Summer Shuffling

Last weekend we celebrated the ordination of Fr. Alex Dugas to the priesthood. If you were unable to make it to the ordination or Mass of Thanksgiving, you missed a beautiful celebration. The Sunday Mass was breathtaking. It was incredible to be a part of and I’m sure that we will be unpacking the Lord’s blessings for a while.

One of the aspects of the ordination Mass was the announcement of parish assignments for the newly ordained priests. Archbishop Schnurr has assigned Fr. Alex Dugas to the South 9 Family of Parishes on the east side of Cincinnati. This includes St. Mary in Hyde Park, St. Cecilia in Oakley, St. Anthony in Madisonville, and St. Margaret-St. John in Fairfax. He will begin his new assignment on July 1.

This will be an incredible assignment for Fr. Alex. These are some of the most dynamic parishes in the entire Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the pastor, Fr. Jamie Weber, is a wonderful priest and mentor. Please continue to pray for Fr. Alex as he begins this new journey as a parish priest.

Also receiving a new assignment is Fr. Jedidiah Tritle. Many of you know that he returned from the Carmelite Friars in Wisconsin; however, I don’t think it has been publicly mentioned. Fr. Jedidiah returned about two months ago and he was temporarily assigned to a handful of parishes in the Beavercreek and Xenia area of Dayton. Beginning July 1, he will begin a more permanent assignment at St. Mary in Oxford, Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Eaton, St. Mary in Camden, and St. John in New Paris. Fr. David Doseck, a Botkins native, is the pastor of these parishes. Please keep Fr. Jedidiah in your prayers as he continues to transition back to parish life after a few months in the monastery.

With all the priest assignments public, it is safe to say that Fr. Willig and I are not moving this year. We are happy to serve our parishes and will continue to do so as long as the good Lord lets us. It is a blessing to have stability. Life in 2023 for every American feels a bit unsettled. For us, and hopefully for you, it is a blessing to have some familiarity in our faith lives.

Finally, Christopher Buschur, our seminarian intern, has officially completed his internship. He returns to the seminary in August for two more years of studies. God-willing he will be ordained a deacon in April 2024 and a priest in May 2025. For this summer, he will be around our parishes. He will be in and out a little bit with vacations and other commitments. We are blessed to have his presence and ministry in our parishes for a few more months.

I hope that you have a blessed Memorial Day. Summer is upon us and now is a great time to pray about your summer plans. We fill up the summer with countless activities, but don’t forget to spend some time with the Lord, maybe read a spiritual book or two. Don’t let these months pass by without the Lord rejuvenating you.

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Sean Wilson