The Lord give you peace!
It has been quite some time since last I posted a blog and the time has now come. As I write this blog, I sit in the parish office of my new home, St. Anthony of Padua parish in Effingham, Illinois. You can take a look at the parish's web site at www.stanthony.com.
After a two-week tour of the midwest through Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, and back to Illinois attending the ordinations and first Masses of a number of classmates, I have now begun to move into my first assignment, claiming some office space in the rectory and my former suite (this was my internship parish). I cannot finish the move until the current parochial vicar leaves for his first pastorate in Calhoun County.
Life as a priest these first few weeks has been amazing! They have been filled with much tedious and boring driving, but also with many inspirational and profound moments, together with very good times spent with dear friends.
This weekend I will celebrate the weekend Masses at my deacon parish, Sacred Heart parish in Effingham, to give my thanks to God and to the parishioners for their support and prayers. Early next week I will make one more return to Quincy for about a week. I will be visiting with family and friends and baptizing a cousin. The final week of June I will part of Christian Leadership Institude with high school students and will return to St. Anthony's the evening before my assignment takes effect.
I am very happy to return to Effingham and look forward with great joy to serving the Lord God and his people at St. Anthony of Padua.
Peace and Joy,
Fr. Daren
Soon, my friend, soon your trek will be finished...in your car, that is...the "other" trek is just beginning. As one soul put it, "The adventure is surely in the journey not the arrival." I wish you well and I pray that our priesthood may bear good fruit for God's Holy People. I can't think of a better way to spend my life, can you? Pax tecum semper!
ReplyDeleteFr. Daren (man, it seems like just yesterday how far away your ordination seemed...4 years ago, actually, was my first CLI)...but anyway. just wondering if you were still planning on attending the TEC 40th Anniversary. Yay for it being in Belleville...this Thursday a bunch of us are working on "environment" stuff and I thought of you when I got the email. I hope you see you then. If not, good luck and God bless on your new journey. I'm sure our paths will cross again sometime. =) PS...you get to put up with my baby sister, Sarah, on CLI...good luck, my friend. LOL! =)
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