Author: Vernon Dobelmann

Today was a full day, but a very good one.  I was able to join the eighth grade graduates of St. Mary’s School for Mass and lunch this morning.  Milestone events are exciting in the lives of our young people.  I am grateful for their parents, their teachers, and the school administrators which made today a beautiful experience. 

Then it was meetings for the afternoon with some magnificent ministers from across the diocese.  I was enriched by their enthusiasm and insights.  We are fortunate to have such wonderful people serving God’s people. 

There are days when the challenges and frustrations of ministry take a toll, and then there are days like today that remind me of the goodness of God.

“Someday my ship will come in.”  I remember hearing this statement many times throughout my life.  Somewhere along the line I heard something else added  to it.  “Someday my ship will come in and I will be at the airport.”  Most of us have probably found ourselves at one time or another of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or even at the right place in the wrong time.

Much has been written about attaining success.  Success is frequently followed by money, power and privilege.  In America, we can see on this display every day if we pay attention to the happenings in the Washington D.C. beltway or among the Hollywood elite.  What happens if we define success differently?

As I look at the photo above I see the larger ship  in the background.  However, my eyes are mainly drawn to the little wooden boat on the beach. Defining success from a material standpoint would tell me that it is better to own the larger ship  in the background rather than the small wooden boat.  My reflection today is not about material success.  It is about faith.  It is about being willing to put out into the deep regardless of the size of the boat.

Another saying I have heard frequently is that “God does not call the qualified; He qualifies (equips) the called.”  As I reflect back upon nearly 18 years of ordained ministry, there have been many times when I certainly did not feel qualified.  I never dreamed of the many things I would encounter as a minister of the Church.  On numerous occasions I have felt as if I were in that little wooden boat pushed into the middle of the sea.  Was I willing to cast my net into the deep in less than ideal circumstances?

My roles and responsibilities  have shifted many times throughout the last 18 years, and there have been many “firsts” along the way.  I was extremely nervous with each of those events–the first baptism, the first wedding, the first funeral, the first time preaching, the first marriage preparation class I taught, the first time called to the hospital, the first visit to a maximum security prison to offer a Word and Communion Service, the first time being a director of religious education in a parish, the first time teaching in a Catholic high school, the first time being a principal of a Catholic elementary school, the first time being a superintendent of Catholic schools, the first time being a vocation director and deacon director, the first time being the deacon at Mass with a bishop, and the list goes on and on.

I can honestly see that the Lord  does indeed equip those whom he has called. “Increase my faith” is a prayer that needs to perpetually flow from my lips and my heart so that I can be faithful to the Lord.  If I am able to do that, I will have achieved the success that I desire to experience–faithfulness  to the Lord.

How has God equipped you for building up His Kingdom?  To whom do you bring healing, peace, and joy?  How is God calling you to follow Him today? How will you respond to His call?

May we all hear those words at the end of life here on this earth, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”  That is success!

We received a little over a foot of snow on May 18 and May 19.  I will never grow accustomed to that.  In 2014 we received almost a foot of snow on Mother’s Day.  This year it happened after Mother’s Day.  The snow forced me to miss the ordination of Clark Lenz to the diaconate, caused me to have to cancel a medical appointment, and I was informed by guests coming from Missouri to visit tomorrow that they had decided to just return home via the northern route from Yellowstone National Park rather than come south through all of the snow. I could certainly understand that decision.

The family vehicles were all stuck in the driveway from when we returned home from work on Thursday evening.  I started the long haul of digging our way out.  It did not take long to realize that I would prefer to simply wait for warmer weather in June or July–even though that is no guarantee either.  I got back at it early this morning and was making minimal progress.  That is when my neighbor showed up with more than a shovel.

It is beneficial to have the right equipment when tackling a job.  As this type of snow event seems to happen on a regular basis, I think I will have to be more intentional about finding a place to live in town.  It is beautiful out on the prairie, but I am getting too old to deal with the frustrations of snow removal from September through May.

It will be a muddy mess for a while, but at least we can get out again.

Congratulations to Deacon Clark Lenz.

As the academic year draws to a close, I would like to express my prayerful best wishes to all the graduates.  May the next chapter in each of your lives bring you abundant blessings!

