The following is a column written by Fr. Tim Johnson, Pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church, in our parish bulletin this weekend:
As many of you know, the Diocese of Sioux City is in the midst of a comprehensive long range plan. This planning process is designed to help us better prepare for the future and is addressing all aspects of our diocesan life; it will impact every parish in all parts of our diocese. To assist with the planning process, Bishop Nickless has begun making necessary personnel changes among our priests. On November 4th, I received a letter from the Bishop assigning me to Sacred Heart Parish in Boone and St. Malachy Parish in Madrid. Father Brian Hughes has also received a letter appointing him to St. Joseph Parish here in Milford. Both of us were informed of our moves a number of months ago and while we were both surprised by these appointments we are both willing to accept the Bishop's requests. Our moves will be effective on January 15th. Change is always a challenge, so we both ask for your prayers.
A prepared statement so to speak. There is no ulterior motives behind Bishop Nickless' decision to move me and to bring Fr. Brian Hughes back to the Lakes region. Looking back, the blessing of my three and a half years here at St. Joseph have passed rather quickly-as does life in general and though this wasn't on my horizon to move, I respect the Bishop's decision. As the process of Ministry 2025 kicked off a couple years ago he asked that we each be flexible in our assignments, needing our support and willingness for the changes required to maintain the vitality of our parishes, and the well being of the active priests. Of course, everyone has an opinion regarding the proper approach with the priest shortage; we can only pray for the active presence of God's grace in our parishes, and the hope of our individual faith as Catholic-Christians strengthened by the Eucharist. Please forgive me if I don't have the right words to express in this situation. St. Joseph Parish will continue to be a welcoming community of Christian faith, a 'home' to parishioners and visitors alike. Obviously, Fr. Brian is aware of the Lakes region having served at St. Mary Parish in Spirit Lake. Serving our parish of St. Joseph, he will also 'assess' the Catholic community shared between both parishes, guiding the diocesan plans for the future. As with former pastors of St. Joseph, he will minister with integrity, a spirit of prayerfulness and hospitality. Thank you for understanding, and trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit within our parish and our Diocese of Sioux City. Please keep Bishop Nickless in your prayers as our shepherd.
Such is true the words of my friend and poet Bob Dylan: "There is nothing so stable as change."
God Bless,
Fr. Tim