Dear Friends,

Some people have asked me what I think about Fr. Connealy leaving and also about my situation. My answer is that I don’t so much see him as leaving as simply having been reassigned. He didn’t ask to leave. The bishop had a need and thought that Fr. Connealy would be the best person for the job and Fr. Connealy accepted this. This is the way it is with priests. The fact is that we priests are moved around quite a bit. Yes, it can be a little hard on the people in the parish. At a minimum, it means change and change is almost always a little hard. But change also means growth and new opportunities. I think God always gives us a new priest who will be good for us at that point in our lives. When you think about it, you have many priests over the course of your life, and each one is there for a purpose.

I always feel a little sad when someone begins to speak to me with the words, “Father, I know you’re so busy, but …” It happens a lot. And I get it. He or she is trying to be respectful of my time. But it saddens me because a priest makes Jesus present to people in a special way, and Jesus always has time for us. Don’t we all feel at times that God just doesn’t have time for us?

A young, engaged couple sat on the couch in front of me as we chatted about their upcoming marriage. The young lady was struggling to trust her future husband. She told me her father had been unfaithful to her mother. She said of her fiancé, “I want him to prove to me that he won’t cheat on me.” The young man looked at me helplessly, raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. What evidence could he possibly give to validate such a proof? Nothing. All he could do was invite her to trust him.

Happy Easter!

Jesus Christ is Risen indeed! I wish each of you a grace filled Easter during this beautiful spring time. The mystery of the empty tomb points us to the Risen Christ. I am always struck by the simplicity of the announcement of the angel, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.” There is no explanation of what the Resurrection “looked” like, just the announcement that Jesus “is not here”. And yet, the Easter glory is one of those beautiful Christian paradoxes. Jesus is no longer in the tomb, it is empty! But now, He is more present to mankind than before.

Happy Palm Sunday!

Last weekend was a tough weekend. Bishop Dolan asked us to announce last weekend that he has given me a new assignment. He has appointed me the pastor of San Francisco de Asis Parish in Flagstaff, AZ. As many of you know, this was my first assignment as a priest. While I did not ask for a new assignment, I am grateful for Bishop Dolan’s confidence in me to lead the community in Flagstaff. I have loved my time here at St. Joan of Arc and am grateful to God for the four years here. Each of you has been such a blessing to me in my life and in my priesthood and I look forward to enjoying the next three months here with you. As you know, I also announced that Bishop Dolan has named Fr. Daniel Cruz the Parochial Administrator of St. Joan of Arc. Both of our assignments will be effective July 1, 2023. Many of you know Fr. Cruz from his time here a few years ago. He is very excited to return and be a part of this parish once again. Please keep us all in your prayers during this time of transition.