From the Pastor's Pen - Welcome Fr. Nickolai

Welcome FR. JOHN NICKOLAI !! I’m looking forward to the time with him here, and to you meeting him. We lunched together when he was at St. Ferdinand’s, and dined together recently. We have a long connection: his grandfather taught me in the seminary college. Dr. Paul Beutenmiller was a very creative, insightful professor of philosophy, and introduced me to thinkers I still read today, especially Fr. Teilhard de Chardin. We’ll all get to know Fr. Nickolai more in the days ahead.

We’ve had a succession of associates, because we’re good at promoting them: Fr. Rajpaul and Fr. Steve were named pastors, and Fr. D’Amico took a normal parish transfer.

Our Garage Sale concluded as another great success. Totals are still being run. Our workers did it in a great, generous spirit. So many who came, including our own folks, really seemed to enjoy the event.

We had a very important Parish Leadership Meeting held by the Parish Council last week. Each organization was asked to have a representative present. Communication of events, volunteers, Stewardship events, and calendar reservations were all shared. It strengthened our parish’s work.

Last week I, Sr. Emily, and Fr. Steve attended a luncheon at St. Catherine Retirement Community to celebrate their years of service under the international RHF parent company. Stacy Montero does a great job there as director. We have a number or residents there as parishioners here, and we’re glad to have them.

I took a Study Week the week before last, as we’re encouraged to do. I spent time at local libraries doing deeper reading, and especially writing out more of the talks and conferences I’ve given: on the Inner Life we carry, from saints like St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa, that I gave here in Lent and at area retreat houses; and on Dying and Rising with Christ from St. Paul, which I gave at Pallottine last Lent. It was a blessed time, for me to understand my own sources and writing, and to prepare these materials to be easier to share.