Pastor’s Letter: June 23, 2024

Pastor’s Letter: June 23, 2024

21 Jun 2024 | Posted by: chadmin

Dear friend,

On Saturday, June 22, we are hosting an open house, or did host an open house depending on when you read this =), to celebrate 18 years of my priestly service at St. Philomena. I still find it hard to believe 18 years have passed since I moved to St. Philomena on June 14, 2006. I was just three years a priest when I arrived at St. Philomena. Looking back, I am pretty sure I understood a good bit about the priesthood and theology then; but, what I understand a priest to be has certainly changed over the years. People keep asking me “how are you doing?” with the move. I tend to be a matter-of-fact person and address the situation that is right in front of me. So, I’ve packed up, cleaned up, stored my personal belongings in a Pod and am tying up some last campus projects. No different than any other time, I’m just watching over the day-to-day operation of the campus. Probably what is most on my mind is the sight I see when I look out from the Altar to the congregation at Mass. Every once-in-a-while I will serve as a substitute priest at another parish. Most of the Masses I preside are at St. Philomena. One gets used to the Altar, the microphone, the servers and it all becomes habitual. What is not habitual, but personal and particular, are the people at Mass. A priest can become very familiar looking out at the same faces at Mass.

Each St. Philomena Mass, daily or Sunday, has a typical set of people and culture. The Sunday 7:30 am Mass has a different “feel” than the 7:30 pm Mass, but both are beautiful Masses with faith-filled people. When I celebrate the Eucharist at the Altar, I really am praying the Mass. I pray for the people and with the people. We ask the Lord to heal us, forgive us, challenge us, feed us and unite us. The depth of theological meaning to the Eucharist is too much to understand this side of heaven. However, we do understand that the Mass unites us, brings us together as the body of Christ and calls us to be active members of His and each other’s families. This is what I have thought about most over the last few months. When I look out at Mass, I see 18 years of relationships, stories, funerals, weddings, baptisms, tearful conversations and many, many moments of joy. It’s hard to define all that washes over me when I look out at the St. Philomena family. It’s simply too hard to describe.

One of the great gifts of the Mass is that it is eternal. The Eucharist meets us here and prepares us for heaven. The Eucharist unites us to God and to each other. The Eucharist allows us to communicate with loved ones in their presence, those that have gone before us, and those halfway around the world. I am confident that the same Eucharist that unites me now to the St. Philomena Parish community will continue to unite us all as members of the Church, and will unite me to the people of Epiphany Parish in Normal. We all meet and commune in the Eucharist. I will be praying for you at Epiphany. I am sure that your faces will come to mind from time-to-time as I look out at the many new faces of the parish I am now called to serve.

As people ask how packing is going or how I am doing, I will continue to say the same thing. I really am doing well. The transition will be tough and I will miss this church community very much; but, I am confident in the Lord’s leadership, through the Bishop, that Fr. Luke will love it here at St. Philomena and I will at Epiphany in Normal. Even though the grief is real, this is an exciting time for the priests and the parish communities.

I am also being asked a lot about the Masses I will celebrate. I will preside all the Masses on June 29 and 30, my last weekend as St. Philomena Pastor. I will then celebrate the two morning Masses on Monday July 1 and move to Normal that morning. Thanks for all the kind words and prayers. I am so thankful for all that the St. Philomena community has been to my life and priesthood. Have a great week!

God bless,

Father David