This past week we said goodbye to Dominic Vahling, a seminarian for our diocese who has spent the past eight weeks with us here at the Cathedral. I know that the vast majority of you did not get to know Dominic more than just a handshake after Mass, but his time here has been one more piece of hi s format ion for priesthood which, God-willing, is in just under two years’ time.
After some time with his family, Dominic will be returning to Kenrick- Glennon Seminary in St. Louis to finish his last two years of seminary formation and preparations for his Diaconate ordination this coming spring. I am grateful for the goodness that Dominic shared with us in his short time in the parish. Please join me in keeping him in prayer that God will continue to bless Dominic with every grace that he needs to continue to both hear and answer the Lord’s call in his life.
At the same time, I am very happy to welcome a new member of staff to the Cathedral Parish. Vicki Compton is joining the Cathedral staff, having most recently served as the director of the Office for the Missions for our diocese. Vicki will be serving as the parish’s Coordinator for Faith Formation and Mission. Her ministry will be very broad in that she will help the Cathedral clergy in many aspects of parish life, from faith formation and catechesis to ministry formation to helping us constantly examine how we are responding to the call of the Gospel as a parish. One major area of assistance that she will be assisting with is our parish implementation of the goals the Fourth Diocesan Synod that was held this past year.
I was privileged to visit the missions in Haiti and Belize with Vicki , along wi th making a pilgrimage for peace and justice to the Holy Land with her and other pilgrims from our diocese this past December. Before serving as director of the Office for the Missions, Vicki lived in the missions in Haiti for a few years and has also served as a Catholic schoolteacher and principal in our diocese. Vicki is a very welcoming person with a passion for the Gospel and the Church’s mission. She is a welcome addition to our staff and I look forward to you getting to know her. Please pray for her in this time of transition.
God bless you and yours in the week ahead!
Father Christopher House is the Rector-Pastor of the Cathedral and serves in various leadership roles within the diocesan curia, namely Chancellor and Vicar Judicial.