St. Jude Catholic Chapel

Welcome to our new Chaplain/Administrator, Fr. Stephen Bierschenk

FIVE WAYS to welcome a new priest

1. Be patient. Everything is new! New faces, new buildings, new schedules, new ministries, new faces, new names, new routines, did I mention new faces?? In our Chapel there are so many members. We need to give lots of grace and patience.
2. Introduce yourself, your name, what you’re involved in and don’t be embarrassed to do so more than once! Don’t be offended if they don’t remember you from that first meeting. You are meeting one new person, they are meeting HUNDREDS!
3. Let them change their minds. Sometimes questions are thrown at a new priest and, like all of us, they can be caught off guard. Sometimes decisions are rushed or without knowing all the details. Once again, give a lot of grace and wiggle room. Put yourself in their shoes.
4. Did your mother ever tell you that “Comparison is the thief of joy”? Comparing to what we’re used to is an easy trap to fall in. We all know that no two people are alike, we shouldn’t expect our priest to be all alike either. Again, this is where grace and patience come into play and we should avoid the comparison trap which poisons relationships.
5. Pray, pray, pray. We should always pray for all our priests. They are under enormous pressure. “When people want to destroy religion they begin by attacking the priest; for when there is no priest, there is no sacrifice: and when there is no sacrifice, there is no religion. - St. John Vianney