Who’s the new guy?

Catholics welcome new religious order, priests to parish life

By Ambria Hammel | Aug. 6, 2009 | The Catholic Sun

It takes almost every finger Connie Andersen has to count how many priest transitions she’s witnessed during the last 12 years at Most Holy Trinity Parish.

She’s ready to stop counting for a while. The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, which began serving local Catholics in June, has a 10-year commitment to the Phoenix parish and school.

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted officially installed Fr. Alphonsus Bakyil as pastor of Most Holy Trinity July 25. It was one of eight pastoral installations on the books this year as the newest wave of priest assignments took effect July 1.

Parishioners and priests are adjusting to the changes with enthusiasm and optimism.

“We’ve become very flexible as a parish,” Andersen said of priest assignments. As president of the parish pastoral council, she added that it has fostered an opening and listening attitude among parishioners.

Fr. Bakyil has already sensed those traits in his new flock, describing them as “corporative” — meaning that they work together and they listen. He also found them to be cordial.

“They’re very warm and welcoming,” Fr. Bakyil said.

Nadine Armendariz, secretary for the council, noticed that her new pastor asked questions of nearly every parishioner he encountered in his first weeks on the job. He wanted to know who they were and what they were involved with at the parish or school.

For Fr. Bakyil, conversing with parishioners was a logical step. He spent two months studying Most Holy Trinity via the Web in a Florida retreat house before moving to Phoenix.

Fr. Bakyil visited every ministry meeting during his first two weeks. He quickly drew up some goals based on those encounters and plans to further unify the parish and become more self-sustaining by making fundraising a priority.

“He’s been very reassuring identifying needs and how to work with the community,” Andersen said. “This priest is relational.”

Fr. Bakyil has already met with parish leaders on the matter.

While some changes are necessary, Fr. John Lankeit, who was officially named pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Tolleson last month, cautions against sweeping changes.

“Any time you walk into a new situation, you can see things you’d like to change or improve,” Fr. Lankeit said. The pastor began serving the parish’s 2,000 families in November 2007 as parochial administrator.

“Every experienced pastor told me, ‘Don’t move too fast with changes,’” Fr. Lankeit said. “There’s great wisdom in taking things slowly in the beginning.”

It not only avoids overwhelming the priest with decision-making, Fr. Lankeit said, but eases parishioner anxiety of large-scale changes.

The right attitude helps priests and parishioners adjust to new assignments too. Fr. Lankeit made it clear to parishioners that he never approached his assignment as temporary.

“I think that put a lot of the parishioners at ease pretty early,” he said.

New horizons

Fr. Arthur Nave already feels at home in his new assignment. He’s now the parochial vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish after serving his first year of priesthood at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Avondale.

“They’re very excited about the parish and that they have another young priest,” said Fr. Nave, who follows Fr. Patrick Farley. “They just love the energy and that spiritual fervor in a parish priest.”

Fr. Nave said it was hard leaving St. Thomas Aquinas because parishioners expect longevity from their priests. He took to heart advice from Fr. John Ehrich, his new pastor, making sure he said goodbye to parishioners and remaining open to God’s grace.

In doing so, Fr. Nave learned that some of his former parishioners have relatives at St. Thomas the Apostle. They put in a good word for him.

“On both sides it was very encouraging,” Fr. Nave said.

Although he said the summer months are pretty quiet at the Phoenix parish, Fr. Nave has been busy observing how the parish functions, meeting individually with the staff, hearing confessions and offering daily Mass and benediction.

“The prayer life and the devotional life is very encouraging here,” Fr. Nave said.

That’s something that Fr. Matt Lowry, associate director of vocations for the diocese hopes to strengthen as chaplain of the Holy Trinity Newman Center in Flagstaff. Fr. Lowry was reassigned there from a Mesa parish.

“I found the people of Holy Cross to be, as they were all year for me, very supportive,” Fr. Lowry said of his re-assignment.

Fr. Lowry found himself moving June 30 and preparing for the school year with Michael Vollmer, campus minister, and Michelle Nardi, development director.

Fr. Lowry stepped into a vacant position, but found a new pastor workshop at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in May helpful and continues adjusting to the learning curve standard with any new job.

As long as he stays faithful in prayer and continues to celebrate the Mass and go to holy hour, Fr. Lowry knows he’ll succeed in his new role.