September 24, 2025 The text from my son, Jake, read, “guess who I’m having dinner with tonight.” Jake had been living in Central New York for only a week. He didn’t know many people there. I was traveling, so my response to his text was delayed, but I couldn’t think of who he might have joined for dinner. “Who?” was my only response. “I went to Mass and had dinner with Father Bill. That parish is nice, and they love him! Father Menard is nice as well!” That was Father Bill Muench (he writes the other column on this page) and Father Bernard “Bernie” Menard, both priests who started their ministries in the Diocese of Ogdensburg and now reside now in the same parish within the Diocese of Syracuse. When Jake and I connected via phone, he told me all about going to dinner with Father Bill and Father Bernie. He told me how warm and welcoming they were. He told me he loved their parish community. He told me how much he enjoyed the meal at their rectory. Jake was very excited to have had the opportunity to spend time with them. I got off the phone with Jake and cried. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. It just amazes me that even hours from home, Jake is receiving pastoral care from priests of our diocese. I was so incredibly grateful for the concern and care exhibited by Father Bill and the warm welcome extended to Jake by both Father Bill and Father Bernie. When he submitted his column for this week’s edition, Father Bill noted that his writing was a bit shorter than normal, and I would have a bigger space to fill. “I hope you have a lot of appreciation,” he wrote in his email. I certainly do, Father Bill. I certainly do. While I especially appreciate Father Bill and Father Bernie and the welcome they gave my son, I appreciate all our priests. They’re our spiritual fathers, and they work hard to ensure we have access to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. They provide counsel. They minister at hospitals and gravesides. They bring Jesus to inmates. They teach adults and children. They serve at food pantries and soup kitchens. They ensure our parishes are operating well. They minister to law enforcement. Our priests are involved in countless ministries and tasks to serve us, the people of God here in the North Country. Many of our priests are thanked personally in the pages of this edition. Not all are, though. Some were not specifically named. It may be because someone missed a deadline, someone’s ad request got lost in the mail, or someone just plain forgot. Whether named or not, we appreciate all our priests, and we thank them for saying “yes” to God’s call and to serving his people so well. Please join us in praying for our priests and for their intentions. We truly appreciate our priests. I don’t have to guess about that. |
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