In the midst of working to return to normal living, the diocesan church, as well as our parish family, was given multiple blessings on Friday evening, June 19th, with the ordination of six new priests and one new deacon. Among those being ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ was one of our own: Father David Beagles.
As you know, for the past several years Father David has been studying at Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, just outside of Milwaukee. The past five years have been a time for him to be formed more and more after the heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. For many years, Father David has been a loving and faithful son of this parish, serving as a weekday Mass server before his departure for studies. If you talk to members of the faithful in other parishes where Father David has served during his time in the seminary, you will find the same consistent comments: loving, compassionate, gracious, generous, faith-filled, and kind.
We give thanks to God that Father David answered the Lord’s call and that God’s grace has led him to this awesome moment. How blessed we are in our brother, the son of the Cathedral Parish. Father David will soon be moving to St. Francis Solanus Parish in Quincy as the parish’s parochial vicar. Father David, along with his new pastor, Father Steven Arisman, will have the challenge and blessing of being the first diocesan priests to serve the people of St. Francis in the parish’s 160-year history, succeeding the Franciscan Friars.
Along with Father David, the Cathedral’s two new and incoming parochial vicars were also ordained: Father Peter Chineke and Father Dominic Vahling. Please pray for these men and all those ordained with them as they prepare for their first assignment. I know that Father Peter and Father Dominic will serve this parish well.
One of the on-going effects of the pandemic is our inability at present to offer Father David a proper celebration for his ordination. For those who may wish to send him well wishes or a token of congratulations, you may do so by through the Cathedral office, either by mail or by dropping it off; we will see that it finds its way to Father David.
Additionally, we had also hoped to have a celebration for Bishop Paprocki this Sunday evening as Monday, June 22, marks the tenth anniversary of his installation as the ninth bishop of our diocese; that event will be celebrated by the faithful at a later date. Nonetheless, please remember Bishop Paprocki in your prayers that the Lord will continue to strengthen him with the graces needed to be a good and faithful shepherd and successor of the Apostles.
These few months have been trying for many of us in many ways yet God continues to pour out his goodness and grace. These celebrations are proof of that fact. May we have hearts and lives open to receive the good things that God wishes to bestow on us in every season!
Father Christopher House is the Rector of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, namely Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.