Brothers and sisters in Christ,

Our lives are filled with transitions. Transitions from living with our parents to being on our own, from being single to being married, from a current job to a new job, from the loss of a spouse to being alone, or from working to being retired. Whatever transitions our lives have encountered, these or others, it is common to experience a mixture of feelings such as anxiousness, loneliness, uncertainty, and excitement.

As a Catholic priest, Father Mike took a vow of obedience to the Archbishop and his successors. The vow of obedience, among many other aspects of the priesthood, includes the expectation of reassignment from one parish to another… to become a new shepherd for a new flock. Every year, parishes across the country experience pastoral transitions. These moves require incredible humility and unselfishness on the part of pastors who have developed strong and sometimes lifelong friendships with their flock.

Likewise, Father Mike has expressed his conflicted feelings about leaving our parish in his letters and homilies since this announcement. Father Mike’s transfer also affects our parishioners and touches each of us in very personal ways. Looking ahead, we are very fortunate to have Father Jesse be assigned as our new pastor, and we look forward to his arrival later this month. During this pastor transition, our whole parish community will go through a process that includes some predictable elements. So, I wanted to share some suggestions from a book series by Marti R. Jewell, Navigating Pastoral Transitions. There are a few things that all of us can do to impact this transition time positively:

• Be sensitive to the feelings and needs of our fellow parishioners. Some of us accept change better than others, and some of us really struggle with meeting new people. How am I caring for those around me?
• Please take a moment to read or add to the heartfelt comments on our OLPH Facebook by visiting the pinned post at facebook.com/olphchurch and express your thoughts as well. How am I reacting privately and publicly to the impending change?
• Find a way to remember what was the best part of the past, so that you have permission to move forward and accept the future. What is really important to me that I really hope my parish can hold on to?

So, whether you are excited about Father Jesse coming, grieving the loss of Father Mike, or uncertain about Father Jesse bringing his own ideas and ways of doing things, we can count on this being a time when our OLPH culture will be open to new possibilities. A new spirit and new opportunities will emerge. And, how you will be a part of this transition is up to you!

As we move forward in this pastor transition, we must root this critical time in prayer. Prayer for Father Mike, prayer for Father Jesse and prayer for the mission of our OLPH parish.

William Bridges, who writes extensively about organizational and personal change, reverses the usual “beginning, middle, end” in any process to one calling us to recognize that what we have known must “end” before we can fully embrace the new “beginning.”

Our process of changing pastors involves endings, middles, and beginnings. A time for letting go and making space for what is coming. We find ourselves being asked to say good-bye to Father Mike, the pastor we have known and loved. Then, for the following three weeks, we enter the middle ground. A time when things will be in flux and a period of uncertainty as we prepare to meet Father Jesse and begin getting to know him. Finally, we will notice, with the arrival of Father Jesse, that our parish really has begun moving into a new phase in its life. A time of new life… of new growth… of new opportunities. What this will look like, exactly, remains to be seen. What we can count on is that change and excitement will be in the air at OLPH!

Keeping you all in my prayers,

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY – Regina Caeli Academy invites you to consider a role that blends faith, learning, and community. If you have ever wondered how your gifts may serve the Church, this might be your moment. Local centers are hiring now. What we offer: Top-Tier Classical Curriculum, Part-Time Positions, Faithful Catholic Environment, and a Mission that Matters. Come see what positions are open. Visit rcahybrid.org/employment to learn more.

IGNATIUS SPIRITUAL EXERCISES – Loyola University’s Office of Mission Integration is offering the greater Baltimore community the opportunity to pray the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola during the 2026–27 academic year. Over the past nine years, over 300 people have availed themselves of this opportunity. Our approach will be one that Ignatius himself proposed for busy people — a way to make a prayerful and potentially transformative retreat in everyday life. Over the course of nine months of daily prayer with Scripture, journaling, and regular conversation with a guide, one can experience the same graced movements and discoveries that a privileged few get to make in 30 days of secluded silence. Please attend our Zoom Information Session on Tuesday, August 25th at 7:00 pm. Contact sue-cesare@dexterco.com or sspahn@loyola.edu for more information.

ENCOUNTER JESUS – with the Children of Mary Sisters, held September 13–16, every night from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Manchester, MD (2930 Hanover Pike, Manchester, MD 21102). Every night there will be confessions, adoration, and an inspiring talk from these amazing, semi-contemplative sisters! For more information, email Jordan Taylor at jordan.taylor@archbalt.org.

BIRDIES FOR BRAIN TUMOR GOLF TOURNAMENT – Please join us on Saturday, September 12th, at Fairway Hills Golf Club for a fun golf day as we tee up and raise money for the National Brain Tumor Society. The Stavely Family is hosting this event. Please visit the link to sign up. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Ann at 443-538-6736. events.golfstatus.com/event/2026-birdies-for-brain-tumors

The World Apostolate of Fatima – Archdiocese of Washington Division “The Blue Army” invites you to a special time of prayer including the Holy Rosary, Mass, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Precious Blood of Jesus Chaplet, and Brown Scapular Enrollment. Thursday, August 13, 2026 @ 1:00 PM at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel in the Basilica of the National Shrine located at Michigan Avenue, Washington, DC. For more information, please call Monica at 301-949-5710.