From the Desk |
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Fr. Tom Noesen, O.P. Pastor 2004-2009 |
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2009
1 July 2009
Dear Parishioners of St. Vincent Ferrer,When Fr. Mascari, our provincial, asked me to consider becoming pastor here, I was quite surprised. Even though we are known in Dominican circles as the Chicago Province, I had spent almost no time here. So I never really thought that I would ever live in Chicago again.
I grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and had visited Chicago a couple of times with my family. I’m sure that many of you remember when the priory at Harlem and Division was called the House of Studies. I did my philosophy studies there more years ago than I care to remember. It was only in the mid-80’s that I was campus chaplain and taught at Dominican University for four years. I have spent over twenty years as a university chaplain at state universities from California to Minnesota and Colorado to Tennessee. I went to our mission in Bolivia for a year to study Spanish. I stayed for two. During that time I had the unique opportunity to be a teacher’s aide to a Dominican sister, who was teaching kindergarten. (I had already taught college by that time!!) I have also been pastor of two parishes in the Denver area for over fourteen years. One was an inner-city Hispanic parish. The other was a rapidly growing suburban parish in what was then the fastest growing county in the country.
So now I’m returning to River Forest from where I left twenty-two years ago. To quote the great American philosopher, Yogi Berra: “It’s déjà vu, all over again!” I come to St. Vincent Ferrer Parish with the same attitude that I’ve had for all of my other ministries. There are challenges but not insurmountable. There are new possibilities that are achievable. There are many people that I have to meet. (So give me time to get all of your names down!) I see our parish not just as a place to drop in for Mass and the sacraments. Rather I see it as the place where we come to be nourished by God’s Word and the Eucharist. Where we come to grow in our faith with our sisters and brothers in Christ. Where together we can use our many gifts and talents to build up our parish community. This is why St. Paul calls all of us the Body of Christ. Together we become the voice, the hands, and the living presence of Jesus to all those who are around us.
So I come with many questions and a few answers. I look to you to help me get to know the parish community as I share my experience of the church in other places. Together let us grow in Jesus, the Lord.Peace,
Father Herb C. Hayek, O.P.
Pastor