I love being a parish priest and I feel blessed to have already been so warmly welcomed by so many of you. Being hospitable to visitors is probably a special mission of this parish. So, I think life at the Beach is going to agree with me. At least it might get my Yankee family to come visit me a little more often. During my 15 years in Augusta, it seemed as though the only time my family was really enthused about visiting me was during the first week Of April during the Masters Tournament. And now they all seem eager to come to the Beach. I try not to take it personally.
As many of you already know, I am coming from a parish, St. Mary on the Hill, in which folks were extraordinary givers of their time, talent, and treasure. I sense that same is also true of St. Michael’s. As Bogie said at the end of Casablanca, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
As for my past, I have deep Catholic roots. My Dad was Irish American and grew up in Philadelphia where I too was raised. My Mom was a Minnesota farm girl of German heritage. They were married on Christmas Day, 1943, on an Army Airbase in Granada, Mississippi. My Dad was an accountant and my Mom was a nurse. I have five siblings but Patti, Dan, and Molly are with the Lord. Mike and Dave and I remain very close.
I was ordained on May 19, 1979 by John Cardinal Krol at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. After 14 years in several different assignments in Philadelphia, I teamed up with Glenmary Home Missioners which got me to Georgia twenty-four years ago. I loved it so much in this Diocese that I’ve stayed. In addition to my work as a parish priest, I head the United States branch of an International Fraternity of Priests know as Jesus Caritas.
Change is awkward at first, but I hope we will be able to bond together well. It was not easy to say goodbye to my old faith community and I’ve no doubt that is going to also be true of this parish after several years when I head off to retirement. Until then, I look forward to sharing with you the mystery that is at center of my life: God’s presence rooted in a Eucharistic spirituality. With God’s grace I look forward to building up God’s Kingdom with you here on Tybee Island.