Welcome back WVU students!

August 13-14, 2016

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Let me begin by welcoming to our community all new students and their families.  I also want to welcome back our returning students. It is great to see you!  As you may be aware, Fr. Jeremiah is no longer at St. John University Parish. Upon his request, he has been granted a leave of absence.  He and I ask you to pray for him as he discerns God’s will for him.

For the whole community, then, I would like to announce what the Archabbot and Bishop have decided for the care of this community.  I have been appointed as the Temporary Administrator for the upcoming year.  I will have part-time assistance in the Fall and hope to have full time assistance in the Spring.  I have full trust and confidence in God who has called me to this work; may He bring the work He has begun to completion.

I take consolation in the words of St. Paul to the young Bishop Timothy, words that I was given upon completing my service on the Diocesan Youth Council in Pittsburgh my senior year of high school, “Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity,” (1 Tim. 4:12).  I also recall the words of St. Benedict to the Abbot on calling the community together for counsel, “The reason we have said that all should be called for counsel is that the Lord often reveals to the younger what is best.” Though I will not claim to know absolutely what is best for this community, I have been here for a year in which much rebuilding has been occurring as we reevaluate all that we do, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I plan to continue this trajectory. I know that change is inevitable in life because without change we would die of boredom.  It is never easy, but it is exciting!

And so I can truly say that I am excited for this upcoming year!  Annie and I have great things planned for Campus Ministry. We will have Confirmation this year in our parish and we are working on revitalizing youth ministry.  We welcome a new team of FOCUS Missionaries and pray for their successful work.  We will have adult faith formation on Wednesday evenings for all adults, both students and non-students.  We have a lot to do and a great mission assigned to us to evangelize the WVU campus.  We are all disciples, whether student disciples or non-student disciples, and so I invite you to pray to the Holy Spirit to guide us according to the Divine Will of the Father as expressed through the Son.  With my assignment being for a year, I do not know what will happen, but I do know that I will be discerning God’s will and ask you join me and submit your trust to God who is the one caring for us.  Change is inevitable because our community is always changing; this will mean moving forward, not backwards.  Let us fix our eyes on the Lord and remember that He has called us to go forth to bring others into a relationship with Him.  He is our hope, our strength, our God and our Savior.  As we move toward Christ and our heavenly goal, we move “Forward, always forward, everywhere forward” (Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., Founder of Saint Vincent Archabbey).

Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus – That in all things God may be glorified,

Fr. Isaac Haywiser, O.S.B.

Administrator