As most of you know, I will be retiring as the Director of Business Administration on June 30, but June 18 will be my last day on the job. I leave here with much gratitude for the opportunity I was given. I also leave with a sense of pride that I was able to contribute in some small but important ways to my parish.

On July 1, 2005, I came to work at St. Michael Catholic Church as the Parish Administrator. Msgr. Robert Perkins had started a search after Juanita Walker announced that she was ready to retire after serving this parish for nearly 15 years. The search committee recommended me to Msgr. Perkins, and I began a job for which I was barely qualified. Don’t get me wrong. I had a lot of good experience both in management, budget, and counseling, but I had never worked in a church setting. Thank goodness Juanita had things in such order here before I started!

In the 15 since then, I have been blessed to be part of a vibrant parish that lives its mission, to be the Presence of Christ, every day. Fr. Dan has created an environment that is warm and welcoming, and people have responded. I will always be grateful to him for his vision and trust that God always provides!

I also have been blessed to work with a dedicated staff who is committed to empowering parishioners to grow in faith. I will truly miss the day-to-day interactions I have had with them over these many years. If I am to be honest, many of the things for which people give me credit have been because of the efforts of our staff.

I will continue my role as permanent deacon, and I look forward to continuing to serve the parish. The pastoral and liturgical roles of deacon are truly what nourish me, and I am lucky to be able to continue that here.

The list of people I want to thank is long, and I know if I try to do it here, I will leave someone out. I would like to particularly thank Fr. Dan for trusting me to advise him and allowing me to tease him. We have had a wonderful relationship.

I also want to thank my wife, Jenny. She keeps me grounded and humble. Not an easy task!

This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Body and Blood Christ. You all have been the Body of Christ for me. You have nourished me. You have fed my vocation. Suffice it say, I am grateful to you all for your patience and encouragement through the years. Thank you.

God bless you all.