May 22, 2022
6th Sunday of Easter

Dear St. Anthony Family,

This has been a difficult week for our parish, as we have had to say good-bye to our beloved pastor, Fr. Ben Muhlenkamp. As parishioners deeply committed to this parish, we first wish to acknowledge the myriad of emotions that accompany this moment. Please know that we are here and will continue to serve and support the parish community during this time of transition. We invite you to reach out to any of the members of the Parish Council with questions, concerns, needs, or ideas. You will find our contact information below.
 
We also wish to express our gratitude to Fr. Ben for the indelible mark he has left on our parish: a mark that has cultivated a culture of healing, of service, and of love. We ask that you join us in keeping Fr. Ben in prayer as he continues on his path of discernment. 

As Fr. Ben stated at Masses last weekend, Fr. Tyrell Alles, OSB will serve the parish until June 28 when Fr. Arthur Ssembajja transitions into the role of Parish Administrator. Fr. Arthur is a recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame’s master of business administration and master of global affairs (MBA/MGA) programs, where he concentrated in business leadership, strategy, entrepreneurship and sustainable development. Please join us in offering a warm welcome to Fr. Tyrell and Fr. Arthur, who will steward our parish in the coming months. 
 
Friends, what we have witnessed at St. Anthony over the last two years is a marvel. Our parish community is stronger than it has been in a very long while thanks to the constant outpouring of energy, creativity, and Christian charity from parishioners, staff, teachers, and school families who reflect Christ’s light here daily. We have grown into a true family of faith. While so much of the world around us seemed to be unraveling last fall, our parish banded together at the Mission in September. Together, we reclaimed who we are as a community, rejoiced in the Lord’s presence, and renewed our zeal to serve Him and each other. This was a turning point in the life of the parish that continues to reverberate in each liturgy, in each school day, in each social gathering, and each time we show love to another. Our ministries are flourishing. Parish groups serve and vivify our men and women, seniors and young adults, and our youth. We are welcoming new people into our parish and school every month, and as a community, we are gathering for fellowship, prayer, and service opportunities regularly. Our facilities are improving, we are debt-free, and our budget is sound. Our Masses are beautiful and steadily growing in attendance. They center our community on the Eucharist, which is Love incarnate, the fulcrum of our worship, and the heart of our Christian lives. 

Despite the challenges we have faced as a parish community over the last decade–and the monumental uncertainty of the pandemic over the last two years–you remained steady in your commitment to this place and in communion with one another, and it is clear that we have built something very real and lasting, together. 

Our parish has been thrust into another time that feels uncertain. But we have come through difficult times before, and we have come through them stronger. There is no doubt that the good things you are all doing will continue. There is no doubt that we can do hard things together, with the Lord at our side, the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and the Blessed Mother interceding for us. 

Let us continue to pray and work together in a labor of love to keep St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Parish a beacon of Christ’s light. 

St Anthony de Padua: Pray for us!

Your 2022 Parish Council
Mark Mullaney (President), Mark Diroll, Bridget Feeks, Gloria Heintzelman, Rob Kelly, Lesley Kirzeder, Martha Lewallen, Peggy Matthys, Adam Smith, Kate Brophy

To contact the Parish Council, please email parishcouncil@stasb.org or call the parish office at 574-282-2308.