Priests face challenges at new parish assignments

By Andrew Junker, The Catholic Sun
July 19, 2007

When priests receive a new parish assignment, some challenges are mundane — which keys unlock which doors, where to do their grocery shopping or where the chasubles are kept in the sacristy.

Then there are the challenges that are more spiritual and pastoral in nature.

For Fr. Bob Skagen, who recently left St. Helen Parish in Glendale for Most Holy Trinity Parish in Phoenix, meeting parishioners’ expectations can be the most daunting.

“Everybody assumes the priest knows everything he’s supposed to do. Well, both the associate pastor and I are new here,” Fr. Skagen said. “We don’t have a clue — of course, people have been saying that about me for years,” he laughed.

Fr. Skagen and 20 other priests in the diocese were recently reassigned to new parishes. The lion’s share of their time so far has been spent getting out and meeting people.

“The biggest challenge is just to get to know people. Because if they don’t know you, they don’t know what to expect, so they’re worried about how you’re going to be,” said Fr. Bruce Downs, who recently moved from Corpus Christi Parish in Phoenix to St. Helen.

He tries to meet people after each Mass so they can shake his hand and tell him their names. The parish set up a reception after every Mass on July 8 for that purpose.

At the same time, a new parish can be exciting, Fr. Downs said.

“It’s always exciting to promote the Gospel and to do that in a new place and figure out where the people are,” he said. “While each parish is similar, they’re also different. To relate that to the Gospel is a challenge, but it’s also a great thing.”

For some of the priests, the new assignment brings a dramatic change from their old parish.

Fr. Mark Harrington was pastor at St. Joachim and St. Anne Parish in Sun City before his reassignment, which brings him to the young community of St. Rose in Anthem.

“The focal point at St. Joachim and St. Anne was dealing more with the needs of a retirement community, which might include funerals and hospital visits,” he explained.

“And now the focal point will be more on religious education, adult formation and, specifically at our parish, the process of attempting to build a church,” he said.

To make that transition as smoothly as possible, Fr. Harrington relied on the support of St. Rose’s staff and, “needless to say, a lot of prayer and trust in God.”

The theme of trust comes up a lot when talking to priests who have recently moved.

The transition was especially difficult for Fr. John Ebbesmier, who was transferred to St. Joachim and St. Anne from Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Glendale.

He had been at that parish for 10 years and said he felt like he was leaving his family.

“It was very difficult. Fr. Paul, who’s the associate there and I said the same thing though: The bishop asked us to do something, so out of obedience, we figure that’s God helping us decide these things,” he said.

“Even though it’s hard changing, there are a lot of good memories that you bring,” he said.

And in Fr. Ebbesmier’s case, a lot of packing boxes, too. In his 10 years at Our Lady of Perpetual Help he had accumulated many gifts and paintings from his parishioners.

Go where there is a need

Vicar for Priests Fr. Jim Wall said the process for reassigning priests entails much discernment and consultation, but always boils down to one question.

“What is the need of the diocese? That’s how we look at it,” he said.

To help answer that question, the diocese employs a placement board of six diocesan priests elected by the whole presbyterate. Each member can serve two consecutive terms of three years.

Fr. Wall said reassignment can become necessary because of a pastor’s retirement or placement elsewhere.

Two members of the placement board will visit the parish and interview the parish council and members of the staff. The board then issues a parish profile to all active diocesan priests, who are asked to read and pray about the matter.

If a priest discerns that God might be calling him to serve in the opening, he informs the board of his interest, at which point an interview process begins.

The board takes everything into consideration and then makes its recommendation to the bishop, from whom all reassignments ultimately come.

Individual priests participation in the process, Fr. Wall said, and ensure that all involved reach a happy conclusion.

Still, specific reassignments can appear surprising to some. For instance, Fr. Skagen’s assignment to the ethnically diverse Most Holy Trinity Parish brings its own challenges.

“In the wisdom of the Church, I spent six years studying Spanish and 40 years later they send me to a place where I have to use it,” he joked.

But this initial difficulty is exciting to Fr. Skagen and hints at the reciprocal benefits a priest receives from a new parish.

“I can use my talents to benefit a parish,” he said. “And then, the parish in turn enriches me with a better awareness of ethnic diversity, with more involvement with groups that I’ve never worked with before. It’s a challenge, but the benefits are wonderful in every way.”

At his welcoming Mass at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Lake Havasu City, new pastor Fr. Chauncey Winkler reflected on God’s guidance in leading him to this parish.

“God calls all of us, and we must answer,” Fr. Winkler preached to a full church July 1. “Keep your eyes on Christ and do not look away.”

At this point in his new ministry, Fr. Downs is taking small successes with great joy.

“It’s been going great, I think. The church hasn’t burned down and people are still coming to Mass,” he said. “Maybe after a few weeks they’ll figure out what’s going on and start going to St. Raphael Parish or something.”

Barbara Starbeck contributed to this story.