Blessed 30th Anniversary

06-08-2025Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As I give thanks to Our Lord for calling me to follow Him as a priest, my heart is filled with gratitude to God for my loving and supportive parents, my amazing brother and sisters, their devoted spouses and energetic children, my devout grandparents, cousins, friends, teachers, students, parishioners, brother priests, deacons, religious; and others, all who have blessed me and supported me throughout my life.

As the holy Dominican Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire once prayed:
To live in the midst of the world with no desire for its pleasures; to be a member of every family, yet belonging to none; to share all sufferings; to penetrate all secrets, to heal all wounds; to daily go from men to God to offer Him their homage and petitions; to return from God to men to bring them His pardon and hope; to have a heart of fire for charity and a heart of bronze for chastity; to bless and to be blest forever. O God, what a life, and it is yours, O Priest of Jesus Christ! Amen.

To live as a priest of Jesus Christ, means living a life filled with great adventures, occasional detours, bumps and bruises, trepidations and thoughts of unworthiness. Serving God and the people entrusted to my care is a life worth living a thousand times over. During these past 30 years, I have failed often, learned much, regretted here and there, said too much at times and not enough every so often. The life we have been given is a gift to be received with great awe and reverence. We won’t pass by here again but the good memories make their way into our hearts and minds every so often. It is my hope that in those quiet moments of reflection and pondering, the blessings that can only come from God and the people He gives you along the way may bring you peace and joy. I find hope and consolation in the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph who struggled at times, persevered with hope and showed all of eternity what love is created to be.

May you know how precious you are to God and to each other and to me. I give thanks to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit for Their grace and mercy given to all and to me in abundance. I am grateful for the bumps and the bruises, the failures and mistakes along the way for it has often been in the messiness of life that God has revealed His supreme goodness, mercy, and love.

I ask you to forgive me for the times I have been rude, impatient, or lacked compassion or failed to be the priest I am called to be by Our Lord. It is my prayer, my hope, and my life’s work that we may all find heaven, and things of heaven, along the way. I give thanks for the many blessings and graces given to me by God for in His Divine Providence, God knows I need all the help I can get. Pray for me. Pray that I may always follow the One Lord and Savior who has called me to follow Him. I am very grateful for my amazing family, my bishops, my brother priests, deacons, parishioners, staff members, Seven Sisters, Fasting Brothers, Legion of Mary, Knights of Columbus, Knights of Malta, choir members, musicians, ushers, lectors, Knights of the Altar, Lisieux Sorority, sacristans, those who assisted in any way, and all who join with me in celebrating this very special day.

God Bless,

Fr. Don Kline