A long-held desire to join the priesthood has served as a beacon for Father Damian Breen, leading him through a life in two separate orders and multiple countries around the world. Through it all, his goal was clear: “I always try to lead others to Christ.”
The first stirrings towards a life as a priest were planted in a youthful Abraham Orapankal as he watched his pastor in the southernmost state of Kerala, India.
Mercy Sister Mary Jo Kearns said that being a religious sister for 60 years has been a blessing. “I feel so blessed and am so grateful for my vocation and all the people I have met in religious life and in my ministries,” she said.
On Oct. 16, St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish celebrated major milestones at a Mass: its 115th anniversary; the 100th anniversary of the current church edifice, and the 15th anniversary of the founding of its Hispanic ministry that has revitalized the faith community.
Immaculate Conception Parish bid a fond, tearful farewell to the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary June 8 and 9 in a series of Masses and receptions designed to express gratitude for the order’s legacy of service in the parish and its elementary and high schools.