A thing that's happening...

This letter will appear in my parish bulletin this weekend:

To my Saints Mary & Mathias Parish Family,

                I have some exciting news and I wanted you to be among the first to know.  It is with tremendous excitement that I write to share with you that Bishop Amos has accepted me as a seminarian for the Diocese of Davenport.  This means that I will begin full-time seminary studies in the fall, with an eye toward, should it be God’s will, ordination to the priesthood sometime in the spring or early summer of 2017.

               I am excited to see where this journey will take me.  That excitement, however, is tinged with sadness, as once I begin full-time studies in the fall I won’t be able to continue in my role as Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry here in the parish.  I cannot begin to tell you how much the time I have spent at Saints Mary & Mathias has meant to me. 

                I have spoken to Fr. Crossen and Sr. Cheryl about this decision and about the next six months and beyond, and I want to assure you that youth ministry will continue to be a high priority in the parish.  First of all, I will continue in my current role at least until June.  Second, we have already discussed putting the process in motion to hire a new youth ministry leader before my contract expires.  And most importantly, we have a very talented and committed Youth Leadership Team and a number of caring adult volunteers who will work hard to continue to grow our parish youth ministry programs.

                As I continue to discern God’s will for my life I would like to ask two favors of you.  First, please keep me and all my brother seminarians in your prayers.  To think that God might be calling me to serve his Church in this way is overwhelming, to say the least, so your prayers would be most welcome.  More importantly, however, I would ask you to have the courage to listen to how the Lord is calling you, and to have the faith to act on what you hear.  Perhaps God is calling you to volunteer in a parish ministry or with an organization like Loaves & Fishes or the MCSA.  Maybe God is calling you to mend a broken relationship in your life or share a faithful word with someone who needs to hear the Good News.  And maybe, just maybe, God is calling you to serve him as a priest or a member of a religious community.  Let’s face it, if the good Lord can use someone like me, chances are he’s calling some of you as well.

                               

Peace&Prayers,

Chris Weber