This past weekend at all of our Masses, I shared the news that, effective August 19, the Bishop has asked me to assume the role of Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in Springfield. As of that date, the new pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes will be Fr. Braden Maher (pronounced May-her), who is currently serving in Charleston as Pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church and Chaplain of the Newman Center at Eastern Illinois University. Upon his arrival, Fr. Braden will also help serve as one of the chaplains to the Newman Community at Millikin University. Although we never attended the same seminaries, Fr. Braden and I are contemporaries, having been ordained to the priesthood a year apart. He’s a year younger than me and a year “older” ordained—so I keep telling people that that means he’s got more energy and more wisdom than me! All joking aside, though, I believe you’ll find him to be a delightful and inspiring young priest and a good pastor, so please open your heart to him when he arrives!
Our Lady of Lourdes will also be receiving a part-time parochial vicar beginning July 1. Fr. Wayne Stock (who you may remember from his brief time here with us a couple of years ago) will be sharing his time between our parish, St. Teresa High School, and the Newman Community at Millikin University. Fr. Wayne and I are actually classmates, meaning that we were ordained the same year. Like Fr. Braden, we attended different seminaries, but Fr. Wayne and I served together for a year at Cathedral. I have no doubt that you’ll love Fr. Wayne as well!
Our parish is blessed to be receiving these two priests! But the reality is, transition is still difficult. We as human beings tend not to like change very much, especially if a change was not desired or seems unnecessary to us. Often, change is also accompanied by a sort of fear—a fear of the unknown. With changes in priests, we might even notice within ourselves some feelings of anger or discouragement that crop up towards the situation or the people who dictate these changes. It’s important to notice these things—because nearly always, they are not from the Lord. And if we find ourselves entertaining the fear and discouragement that we know is not from the Lord, then we’re entertaining the wrong thing; we’re keeping communion with the wrong person!
It’s a good thing to keep in mind as we weather this transition together: that the enemy loves to use moments like this to sow seeds of distrust and fear and despair. Certainly, it’s not a universal reality. Maybe some of you are even excited for the change or looking forward to the transition in one way or another. But it’s still good to know the tactics that the enemy often uses so that we can arm ourselves against them. Despair and fear and distrust are games that he’s gotten rather good at playing with and in us. So if you find yourself experiencing those things (whether because of transition in your life or really any other cause), bring them to the Lord. Talk to Him about the fears. Let Him tell you that He’s got a way to provide for us. Because He does—He has a plan for each of us: a plan for our welfare, and not for woe, as the Lord once told the prophet Jeremiah.
There’s an art to transition. There’s an art to remaining with the Lord in the midst of uncertainty. That’s why last week’s message about staying grateful is so necessary. Gratitude roots us in reality (what the Lord is concretely doing here and now) as opposed to letting our minds wander into the unreality (expectations, disappointments, what-ifs, and could-haves). The Lord is good, and I’m excited to see what goodness He has in store for all of us. The blessings for the future will no doubt be abundant. Let’s look forward to them together!
Keep spreading joy!
Fr. Friedel