Father's Last Mass at Spirit of Christ

I went to the eight-thirty mass this morning and Fr. David said his good-bye. Today would be the last masses he would celebrate before going to his new parish of Our Lady of Loreto. He told us that when the Archbishop asked him if he would come to Spirit of Christ to be the pastor, Fr. told the Archbishop that he would think about the move and pray to be guided. As he was discerning, he felt that it was God's will to move to Arvada and SOC.  He now understands why God wanted him in this parish; to grow in love and peace. Just like the reading in today's Gospel, He gave the son life and his mother also came alive.

He mentioned how he was beaten down and reserved but God knew that he needed to go to a parish that would revive him and make him come out of his shell. "You helped me rise from where I was and taught me to be more outgoing. You taught me how to receive love and inspired me to give back love with confidence." He mentioned that his spirituality had grown while being involved with different parishioners. "I love Spirit of Christ and its close community."

He thanked Fr. Jacob, Deacons, people he worked closely with and his beloved parish. "You have inspired me to be a better priest and I am happier than when I arrived. These ten years of my life have made me more fully alive." He thanked everyone and ended with,  "And I will always love you."

His voice was shaky at times and I noticed that many at mass were wiping their eyes. When he finished the talk the congregation stood up en masse with thunderous applause.

Before the consecration, he came down from the altar and asked everyone to hold out their hands and give him a blessing. The church was silent as we quietly wished him well. That moment, to me, was a tear-jerker but I controlled my tears, though many did not.

His first mass was celebrated on July 17, 1988, and as he informed us, he has grown a lot since that mass. God knew where to put him to help him grow and for us to grow along with him. I remember when he came to SOC he said, "If you meet me and say hello, I may not answer because my mind is in deep thought." Since that sermon, he has certainly changed because he is friendly and outgoing with a great sense of humor. As one of his staff mentioned, "Father David lets everyone know that they are all welcome at Spirit of Christ."

"The Church is or should go

back to being community of

God's people, and priests,

pastors, and bishops who

have the care of souls, are

at the service of the people

of God."

Pope Francis