Today, I was on the altar as a deacon for the 9 and 11 o'clock masses at St Francis De Sales. The celebrant for these masses, Father Joe Dygert, was a recently-ordained priest (in 2011) from the diocese of Colorado Springs. Father Joe graduated from St Francis De Sales grade school in 1995. He returned to celebrate his first mass at St Francis since his family moved to Colorado Springs in 1996. Father Benedict, a missionary priest from Tansania, gave the homily. Father Benedict commented on today's Gospel in which Jesus tells the disciples: " A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house."
This modern day prophet, Father Joe Dygert, was greeted with enthusiasm and joy at his native place, Lebanon, Ohio. We rejoice and take pride in the faith of this young priest. We pray that his vocation to the priesthood will continue to bring him joy and peace and that he will continue to touch the lives of many as he did today.
Joe Dygert attended St Francis De Sales grade school with several of my youngest children. He is two years' older than my fifth child, Ann and two years older that my fourth child, Mike. I knew his family well when they were parishioners at St Francis De Sales. Joe's mother, Christy, started Eucharistic adoration at St Francis De Sales. I remember them as a strong, loving, faith-filled family. Today, I rejoice with the other members of St Francis that one of our grade school alumni came home to inspire us and to share his faith with us.
What great comments he gave after the Mass, as well. Making reference to the Gospel of Mark and how he should have been worried about returning to his home. I did not know Father Dygart in his youth; however, I too wish him many blessings as a new preist as well as an alumni of St. Francis.
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