This weekend I will "officially" be installed as the pastor of Gesu and St. Pius Parishes by Bishop Thomas. As part of this ritual of installation, the Bishop will hand me the keys at the doors of the church. In this moment he will exhort me to "always serve the faithful of this parish with zeal, fidelity and sincere devotion so that all people may come to know Jesus Christ..."
With this in mind, I couldn't help but notice a line from this Sunday's Gospel. In the story, a group of virgins are awaiting the return of the bridegroom so as to enter into the wedding feast with him. Half of them were unprepared and, upon running out of oil for their lamps, must run into town to buy more. As they do so, the bridegroom arrives, welcomes those virgins who were prepared in, and closes the door. The foolish virgins upon their arrival back, knock on the door and say, "Lord, Lord, open the door for us!" The bridegroom, from inside, responds "Amen, I say to you, I do not know you."
As I enter into this role as pastor of Gesu and St. Pius Parishes, I do so with a recognition that our parishes have had incredible pastors and priests over the years. They have left wonderful examples and have made these places feel like home. However, we also face a changing world and a changing city and find ourselves needing to reinvent ourselves for the new realities that surround us in 2026.
So, as the keys to these parishes are handed over to me, please know that it is my hope to take to heart the exhortation the bishop will address to me and, by extension, to all our parishioners: that all we do may help "all people come to know Jesus Christ." May everyone who knocks on the doors of our parish home be welcomed with open arms and hearts. And by our efforts to do this, let us pray that everyone who encounters Christ in our communities may know Him truly and experience Him saying "I know you and am happy you are here!" when they meet Him face to face.
Please pray for me as I "officially" enter into this role! And may God be praised!
Written by: Fr. Craig
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