Paths to Padre: A Seminarian's Journey

Who Do You Learn From? July 23, 2020 As we continue through the month of July, and the Church has finally opened and people are starting to come back, one thing has been on my mind: which people in my life serve as examples to me? You could interpret this in many ways. Who do I look to for advice? Who taught me how to work hard? Who taught me my values? These past few weeks though, my question has been who are my faith examples?  A few weeks ago we opened our Churches and began opening for one hour before so the faithful could have some private prayer time. One afternoon, as I was sitting in the back of St. Michael's in Whittemore, someone tapped me on the shoulder and said hello. It was my Grandma Pat. She arrived shortly after the doors open, said hello, and moved to her spot in the front of Church. For the first 30 minutes of this private prayer time, her and I were the only people in the Church. As I looked up from my breviary, I became so distracted by her kneeling in prayer. ...

The Long Days of Summer July 6th, 2020 As the Summer continues and we enter July, we experience the long hot and humid days that Iowa is known for. It doesn't seem like Summer until the heat is in the 90s with 123% humidity. You know the days I am talking about, the ones where you walk outside and feel like you can drink the air. In the midst of the heat and humidity, and the continuation of the pandemic, it can be easy to fall into the trap of the long days of Summer.  In the current situation we can be quick to get frustrated with many things going on around us. The weather, wearing a mask in public, travel restrictions, the fear of getting the virus. There are so many things causing frustration, fear, and anxiety today that it is hard to realize the great things that God is doing for us. My challenge for you this week is to look for those God moments in your life, try and find some every single day! This Summer has been one filled with many blessings. Fr. Ed, Fr. Sunny, and ever...