In a Spirit of Gratitude

So now that the dust has finally settled, I can finally sit down and gather my thoughts about all that has transpired these past two weeks. On Saturday, May 27th, Bishop Joseph Bambera ordained me to the diaconate. It was a beautiful weekend! To say that I have been overwhelmed by the prayers, generosity, and love of others is an understatement.

In a deep and profound spirit of gratitude, I have been reflecting on the occasion of that diaconal ordination weekend. It is difficult to express my heartfelt thanks to everybody who gathered together to pray for me, to support our local Church of Scranton, and to affirm that the Holy Spirit is very much alive and igniting the hearts of the People of God. But I'll give it a try:

-I am so grateful for my parents, Jim and Maria, for my grandparents, siblings, and my entire family. And I am also grateful for my friends from the many different chapters of my life. They have been my system of support and love for many years!

-I am grateful for the parishioners of St. Matthew's in East Stroudsburg, St. Jude's in Mountain Top, and St. Vincent de Paul's in Dingmans Ferry. These women and men have helped me to grow into my identity as one called to serve and minister in the name of Jesus.

-I am grateful for those deacons and priests who have been present to me throughout my time of discernment. Many have been personal role models whom I hope to emulate in my years of ordained ministry.

-I am grateful to our bishop, Joseph Bambera, for laying hands on me and calling upon the Holy Spirit in this sacramental sign of service to the People of God. I am humbled (and excited) to exercise ministry for the Church of Scranton under the leadership of this successor to the apostles!

-And finally, I must express my gratitude for the ways in which God has worked in my life! I could never have predicted my life's journey to this point. And I don't know what the future holds. But as a wise priest has reminded me, we entrust our unknown futures to a known God. I am grateful that God has given me the gift of life, sustains me in love, and has called me to serve the Church in this particular way.

In this spirit of gratitude, all I can say is, "thank you!"