Sent by the Blood: Kansas City Province Assignments

May 25, 2017

The Leadership Team of the Kansas City Province of the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood is pleased to announce the following appointments:
Father Alan Hartway, C.PP.S., Kansas City Province representative, Community Life Symposium, Rome, Italy, July 23-28, 2017.
Father Peter Tam Hoang, C.PP.S., vocation director & member of Leadership Team for the Vietnam Mission, effective July 1, 2017. Father Hoang will be ordained to the priesthood on June 8, 2017. He has been serving as director of vocations for the mission since 2015. Father Tam will live at the House of Discernment in Ho Chi Minh City.
Father David Matz, C.PP.S., Pastor, St. Agnes Parish, Los Angeles, CA, effective July 1, 2017. Father Matz has been administrator of Saint Agnes Parish since January 6, 2015.
Father Joseph Miller, C.PP.S., Pastor, St. Francis Xavier Parish, Saint Joseph, MO, effective July 1, 2017.
Father Joseph Uecker, C.PP.S., Chair, Human Development Fund, effective July 1, 2017. Father Uecker has served as chair of the HDF for the past five years. This appointment is for another five-year term.
Father Ron Will, C.PP.S., Sabbatical, effective July 1, 2017, with residence at Precious Blood Center, Liberty, MO. Father Will joins the ministry team at Precious Blood Renewal Center, effective January 1, 2018.
Father John Wolf, C.PP.S., Kansas City Province representative, Community Life Symposium in Rome, July 23-28, 2017.
Father Mark Yates, C.PP.S., pastor of St. Patrick Church, Georgetown, IA, St. Peter Church, Lovilia, IA, and St. Patrick Church, Melrose, IA, effective July 1, 2017. For the past year, Father Yates has served as administrator of these three parishes in the Diocese of Davenport.
The Leadership Team has made several appointments to the LGBT Committee in recent months. Neil Mansuy is the new chair of the LGBT Committee, effective April 1, 2017. Neil replaces Sister Diana Rawlings, A.S.C., as chair of the committee. Sister Diana will continue to serve as a member of the committee. Companion Connie Swymeler replaces Companion Cathy Pankiewicz, effective May 1, 2017. We are grateful to Cathy for her many years of service. Father Garry Richmeier, C.PP.S., has also been appointed to the LGBT Committee, effective June 1, 2017.
We are grateful to these missionaries for accepting the call to be sent by the Blood of Christ in the spirit of St. Gaspar to be a reconciling and renewing presence in the Church and our world.
With peace in the blood of Christ,
Joseph Nassal, C.PP.S.
Provincial Director
Richard Bayuk, C.PP.S.
Thomas Welk, C.PP.S.
Ronald Will, C.PP.S.
Mark Miller, C.PP.S.

May 25, 2017 – Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, Ascension(Traditional)

May 25, 2017

The Gospel reading for the Ascension of the Lord speaks about a mountain top experience for the 11 disciples. They saw Jesus and they worship Him even though deep inside they could not believe. On a scale from one to ten I ask myself how much do I believe in a loving and forgiving God. Why is it harder some days than others? What can I do to believe even more?
Matthew Kelly in one of his books, Rediscover Jesus, says that to know Jesus we need to spend more time in sincere prayer and learn about Him by reading the Gospels. A short read from one of the 4 Gospels everyday puts us in contact of who Jesus is. I started doing that several months ago reading a paragraph or two each day, learning all kinds of things about Jesus that I glossed over before. Spending time in reflection not only helps me to know Him but to experience Him in my daily life. And yet most days when my prayer time is over and I get busy with life duties I let Jesus behind. And it is at those times when I don’t feel high with Jesus, and my faith falters.
Reading just short versions of most of the Doctors of the Church it was clear to me that dryness of faith was a struggle for most of them. And it goes back to when we were young we heard that anything worthwhile comes with a struggle. And we can’t forget that faith is a gift from God and the portion we receive is freely given by Him. It is up to us to take up the struggle and learn to believe when we can’t believe anymore.
The disciples were on a high receiving the command from Jesus to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all that I command and reminding them that I am with you until the end of ages.
The real work comes with the struggle to believe when doing what we think Jesus wanted of us has poor results. People do not always want to hear the good news and that pulls us down. Pope Francis speaks to us about the joy of the gospels. Let us turn to the gospels and find the joy and strength to do His will each day.
 
Br. Nick Renner, C.PP.S.
Cincinatti Province