I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to those of you who read this blog. I was taking some time to review it and realized that one of my goals for this new year was to write more often - well guess I failed at that. Its been a roller coaster year to be honest, not that this is an excuse for not keeping a new year's pledge, but its a fact.
This year has been one of exponential growth in my parish ministry. We saw our parish community of St Mary of the Visitation truly embrace and become more fully focused on Christ’s mission and vision for parishes - to bring the lost home, care for the hurt, and minister to the hungering.
We took hold of our mission "to offer everyone in our community with a life changing encounter with Jesus", and we ran with it - full force! We saw new staff join our team, took leaps in our media and music ministry, saw our youth ministry and young adult outreach truly take off, our children's ministry extend, we saw the levels of parishioner engagement sore, saw attendance and participation rates increasing, we even saw many more parishes seek to visit us and partner with us. I found myself mentoring pastors, speaking at conferences and even scribing for my third book. It was humbling and unforeseen. It kept me moving at a very fast pace and probably the most productive and happiest I have been.
Then something happened that I didn't see coming - my phone rang and the Bishop called. Now Bishops only call for two reasons. If you are in trouble or if they want you to travel, and for me it was the latter one. My Bishop asked me, after almost 13 years at the parish I have loved - to "lean in" - as he loves to say - and leave to become Pastor of another parish near by, but there is more, this parish is located in the heart of two major universities and one college, with an active campus ministry, and is a large pinnacle parish in our region. 
I was humbled by his request, but have to admit I had lots of reasons to say no. In fact initially I did in my heart. Not because the parish of St Michael in Waterloo is a bad fit - in fact its not! It was my home parish growing up, and the parish where I first heard my call to priesthood and entered the seminary from. I still have family and many friends there. In fact, I baptized my niece and nephew there, have married cousins, attended funerals, confirmations and have visited there many times. Its a great parish - vibrant, dynamic, committed to social action, good liturgy and hospitality...and its only 20 minutes away from where I am now. I resisted because, well, I had my mind made up on how things should be. I had the plan figured out and it didn't include moving boxes in January and certainly not leaving where I was happy.
The Bishop told me to pray about it, discuss it with my spiritual director, and come back and chat again with him. I did, and well, God had His way (note I didn't say the Bishop did...but I guess he did too).... God touched my heart in several pivotal moments and told me, as St Catherine of Sienna likes to say, to "have a big heart", to think beyond what you know and embrace what God sees. Easier said then done, but part of the journey for her, and it seems for me.
So this Christmas was an emotional one for me. It was my last among a parish family that I have given my heart to for more than half my priesthood, and with each hymn, encounter and Mass came deeper pain at knowing a new chapter would begin and this part of the story would end. As a priest, our lives become interwoven with members of our parish. The rituals are one part, but its walking in the hurts and hopes, that when you try to unweave them- well - its heart wrenching.
I often tell the two young men from our parish studying in seminary, as well as the small group of five from our parish considering it, that the hardest part of priesthood is not the call to celibacy (that is a discernment on its own, for which one is either called or not), no, the hardest element of priesthood is obedience - going not where you want, but where God (and the Bishop) desires. I have quoted to them often.... "Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (John 21:18) ..... now I am being called to model it...and well ......they are watching.
So January 14th, I move back to my home town, and to a childhood parish. I return to a parish which has had several pastors in a short time, and hope to bring a familiarity and a stability. My postal code changes, but not my commitment. I hope to continue to move forward the principles of evangelization and parish renewal which have guided my first 21 years as a priest. To continue mentoring, speaking, writing, teaching and to take what I have learned down the road to a new parish and into the lives especially of our post secondary students who desire to be part of a parish (and a Church) which - well - can be for them (like me) be a place to come home to.
Maybe a good way to finish this blog is with the quote below from a real friend and mentor in my life, and the man who first asked me, at the altar of St Michael Parish in Waterloo in fact, if I had ever considered being a priest...his promise then to pray for me....is one I still count on today.....
I think we will have a lot of exciting things around the corner in 2019, and I hope you continue along this journey with us.