I began my ministry as pastor of St. Perpetua Church in July, 1997. I am a member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, a religious congregation of priests and brothers. My religious order is headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, which is also my hometown. Founded in 1871 and modeled on the spirituality of St. Francis de Sales (1576-1622), the Oblates serve the church and society by spreading the spirit of St. Francis de Sales which is one of optimism, humility, gentleness and Christian humanism.
I’ve served the Diocese of Oakland in pastoral ministry for the past thirty years at St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda, at Corpus Christi Church in Piedmont and here at St. Perpetua. A great attraction for me in being a pastor is the amazing variety of opportunities for service of others that parish ministry offers – preaching, pastoral counseling, education, artistic creativity, music, pastoral care, organizational planning… and, my least favorite yet very essential, fundraising and construction. The past twenty years have seen a remodel of our school building and Faith Formation facilities, creating a Garden of Learning, a Pavilion and an Amphitheatre, landscaping enhancements and renovation of our worship space. Our current Capital Campaign – Continuing our Growth… Building our Future – will result in a wonderful new Community Center next to our church. This will be a dream come true and the fulfillment of a significant part of our Pastoral Plan. Most importantly it will provide another beautiful space where we can carry out our Parish Mission: Celebrating our Faith, Enriching our Community and Sharing our Gifts! I hope you will be a part of our efforts to build up the Kingdom of God here in our corner of the world that God gave us to tend.
The Parish and School community at St. Perpetua in Lafayette, CA, actively welcomes all who seek contemporary spiritual growth, who thrive in a warm and friendly environment, who find meaning in compassionate and caring outreach to others, and who enjoy celebrating the love of Christ present at our masses and our many social activities.