Transitions are sometimes exciting, but they can also be filled with a sense of anxiety.  We grow accustomed to how things are; the uncertainty of change can foster some trepidation.  This is not simply the case for graduates moving onto the next phase of life.  It is a factor that impacts all of us throughout our lives.  Change is the one constant we all experience.  Getting married, having children, getting a new job, getting a promotion at the current job, getting a new boss, experiencing the loss of a loved one, getting diagnosed with a serious illness, relocating, retiring, and the list goes on and on.  Transitions happen all through life.

As people of faith, how do we embrace change?  Do we truly walk in faith and trust in our prayerful discernment?  Are we able to experience peace within ourselves in the midst of chaos surrounding us?  Hopefully, we are able to do this because of our relationship with Christ?

Speaking of transitions, I don’t think the weather outside realizes what month it is.  We have not yet transitioned from winter into spring, and it is almost time for summer to begin.  I am not a big fan of winter at any time, but I am certainly not thrilled with winter still happening in mid to late May.  It is time for warmth and sunshine.

The weather forecasts seem to be all over the place in regard to expected snow totals.  The last map that I viewed showed 8 to 14 inches of snow for the Cheyenne area.  As soon as you move into the higher elevations it shows 12 to 18 inches, and one forecast just showed 18+ for the mountains. Interstate 80 between Cheyenne and Laramie has already been closed.  The leaves on the little tree outside our office (pictured above) are already holding onto the snow. It will most likely be a storm that causes some damage to the trees.

As the snow falls on this 18th day of May in 2017 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, I could certainly imagine a transition for myself.  It would be called, “retirement in the Caribbean”.  That has a nice ring to it.  Unfortunately, that will have to remain a dream for a while.  In the meantime, I better get back to work.  While I am working, I can think about shoveling snow when I get home.

My blog post last year on May 18, reflecting on the death of Ashlin, was the most read post I have ever had in my four years of blogging.  I feel compelled to run it again this year on the actual anniversary of her death with just a few additions and updates.

Watching the evening news in any major metropolitan city can be quite depressing. There are stories of violence and crime  night after night.  How do we cope with grief, sadness, and tragedy when it comes to us in such a steady flow?  Do we grow numb to it all?  What happens when the tragedy hits close to home?  How does that change the perspective?

Over thirty years ago I graduated from college with a degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology.  My first job out of college was in law enforcement.  I became a police officer with the St. Louis County Police Department.  This small town farm boy was introduced to some realities of life that I had not previously known.  It was especially true when I worked the evening or midnight shift.  There were nights when one call after another was for a “domestic disturbance.”  People who had thought enough of one another at some point to date, live together, or even get married were now fighting intensely with one another.

The things I witnessed were shocking.  I had learned about these things in my college classes from a sociological point of view as well as from a criminal vantage point.  Now I was seeing it first hand, up-close and personal.  Once in a while there was a little humor to be found in the mess, but most of the time it was just frightening. Once as I approached a house for a domestic disturbance call I could see through the picture window that a woman was heaving potted plants at her husband.  No weapons were in sight.  As I entered the scene both parties calmed down.  As they each looked at the potting soil covering the floor from about ten potted plants being heaved at the man, they just sort of sighed.  A little chuckle even came forth as they thought about the mess that needed to be cleaned up following their spat.

Unfortunately, the majority of the domestic disturbance calls were much more serious. Guns and knives were frequently part of the equation.  Others were even more creative.  One individual boiled a pot of water, added bleach to it, and then threw it on the sleeping companion.  The ways we choose to hurt one another can be extreme.

It was eight years ago today that Ashlin (pictured above) experienced the ultimate domestic violence.  In my 18 years of ministry as a deacon, I have presided at or assisted with, numerous funeral rituals.  Ashlin’s has been the only memorial service that I have done for the victim of homicide.  It was the most heart-breaking service that I have ever led.  Ashlin wasn’t just a newscast for me.  Domestic violence had struck right into the heart of my family.

A double homicide and a suicide devastated multiple families.  Two young toddlers lost both their parents on that day.  A third toddler lost his dad (Daniel).  Parents and family members of the three deceased individuals were left with an overwhelming amount of grief.  I cannot even imagine the level of emotions that must have been experienced by parents losing their children in such an unthinkable act.  That grief continues to impact family members eight years later.  

The toddlers are growing up.  Each milestone event that takes place with the kids leaves an aching thought.  What would Ashlin think about this?  I believe this to be true for Daniel’s family as well.  As Daniel’s son moves into adolescence, it must be difficult at times for family members to watch milestone events happen without pondering what it would be like if circumstances were different.

