Dear Parishioners,

I have been with you 8 months now and today, Sunday, May 21st, I am being installed as your Pastor. In some ways these eight months have felt like a long time because of the anticipation that I felt for becoming your pastor. Just about every priest desires to have his own parish some day. In other ways, it felt like a short period of time because my time here so far has been so enjoyable.

I would like to thank you all for making my transition into being a pastor a relatively easy one. Whenever anyone takes on a new stage of life with new responsibilities, there is bound to be a period of adjustment. As I have gotten to know the parish, and the parish has gotten to know me, I have begun to feel more at home. I think a big part of that has been the generally friendly atmosphere of the people here.

As a priest, I realize that we are never really sure exactly how long we will be at any given assignment. In my last parish assignment, I had no idea that it would last five years. I thought it would be only three because usually that is how long a newly ordained priest remains in his first assignment. Then, when I was Chaplain of Notre Dame High School, I really thought that would have been a much longer assignment because there is precious little a chaplain can accomplish in one year. Because of this uncertainty whenever a priest is given an assignment, he always has to be a little detached in an Ignatian sense. He cannot plan his priesthood as if it were some sort of secular career because his life belongs to God. The parish cannot be all about the priest and his wants and desires but for the good of the people of the parish. In that spiritual detachment, a priest is reminded to make the most of each day and each opportunity to encourage others to have faith in Christ and follow Him above all things.

As I continue to grow in my own priesthood, I only hope that somehow I can be a help to each of you on this pilgrimage in life. If not, I will still pray for you all as I hope you are praying for me. I thank God for the great gift of the priesthood and how it has changed my own life

God bless,

Fr. Carter