Pastor's Corner

This weekend our Universal Church celebrates the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. As the cathedral Church of the Diocese of Rome, Saint John Lateran is the mother church for all Catholics. This is a feast of not only its dedication, but gives us the opportunity to celebrate the universality of our Church along with the Pope, our Archbishop and the role that each baptized member of the Church has in bringing forth life.

In the vision given to the prophet Ezekiel, a stream flows out from the Temple, beginning very small, but growing deeper and wider as it moves outward into the world. Wherever the water flows, life bursts forth. Trees line the banks, their leaves never fading, their fruit never failing. The salty waters of the sea are made fresh, and “everything will live wherever the river flows.”

This is a beautiful image of our Church as the People of God — called to be that living stream flowing from the heart of Christ into the world. The grace of the Sacraments, the love we experience in community, and the faith we share do not exist to remain within ourselves or in the walls of the church building, but like the water from the Temple, they are meant to move outward, bringing new life wherever they go.

When parishioners live out their Stewardship, they become that flowing water. Each act of service, generosity, and compassion sends goodness and grace into families, neighborhoods, and communities. Whether teaching children the faith, visiting the sick, serving the poor, or simply offering a smile of welcome at Mass — all these actions allow the life of God to flow outward through us.

Stewardship is not merely about giving time, talent, or treasure; it is about allowing God’s life to move through us. As we give, serve, and participate in the mission of our parish, we become living channels of His grace. The Church becomes vibrant and fruitful when her members allow the Spirit to flow freely through their lives.

Just as Ezekiel’s river began as a trickle, God often begins His work in small ways. Every time we give even a little drop of ourselves to God for the good of others, by His grace we form a mighty stream that transforms the world around us.

This weekend, we celebrate our parish volunteers who allow God’s life to flow through their time, their talents, and their love. Every act of service, whether seen or unseen, helps our parish community to grow and bear fruit. Like the living water from Ezekiel’s vision, their dedication brings vitality and grace to our parish and beyond. THANK YOU!

Fr. Jerry

It is good to be able to introduce myself to you. I come to you grateful, hopeful, and eager to discover the story God will be writing together with us at Nativity.

I grew up in Topeka, Kansas, and I am the youngest of five children. With one brother and three older sisters, I learned early that when you’re the “baby,” you get a lot of teachers whether you ask for them or not. My dad was the eldest of thirteen children from Greeley, Kansas, and my mom the oldest of three from Topeka. 

I attended Assumption Grade School and Hayden Catholic High School, where my parents’ deep involvement in our parish and our schools helped shape my love for the Church and those communities of faith. 

My father was a man of deep faith, and it was during my high school years his health significantly declined, and he died when I was eighteen. Watching him face suffering and death with humility and profound trust in God’s love planted the seed of my vocation. His quiet faith whispered to me that God walks with us most closely in our most difficult moments.

I entered the seminary my junior year of college and I then continued formation with four years of graduate theology at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. Fr. Mike and I were frequently providing music together at liturgies and at social gatherings.  On June 20, 1992, I was ordained to the priesthood for our Archdiocese.

The first twelve years of priesthood were an adventure in campus ministry: at the St. Lawrence Center at KU, as chaplain at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, and then six  years at the Didde Center at Emporia State University. Those young adults and high school students kept my heart young and vibrant and added gray to my fading hairline at the same time.

From there, parish life embraced me fully: ten years as pastor at St. Matthew’s in Topeka, six years at Prince of Peace in Olathe, and most recently five years with the tremendous people of Corpus Christi in Lawrence. Each assignment has shaped me, stretched me, and strengthened my heart in ministry.

At the center of everything is the celebration of the Sacraments. In the Eucharist especially, priests encounter Christ and share Christ. There is nothing more humbling than holding  the Body of Christ and knowing He is nourishing His people through my  simple human hands. My deepest desire as pastor is to help others discover and deepen their relationship with Jesus and His Church, so we may all experience the joy of the Gospel. We are all called to go from Mass to Mission together.

I am convinced that stewardship is the key to parish life today. Every member of the parish has been given gifts and talents that are needed and necessary. No gift is too small. When each of us offers back to God what God has first given to us, the parish becomes a living body where Christ’s grace can flourish, and our family is multiplied.

Outside of ministry, I enjoy daily exercise to keep the spirit energized and the mind clear. Time away in the mountains of Colorado or by a peaceful lake renews me in God’s creation. And yes, I am a joyful fan of the Jayhawks and the Chiefs. Some friendships are formed in the pews, others in the bleachers.

Now the Holy Spirit has led me here to you. I arrive ready to laugh, to serve, to pray, and to seek the Lord’s will together. Please pray for me as I learn the rhythms of this community and begin to call it home. Know that I am praying for you, grateful already for the welcome and grace I have experienced.

In Christ,

Fr. Jerry