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January 3, 2024Dear Parishioners,
This weekend at the Cathedral we are celebrating a beautiful occasion for our diocese as Matt Valles, one of our seminarians, is ordained to the transitional diaconate in preparation, God willing, for his ordination to the priesthood this summer.
I’m particularly excited to see this day, as I was the Director of Vocations when Matt first began thinking about the priesthood as a student at the University of Maine. Matt is originally from Rhode Island, but has family connections in the state, where he came to study physics and play soccer as an undergraduate at Bates College. After completing his degree, Matt was accepted into a doctoral program in physics at UMaine, where I first met him. Matt was a great addition to many vocations retreats and other activities over the following years, from ice fishing to climbing Katahdin. After much prayer and discernment, he decided to complete his Master’s degree in physics, rather than pursue a doctorate, so that he could enter the seminary in the fall of 2017. Matt has been studying for the priesthood at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, MA and also completed a year of pastoral ministry at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Bangor last year.
I worked especially closely with Matt during the summer of 2019, when he led one of our Totus Tuus teams, traveling to 5 parishes to teach and minister to young people over the course of the summer. Matt has a naturally joyful and engaging personality and a deep faith. He has already given our diocese so much as a seminarian, it is truly exciting to consider what the Lord will be able to give to Catholics throughout our state through his ministry as a deacon and, God willing, priest.
Please keep Matthew in your prayers this weekend and also pray for all of our seminarians and for those who are discerning a call to the priesthood and religious life. The path of the priesthood is a challenging path, but a fruitful and joyful path of service to God and neighbor, and one that we need to raise up, encourage, and support here in our local parishes.
On another brief note, I wanted to mention that last month our Director of Finance and Administration, Tom Van Dzura, departed from our staff after deciding that the position was not a good fit for him. We are sad to see him go and will miss his dad jokes around the office, but certainly respect his decision. I have interviews this coming week with a number of applicants for the position and hope that we will have a new staff member soon. If you could please keep Tom and this hiring process in your prayers, I would be grateful! Know of my prayers for you and your families.
Fr. Seamus Griesbach
