6th Sunday of Easter

May 17, 2020
 
Dear Friends in Christ:
     Quí Ông Bà và Anh Chị Em thân mến trong Chúa Kitô:
                    Estimados Amigos y Amigas en Cristo:
Good news!  On Monday, May 11 ^th, Cardinal DiNardo named Fr. Jeff Bame to be the Administrator and Rector of the Co-Cathedral effective July 1 ^st.  Let us welcome him with open hearts & minds and metaphorically with open arms (in this time of social distance) as he assumes the leadership here. Pray for him!  Fr. Bame is a good, talented man and priest who is excited to come and serve you!

If you have ever been present here or any where else in the last 3 years when the Cardinal celebrated Mass, then you have seen Fr. Bame, quietly assisting the Cardinal.  Fr. Jeff Bame for the last 3 years has worked as the Cardinal’s Priest Secretary & Master of Ceremonies. Normally, that position is only 2 years long.  But last year, the Cardinal had a stroke, and he was trying to complete his term as President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.  As a result, Fr. Bame stayed on for a 3 ^rd year to help the Cardinal.  That was commendable since that position is a challenging “public relations” role, getting very little time off (both vacation or a weekly day off), daily problem solving, answering many challenging phone calls, emails, letters, etc.  Plus, that role does not allow a priest to serve in a parish role where we priests receive so much fulfillment by interacting in your lives.  That is why that role is normally limited to only 2 years.  Since Fr. Bame has not had much vacation time in the last 3 years, there is the real chance that he will show up and then take some much needed vacation.  Please be understanding why that might occur. 

Fr. Bame grew up attending Prince of Peace Catholic Church (Hwy 249 and 1960 area), graduating from Klein High School in 2001.  He graduated with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration (emphasis in Information & Operations Management) in 2005 from Texas A&M University.  (A continuity in your leadership since I too am an Aggie with a degree in Business Administration in accounting—Class of 1980.)  Fr. Bame graduated in 2007 from the University of St. Thomas in Houston with a master’s degree of Science in Information Systems. Then he worked for 5 years for Hewlett Packard before entering the seminary.  On June 6, 2005, he was ordained a priest here at the
Co-Cathedral, serving his 1 ^st two years as a parochial vicar at St. Michael Church in the Galleria. 

This will be Fr. Bame’s 1 ^st pastor-ship. He is being appointed “an administrator,” not as pastor.  That is a common practice  in this Archdiocese when a priest is appointed for the 1 ^st time to lead a parish. Normally, one is then given the title of pastor after one year.  The reality is that Fr. Bame will have all the same and complete responsibilities, just a different title. When I became your pastor 12 years ago, I was named pastor immediately on July 1, 2008.  The difference was because for 11 years previously I held the role of Judicial Vicar of the Tribunal Office for the Archdiocese, an “equivalent” role of a pastor. 

Fr. Bame will be 37 years old when he becomes your pastoral leader. Some may say he is so young & only a priest 5 years. My response is:  just search the internet “young executives in major corporations” and you will be surprised the “young” ages of some executives.  For instance, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, Inc., is only 36 years old.  How many of you go to a doctor, a lawyer, etc., in their mid 30’s?  Plus, Fr. Bame’s 3 years as the Cardinal’s priest secretary has prepared him well in so many ways. And Fr. Bame’s expertise with his 2 college degrees & 5 year experience in the business world will be of great help as he leads this parish!  I also may add: pray for more priestly vocations!  We just had a young priest ordained only 3 years who was named an administrator of a parish. 

It is a challenge to re-open the parish.  Attendance was low, as expected, last weekend. That is fine. This Saturday, I will receive into the Church those in RCIA who should have become Catholic at the Easter Vigil. They have been waiting patiently, and they are eager to become Catholic.  We will allow those who were scheduled to receive their First Holy Communion to receive soon, respecting the wishes of the families if they are willing to come back to church soon.   We are doing our best with a backlog of infant / small children’s baptisms. 
Deacon Leonard Lockett’s funeral occurred and was limited to his family & personal friends.  To listen to his Funeral Mass Homily, Click Here. 

Let us continue to pray for one another and for our parish.