From The Pastor’s Desk,

As we say goodbye to Fr. Joseph we welcome Fr. Allen Kirchner. He has been ordained at a most unique time not only in our Church, but in our country and in the world. With the pandemic running at full force, people are still calling it a hoax, with a 1,000 deaths a day here in US since last Sunday. For myself as an associate pastor those first years were fun, because I did not have to make major decisions, the pastor did that. After being a pastor for 38 years I sometimes look back and say to myself, it would be nice being that associate pastor again. Being the pastor, means you are the person in charge, and that the buck stops at your desk. You are the instructional leader, the model for others to follow, but especially you are the faith leader of your parish, and
that is scary. Oh lest I forget, the pastor is the person who many times locks up, unlocks, makes sure there is toilet paper in the restrooms and anything else that needs to be done, that does not follow under someone else’s job description. Fr. Joseph will be an associate with Fr. Daniel Robles who was my first associate pastor, who many times upon becoming pastor, would call and ask, “Fr. Lewis can I come back to be your associate?”

I strive to lead by example, and not by telling everyone what to do and how to do it. I want to know what is being done in the name of the parish, in my name, but I try not to micro manage. I do not stay in my office any more than I have to; I am in classrooms, cafeteria, different meetings, car line, games, and special events. I try to be present to as many people as possible. I even answer the parish office phone at times. All of these are ways in which I try to show that I am not too busy for our parishioners. The sales people, the person off the street, people from outside the parish may have to wait to another time.

It does not seem possible that I have been here at St. Agnes for six years. I must admit however, that this year beginning in March has been the most difficult of my priesthood. How do I fulfill my role as pastor when I cannot go to the hospitals, the nursing homes, schools were closed and for months no public masses? The first several weeks of the lockdown, Fr. Joseph and I sat across from one another and said, “What do we do now?” That was how we came up with Evening Vespers on line with Adoration and Benediction. Then I decided to present my study classes on line. We still are posting our daily and Sunday Masses on line, but I
am tired of looking into a camera.
This school year along with our liturgical year will be unlike anything we have had in the past. I pray daily that God will guide those working on a vaccine and our lives can get back to a little more normal. In the meantime please be patient with us as Fr. Allen and I work at different ways we can ministry to the parish of St. Agnes and provide the sacraments in a prayerful way

~Fr. Lewis E. Hejna