FROM THE DESK OF FR. KEVIN,
OUR PASTOR

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we come to the end of the first month of my time here as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I want to again thank everyone—staff and parishioners—for all the many expressions of welcome, support and assistance that have been extended to me through personal greetings, cards and letters, small gifts and treats, and the many signs of kindness and receptivity. You have all made me feel truly welcomed and embraced, and for this I am so very grateful.

As we move toward and into the month of August, please remember that Fr. Gary Zender, the Vicar for Clergy for the Archdiocese of Seattle, will be coming to OLG to celebrate our 11:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday, August 4th, and to “install” me at that Mass as the new pastor here. Fr. Zender is a good friend of mine, not only as a brother priest of the Archdiocese of Seattle, but also as a member of the same Jesu Caritas group that I belong to. This is a small group of priests—six of us to be exact—who meet once a month for prayer, fellowship and conversation about our ministries and spiritual lives. It will be both a great joy and a special privilege to be installed by Fr. Zender as the new pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

As I think I mentioned in my previous bulletin column, my two sisters, Barbara and Ann, will also be here for the installation, as will two of my nieces—Ann’s daughters, Catie and Maddie. That some members of my family will be here for the installation Mass will add to the joy of an already joyful occasion for me. I am so glad that you will be able to meet some of my immediate family, and they you.

As we continue to move further into the month of August, I will be taking a brief vacation to travel down to San Jose to visit my aging father and the rest of my family. My dad is approaching 94, and for some time has been facing some deteriorating and intensifying health conditions—arthritis, macular degeneration (blindness), and dementia. While he is well cared for via the attention and assistance of family members and medical professionals, he is facing greater and greater challenges and limitations with regard to his strength, his mobility, his eyesight and his memory. I want to make sure that I have the chance to see him, and to spend some time with him, as he confronts and copes with the constraints that more and more beset him. I would be grateful for your prayers for him. Francis Xavier (Frank) Duggan is his name. I will be in California from Sunday evening, August 18th, and returning to Seattle on Monday, August 26th. Word will be forthcoming as to who the priest(s) will be who will cover the weekend Masses on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, August 24th/25th, in my absence.

Grace and peace to all, Fr. Kevin