The world turned upside down on that day for many people.  However, the resilience by Ashlin’s mom and so many others around her demonstrates the power of love.  I have no words for that kind of love except to say, “Thanks.” Hate, anger, and violence have been overcome by your love.  You have been a witness for all of us in regard to courage and fortitude.  Keep up the good work.

The number of phone calls, e-mails, and public comments I received last year after my blog posting  made me realize a little more clearly how pervasive the problem of domestic violence is.  It is impacting a lot of people.  I am praying in a fervent  way today for all who are in danger.  I am praying for all those in grief.  The pain is real.  The grief is immense.  Domestic violence has a face, and it is the face of a loved one for many families.

Several people expressed their concerns to me last year saying that “the system” doesn’t work in regard to seeking protection.  I realize that the system is not perfect, but I have seen it work in some instances.  Doing nothing is probably not a good option if you know your life is in jeopardy.

Others expressed to me that in this particular case there were no warning signs.  I was not close enough to the situation to know if there were signs or not.  Sometimes, there are very few indicators of things being as tense as what they are.  It is not always possible to detect the seriousness of the threat to one’s well-being.

With that being said, I simply close by reminding all of my readers to seek help if you are living in a volatile situation.  If you see a loved one in danger because of the volatile nature of a significant other, please try to intervene in some manner to protect your loved one.  Don’t wait until it is too late.  There are resources available to assist you regardless of the circumstances in which you find yourself. Domestic violence is real and it can shatter lives in a heartbeat.  Don’t become part of an evening newscast.  Seek help before the situation gets to that point. 

Eleven weekends have been spent on the road since the beginning of February.  This past weekend was no exception.  I was in Casper, Wyoming for the monthly diaconate formation weekend.  Future years will see the formation weekend moved from Mother’s Day.  There was joy in the room when that was announced.

Mother’s Day of 2014 was horrendous from a weather perspective.  We received a foot of snow (as depicted by the photo above).  This year brought us milder weather for Mother’s Day, and I was grateful for that. Unfortunately, the snow is coming later this week.  I don’t think I will ever grow accustomed to the reality that snow can come in any month when you live in Wyoming.

We have a deacon ordination this week.  Our new bishop will be ordained in three weeks.  Then, I am hoping for a bit of a slower pace for a few weeks.  It has been a productive spring, but some rest and relaxation on the horizon looks quite appealing right now.

I hope you had a wonderful day to honor your mom–whether living or deceased.  It is hard to believe that my mom has been gone for a year and a half.  This picture (below) from July of 2015 reminds me that we should never take for granted the moments we have at hand.  Three months after that photo was taken she was no longer here.  Let us be grateful to God for the love we experience in daily life from family members.

What captures your attention in this photo?  Is it the water, the building on the water, the tree, the flowers, the algae, the hill in the background, the straight rows of the vineyard, or something else?  Why did a particular component grab you?

There are many “things” in life seeking our attention.  How do we prioritize what is important and what is not?  In the day-to-day happenings of life where do you spend the majority of your time?  How does a relationship with God enter into that scenario?

A relationship with Jesus Christ does not happen automatically.  We are invited into that relationship, but the invitation requires a response from us.  What has your response looked like in recent weeks?

The Lourdes Grotto at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine is a quiet and peaceful place to pray.  I did not venture any closer to the shrine so as not to disturb the one individual kneeling in prayer.  I can easily see why that person found such solace in this place.​

Does our prayer lead to action?  How do we reach out and care for those who are hurting due to wars, poverty, injustice, illness, or any other reason?  In what ways are we touching suffering humanity?

My time at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine on Divine Mercy Sunday gave me much to appreciate and much to ponder.  The question resonating in my mind since leaving there has been a straightforward one.  How is my ministry building up the Kingdom of God?  That obviously leads to other reflective questions.  How is my prayer life?  In the call to service as a deacon, how am I personally ministering to the poor and marginalized members of society?  Have I grown complacent in my own ministry? These are not questions I can answer in a hurried manner.  There needs to be serious thought, prayer, and reflection before arriving at an honest answer.

Looking at the sculpture above certainly has the potential to change a person from a tourist visiting the shrine to a pilgrim on the journey of faith.

Seeing the Annunciation Garden with Angelus Bells and a fountain at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville, Illinois made me grateful for our noon time tradition at the Chancery Office in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Our staff gathers together each day at 11:52 A.M. to pray the Angelus for the needs of our diocese and anyone who requests our prayers.  It is wonderful to be in solidarity with others as we pray.