Nearly 60 men attended the Morning of Recollection at Saint Patrick Parish in Wentzville, Missouri on October 25. This was my first time speaking at this parish, and what a blessing it was for me. There are times you walk into a parish and can feel the energy. This was one of those places. Wow!
After hundreds of speaking engagements over the last quarter of a century, I am still amazed at the powerful ways God touches the hearts of His people. The private conversations during the breaks always reveal the various ways God is speaking to His people in the depths of their hearts. It is indeed a beautiful experience.
Many thanks to the Knights of Columbus for organizing a terrific event.
Saint Patrick Parish in Wentzville, Missouri 10-25-2025Saint Patrick Parish in Wentzville, Missouri 10-25-2025
After several years of absence from the blogging world, I have returned once again with a single purpose in mind. I want to be articulating hope.
Our world is hurting in many ways, but the Church can be a beacon of light in the midst of the darkness. It is my desire to encourage you, as well as myself, to keep being faithful witnesses of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
It has been a full three days. Evening prayer on Sunday, ordination and installation on Monday, first Mass as bishop this morning, and now it is time for an attempt to get back into some kind of routine. I want to welcome our new shepherd, Bishop Steven R. Biegler, DD, STL. I am looking forward to getting to know him better and working closely with him.
I had only been in the diocese for six weeks back in 2009 when we received a new bishop to shepherd the Diocese of Cheyenne at that time. After having served with Bishop Paul Etienne for the last seven years, it is much easier for me to be of assistance to our new bishop. I now have eighteen years of experience as a deacon, with eight of those being closely involved with liturgies at a cathedral with a bishop as the celebrant. (Cheyenne, Wyoming & Pueblo, Colorado) It took a long time to develop a comfort level with assisting a bishop at liturgy, but I am grateful to have reached that point. I have learned more about liturgical rites in the last eighteen years than I had ever imagined.
The crosier, mitre, and bishop’s ring (pictured above) have significant meaning. Our former bishop, now archbishop, explains the symbolism quite well in his recent blog. I encourage you to read Archbishop Paul Etienne’s blog to learn the historical significance of each of these items. archbishopetienne.com/significance-of-bishops-insignia
It was a wonderful privilege to be part of the planning for these days and to have a role in each of the liturgical celebrations. Enjoy the photos below.
Rehearsal is a key part of any major liturgical celebration.
The appointment is verified in this official document.
Archbishop Aquila was the primary consecrating bishop.
The beginning of the month of June brings thoughts of summer to my mind. Lounging around in the sun certainly appeals to some animals as well as humans. However, it isn’t quite time yet to take advantage of the warmer temperatures and slower pace. The ordination and installation of our new bishop on Monday still requires some preparation time. The remainder of the month still finds my calendar with more than a few obligations on the agenda.
We celebrate the Memorial of St. Justin, Martyr today. If you have a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I would encourage you to read paragraph 1345 to see a letter written by St. Justin somewhere around the year 155. (You can also find the catechism on the internet if you don’t have a hard copy in your possession.) If you want to know why we celebrate the Eucharist the way we do, you can see that it was already being done in a similar way at the time of St. Justin.
Enjoy some leisure time this summer, but please do not take a vacation from practicing your faith. After you read St. Justin’s writing, pick up the Bible and read chapter 6 of John’s Gospel. Get your heart, mind, and soul ready for a fresh release of the Holy Spirit on this upcoming Pentecost Sunday! Be SEALED with the Gift of the Holy Spirit!
The Unites States of America celebrates Memorial Day today. We remember all those who have given their lives in the defense of our freedom. We especially remember them in our prayers. “Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.”
The particular set of prayers that I am using for my Holy Spirit novena during these days between the Solemnity of the Ascension and the Solemnity of Pentecost focused my attention on the gift of fortitude today. As I sat quietly reflecting upon this gift, I could not help but think of all the times I have failed to persevere in my journey toward holiness. Fortitude is essential if we are going to unite ourselves completely to Christ. Are we able to keep moving toward Christ especially when the cross shows up?
I am grateful for the upbringing I received as a child, and I am blessed to have had years of continuing faith formation in my adult life. This is something I cannot take for granted. Not everyone has had the opportunities to be formed in the faith in such a magnificent way. I was reminded of this while sitting at my computer writing this blog. In an attempt to multi-task, I was flipping channels on the television to catch up on the latest news stories. Sadly, I came across, The View. High quality programming–right? Why did I even pause before moving onto the next channel?
Whoopi Goldberg asked a question about whether it is right or not to have an atheist as a godparent at a baptism. Are you kidding me? Why would that even be a question? After listening to the gibberish offered up as answers, it was easy to see how it could be a question. Wow! Thankfully, Sunny Hostin was able to give a correct definition of the difference between a sponsor and a witness at a Catholic baptism. I did not know who Sunny was, but the world of the internet informed me about her. At least one person on the show made some sense.
Although I wanted to get an update on the shooting rampage in Mississippi, this brief encounter with The View coaxed me into simply shutting off the TV without getting to the news. The gift of fortitude can help me stop wasting time watching TV. The gift of wisdom would clue me in to just get rid of the televisions from our house. Now that is something to seriously consider.
The wait begins. I can only imagine the various emotions the apostles must have felt after the ascension of the Lord. He was crucified on the cross, buried, rose from the dead, and now He was gone again. As they waited for the “Spirit of Truth” they must have surely been a bit worn out by the previous 43 days.
Do you ever feel worn out spiritually? You pray. Life still does not go well. You are kind to others, and you still get mistreated yourself. St. Teresa of Avila is often quoted as having said, “Dear Lord, if this is how You treat Your friends, it is no wonder You have so few.” Have you ever felt that way?
Today is the first day of the novena between the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost. Although most regions of the United States have moved the Solemnity of the Ascension to this coming Sunday rather than having celebrated it yesterday, please don’t miss this opportunity to pray during these nine days leading up to Pentecost. Ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life.
If you need access to particular prayers for this novena, I would suggest the prayers from the EWTN website as a starter.
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.
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.
