On July 1st, we welcome Father Benjamin Schrantz to St. Elizabeth, St. Mary, and St. Augustine parishes for his first assignment as a priest. There is no way to over-emphasize the importance of the first parish assignment for a new priest. EVERYTHING is new. Our role as a parish will affect not only his future but the future of the Catholic Church. Think about it – your kids, grandkids, and maybe even great-grandkids will be served by Father Schrantz. Here are a few concrete things you can do to support him during these first critical weeks, months, and years. Pray! Pray for him specifically, by name, each day. Introduce yourself, multiple times. He will meet thousands of people who only have to say, “Hi, Father.” He will have to learn lots of names in his new parish family. Encourage him. Be specific with your encouragement – what about his homily, prayer, advice, or presence that was meaningful to you? Like raising a child, praise the behavior you want to see repeated. Be understanding that this assignment asks a lot of him. It may seem like he is on roller skates as he moves between parishes. This will likely leave you wishing for more time with him. Understand that he, too, will feel this pain. As with all suffering, turn it back to the Lord. He does beautiful things with our offering, and suffering becomes redemptive when it is united to the Cross of Jesus. In some ways, the parish is like a new mother – herself trying to figure things out with a new baby priest. Yet, the parish is also a new child to the man they are calling Father for the first time. Please show him that honor and help him develop into the priest and Father that you want for children’s children.
