Tag: Pastor

Assumption Parish Welcomes Fr. Peter as New Pastor

On this first day of the New Year, the Church celebrates Mary, the Mother of God. The timing is fitting and beautiful. As we step into a new year, we place ourselves under Mary’s maternal care, trusting her guidance as we move into days not yet known. Today’s celebration also coincides with the installation of Father Peter Dai Nguyen as the new pastor of Assumption Parish in Hay River, reminding us that the Church is alive, always renewed, and continually gifted with shepherds to guide God’s people.

The installation of a new pastor can be understood through the lens of Mary’s own vocation. Both reveal how God chooses to dwell among his people through trust, presence, and loving care. Mary did not accept a role of power or control. She received a mission rooted in humility and service. She made room in her life for Christ to take flesh. In a similar way, the installation of a pastor is not about authority for its own sake, but about a priest being entrusted with a people so that Christ may continue to be present in a particular community.

At the same time, this moment calls the congregation to respond. A parish welcomes its pastor not as spectators, but as partners in mission—through prayer, collaboration, encouragement, and shared responsibility. In today’s Gospel, the shepherds hear the message of the angels and respond immediately. They go with haste, they see for themselves, and then they share what they have received. So it is here. Pastor and people together commit themselves anew to building up the Body of Christ in faith, service, and love.

And what is this meant to accomplish? Our first reading offers a clear answer. God instructs Moses to bless the people: “The Lord bless you and keep you… and give you peace.” This blessing is not abstract. It is a promise of God’s real and gracious presence among his people. As we begin a new year and welcome a new pastor, we receive this blessing with hope, entrusting our plans, our worries, and our desires to God’s care.

The psalm echoes this same joy, inviting all the earth to praise God together. It reminds us that our parish is not isolated, but part of the larger family of the Church, called to witness God’s love in the world. Shepherd and flock together share in this mission.

Saint Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, reminds us that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son.” Mary’s yes made that moment possible. As we begin this new year, and as Father Peter begins his ministry among us, we too are called to openness—open hearts and open lives—so that Christ may dwell more deeply among us.

On this Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, we are reminded that God blesses us, calls us his children, and walks with us through every new beginning. May this year be a time of growth in faith, hope, and love. May Father Peter’s ministry among us be fruitful and guided by the Holy Spirit. And may Mary, our Mother, intercede for us, helping us to trust in God’s plan and to receive the peace only he can give.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.”