St. Joseph of the Lakes

Today we are celebrating Steve Robach’s retirement. He has spent 13 years of dedicated service to our parish. In that time he has helped bring people into the church through the RCIA program. He has helped generate adult faith formation possibilities as well as given direction to the faith formation programs. He headed up Joe’s diner which is a great opportunity for parents and children to have a meal together as they also engage in faith formation. He supervised our childcare programs. He worked hard at implementing social justice programming both in faith formation and throughout our community. All that said; he has juggled many different balloons while he has worked with and for us and in all of that he has added to the life of our community. Thank you Steve for your commitment to minister to and with us.

We are also celebrating Father’s Day today. What an interesting journey it is to be a father! I can only appreciate this journey from a bit of a distance. Yes, I appreciate that I am considered the spiritual father of our community,  I have had to grow into this role; but to be that one step closer through flesh and blood! I have been told by many fathers of their experience of first seeing their child after (or during) birth, how their hearts were filled to overflowing of love for this child of theirs. Many will say to me that they have never loved like that before. The amazing thing is that it continues and expands throughout the life of the child! That love calls out the best of men: to protect; to guide; to support; everything necessary to help that child become the best person he/she could possibly be.  

I truly enjoyed watching my brother raise his three children. I never found myself pondering if I would have done it a different way, instead I just appreciated watching him adjust his personality quirks to suit each of his children. He is a good dad and a good brother. It caused me to realize that this task of fathering a child is no easy thing. Yes, there were times when he was too stubborn, too dominating, too much himself, and yet in that wonderful unity called family he has been transformed into an incredible father. 

Thank you to all the fathers of our community. You make such an impact in the lives of your children within the interaction of your whole families. May God bless you on this celebratory day!