Dear Friends and Parishioners,
Our readings for this weekend remind us that the Lord walks with us on our faith journey. We should remember this especially during times of change. Last week, our Diocese announced all of the priest personnel changes in each parish. For those of you who missed it
, here are the latest updates.
As you know, I will be retiring at the end of June. My final Masses will take place on June 25th. The following day, I will finish packing and turn over “the keys to the Kingdom,” and leave on the 27th for Boise. I am blessed to have a few acres up in the hills near Idaho City and will be living with my sister and all sorts of dogs and mountain creatures.
Our new pastor, assigned to St. Mary’s in Moscow and Genesee, is Fr. Benjamin Onyemachi, also known as “Fr. Ben.” He is currently serving at St. Augustine’s and St. Mary’s in Potlatch, but will be moving to the rectory at St. Mary’s Moscow and into his office at the Family Center the last week of June. His first Masses as pastor will take place on July 1st and 2nd.
St. Mary’s in Moscow and Genesee will also have a second priest, Fr. Anthony, who has been assigned as parochial vicar (associate pastor). Ordained in 2012 for the Archdiocese of Owerri in Nigeria, he comes with years of pastoral experience and has many strong recommendations from priests with whom he served here in the US. He is currently in Florida finishing a degree in Hospital Management and will arrive in July.
Fr. Chase is due to return from his doctoral studies at the University of Oxford on June 6th. He is looking forward to returning to Moscow and continuing his priestly ministry to the parishes of St. Augustine’s Catholic Center and St. Mary’s in Potlatch, and the University of Idaho. It will be great to have him home as he has been greatly missed by all of us here in Moscow, especially by the students at the university.
Father Tom Loucks, our retired priest in residence in Potlatch, has gone to Boise for knee replacement surgery. He plans to return in July.
Jesus now calls us to trust in Him during these times of change. What a great Easter gift we are given as we walk this journey together.
