to St. Mary’s as he begins his priestly ministry. This is an exciting time for Fr. Ryan and for St. Mary’s because the gift of a new priest brings much life, but also much responsibility. The new life that is shared with us are the fresh perspectives on ministry, the sharp mind of a new theologian, the fresh look and perspective that Fr. Ryan is able to bring to us. The responsibility now comes in our fostering his priestly ministry as his first priestly assignment. This means that we need to pray for Fr. Ryan in a special way. We need to give him our support. We also need to make sure we aren’t complaining to Fr. Ryan. As he begins his ministry at St. Mary’s, he is learning how to be a priest and learning our community. Those two things will require his full attention, any concerns or complaints need to be given to me or Fr. Luke.
The first years of a priest are extremely formative and the responsibility our parish has will shape Fr. Ryan for his entire priesthood. We can’t take that responsibility lightly.
Just as we welcome and pray for Fr. Ryan, let’s pray for the gift of vocations. Vocations come from families and there are vocations in our parish. If you, or someone you know is considering a vocation, don’t hesitate to ever talk to any of our priests at St. Mary’s.
As we are coming to the end of June already, we want to say thank you to our Sacramental Coordinator, Betsy White who is retiring and finished her time here at St. Mary’s. Her gifts are so greatly appreciated and her wisdom and wit were always refreshing. We pray for Betsy as she begins her retirement.
We also welcome Mrs. Gretchen Olearczyk as she has been hired as the new Sacramental Coordinator at St. Mary’s. We look forward to Gretchen’s insight, faithfulness and energy that she brings to the Catholic Education Team.
As we enter the summer months, remember to keep St. Mary’s a part of your summer plans. From Sunday Mass (most important), to the Picnic, VBS, and all the other activities, St. Mary’s is the place to be!
Keep Smiling, :_)
Fr. Byan