Pastor's Pen - June 12, 2016

The time has come to say “Good-Bye.” When asked two years ago by the Archbishop to add the pastoring of St. Paul Parish to my responsibilities at St. Bruno’s, my heart skipped a few beats and I gasped a couple of times. Then he went on to say that I would have a shared parish associate pastor, Fr. Wrobel. I said to myself, “This may be doable”, and it has been! It was clear that these two years were meant to be transition years, years of redesigning structures and services, because once I retired only one priest would be handling the shepherding of St. Paul and St. Bruno. This clustering of parishes has been a challenge, but I feel so good about the many participants who dedicated their time, talent and wisdom to the various strategic planning groups/ committees. Their insights brought about new ways of working out the vision for our mission and the mission of Christ.

Change isn’t easy, but faith, hope and charity make it possible. I have witnessed the exercise of those virtues over and over again. The Holy Spirit has really been at work. Working with Fr. Chuck, Rita Borowski, our Trustees, Jim Dunlap and John Morgen, the dedicated and wonderful (pastoral, teaching, support, and maintenance) staff members here at St. Paul’s, the excellent Pastoral Council and hard-working Finance Council, the high-quality committees and their leadership, the volunteers who give service within and outside of our parish, and then all of the members of this beautiful community has been one massive joy and learning experience for me. I have truly appreciated it. Getting to know another awesome faith community like St. Paul’s these past two years has been very, very rewarding. Names have always been my downfall, but beautiful, faith-filled, goodhearted believers like yourselves have enriched my life so very much. I think I will be bragging about all of you years down the road. I never imagined that at this time in my life I would be growing so much, working so hard, and enjoying my priesthood so much. Thank you for the gift you are and have been in my life.

In my retirement, I will be helping out in parishes around the Archdiocese while living in a senior apartment complex on the southwest corner of Milwaukee. My address as of June 20th will be: 3940 S. Prairie Hill Lane, Apt. 105, Greenfield, WI 53228. My cell phone number will remain the same: 262-227-2722. No e-mail yet. Let’s keep one another in prayer! Blessings fill your lives! Love your new pastor!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Fr. Ralph