Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Many times in life, it seems like Jesus leads us out into the storm at sea only to fall asleep and let us all drown as the boat fills up with water. It tests our Faith. Our first instinct is to bail ourselves out, but that’s not what He’s asking us to do. Truly, He is not sleeping—Our God is wide awake. He waits for us not to try and bail ourselves out, but to call upon Him first, not last. The disciples did not call upon Him first—they tried to save themselves and they failed. When they finally decided to call upon the LORD, He uttered one word—“Quiet!” And the storm immediately ceased. Who is this, whom even wind and sea obey? 

Today, I come to God with gratitude. Gratitude not only for the opportunity to serve you as your pastor, but also gratitude for the trials that the LORD will permit to happen to us through this transition. Why? Because if we are humble, they will make us holy. Parish families are fragile enough as it is and ours is especially fragile right now. I understand that. If we do not appropriate our suffering, we will not attain holiness. If we approach the current situation with who did what, why and how, we will be distracted and become arrogant. We will be divided. Although I have served you before, I have changed, I have grown, and I have learned. A prophet is not without honor except in his home—and Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith. Words that strike to the core of where we are in this moment. 

In the time since I’ve been among you, I have been at St. Ann in Plattsburg, a rural and historic parish in our diocese and I wanted to share with you something that I learned from this experience about the Providence of God and how it affects our lives.  Early on in my tenure, at the behest of one of my dear friends, I decided to ask the founding pastor’s intercession of my historic church to help us find a photo of how the church used to look like and to provide us with a sign that he indeed was in Heaven with God. I believe many of the little ‘favors’ that we experienced at St. Ann were because of his intercession. As a parish, we would go on to restore his church to its original Victorian Gothic splendor. As I was reading about his untimely death—out on a call to evangelize a fallen-away Catholic in the spring of 1929, his car flipped over and his life came to an end. He was actually decapitated. His funeral Mass took place on May 24, 1929, 10:00am at St. Ann in Plattsburg. My ordination date was 85 years later to the date and time—May 24, 2014 at 10:00am. I come to you today restored and believing in the Providence and Power of God. God showed me that I was meant to be there at that time and in that moment.

Times of transition are times of fragility in the life of a parish and if we do not pray, we will fail. That being said, I wanted to take this opportunity to address publicly at least the way I have seen St. Andrew Parish from the outside looking in for the past few years.

You experienced one era coming to an end abruptly; you were supposed to build a church and it didn’t happen. Your pastor was removed. And we can ask ourselves, “what’s next?” You are a community who has faced instability, sadness, disappointment, or even resentment for how this last chapter ended even though it certainly didn’t begin that way. Some of us are legitimately confused or even angry. Some of us are saddened. Some of us are ambivalent, or are even excited and happy at a new beginning. Regardless of where we might be, with any new beginning comes the temptation to fear and not to love, to hold back and not to give unconditionally. It is in our own brokenness that we believe if we do the will of God, that somehow we will being disadvantaged. 

 When we experience these feelings that I described, most of us turn in because it’s the easiest thing to do. It’s hard and difficult to look at the Face of Christ when we are fearful that God will take things away from us, that He will not actually bless us and that indeed our future relies solely upon ourselves. Many of us will want to “do,” to “fix” and not simply be. I exhort you today—simply be in front of Him. Let the Lord heal your fear and dispel your doubt. The greatest miracle still takes place on this Holy Altar right before us. If worshiping the Lord is not somehow “enough” for us, then indeed, the ship will capsize and we will perish at sea. But, rest assured that if we all together call upon the LORD in this moment, that with one word, the storm at the sea will be calmed. 

On July 1st, 1964, Bishop Helmsing established St. Andrew the Apostle Parish. 60 years to the date—I would become your new pastor. This weekend (July 7) was the first Sunday Mass offered at St. Andrew. And 50 years ago this August, the First Mass was offered in the present building. When I found out about these dates, I knew and believed that I myself, through my own power, my own doing would actually have very little to do with the healing of your parish, but that rather God Himself saw your suffering, your confusion and wrote with His own hand our future together. I do know that God, in His Providence, has placed us together again on this July 1st.   At this time. And in this place. I do know that if we heed His Word, if we are obedient not to our own whims, our preferences, but to Sacred Tradition and Holy Scripture in the way in which we pray and live, He will do things here that you and I could never imagine. Remember this—God always blesses faithfulness. 

When our parish was established in July of 1964, it was the Feast of the Precious Blood of Christ. In commemoration of this date, I have made available the Litany of the Precious Blood in the pews and narthex of the church. Pray it. There are no coincidences with God. The Blood of Christ heals, inebriates us with His Presence and will make us whole again. We will not fix ourselves. Pray it with your family this month. It is here that we should look—to the pierced side of Christ for our fulfillment.

While Fr. Horan and I look very much forward to serving you, we are both different than our predecessors and that’s okay. We are ultimately here for one reason—to worship and adore almighty God and to be sanctified by Him. In the coming years, we will laugh together, experience triumph and joy together, mourn together, and even disagree sometimes. My chief desire is to be the hands and feet of Christ for you, to be your shepherd, your pastor. It is my sacred duty as a Catholic priest to sanctify, govern, teach and shepherd you. I am honored to be among you again and to serve you in this capacity. In the spirit of Divine Providence, on this new July 1^st 2024, we entrust ourselves to the Precious Blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ, knowing that it is His Blood that truly saves us from the storms of life. 

 Sincerely Yours in Christ, 

 Reverend Eric A. Schneider, Pastor