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Newsletter August 10, 2009
Some of you know by now
of Fr. Dave’s decision to return to the United States to continue his work after years of ministry to the people of
Magadan. Below are Fr. Michael’s thoughts regarding Fr. Dave’s departure which he delivered
to his parish on August 3, 2009:
“Fr.
David has discerned his time in Russia has come to an end. He feels the Lord is calling him to return to his local church
and be near family. Fr. David is one of those priests who gives himself in deep humility with a servant’s
heart. Blessed Charles said we must shout the gospel from the rooftop of our lives i.e. we must show the
gospel in deeds so people can believe in our words. Here in Russia especially words are cheap.
The Russian people don’t trust words because they have seen the promises of a communist materialistic nation
crumble and even the great perestroika (Russian word for rebuilding used to refer to the post communist Russia) of the 90s
failed to bring what was promised. They want to see it in the flesh. And this is Fr.
David at his best. I have known Fr. David for nearly 20 years. He received the call
to come to Russia a year after I discerned a new direction to my priesthood. He came as a Brother of the Heart of Jesus
and he leaves as a dear brother in the heart of Jesus and in my heart. He told me quite simply when he first came that he came to support me and be with the people here. He
has done both with great grace. His gifts are numerous as a musician, electrician, profound
homilist, computer master, web site designer, great cook (will I ever have Fr. David’s pizza again?) and, first and
foremost, faithful priest and incredibly good brother. There are two things necessary for every priest.
One, a deep intimate prayerful relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ most profoundly found in the Holy Eucharist.
The second, an essential reality for any priest is a brotherly love for other priests and brotherly relationship. I have such a brother in Fr. David. The things
Fr. David has done here and the people he has touched are numerous, shown by the tears from his parishioners in the small
parish in Ola. But for me the greatest gift is he has heard my confession almost weekly for over 13 years.
He has offered me the greatest gift from the cross of Jesus Christ and this is forgiveness of my sins.
Fr. David is a great confessor with a heart, well as big as the one he wears on his chest: the heart of Jesus.
I am here today in Russia because God called me to be here and will be until my death as the Lord has called.
But I can stay in Russia as well because of the sacrament of forgiveness. What I have experienced in this sacrament
through the priesthood of Fr. David has been, well in truth salvation. I will miss Fr. David and our conversations
around our small kitchen table and our trips to the garden and our evening prayer together but mostly I will miss his compassionate
priestly heart that has helped through the most difficult times. He has been the best of brothers to me
and I will miss him. I also know he will be back to visit and will continue with his preaching and ministry
to support our little mission here. So the mission continues in truth in his life and ours.
As the Russians sing to those they honor, many years, many years and I add priesthood for this good holy man of God,
my confessor, my brother, Fr. David.”
Fr. Dave – thank you for all the years in Magadan!
In November 2007, I had the great experience
of being in Magadan for almost 3 weeks. I had barely landed when I joined a visit to a bedridden elderly
lady. Looking at the outside of her apartment building I thought surely no one really lived there.
Seeing the apartment itself, I was appalled – surely I’m being shown the worst of Magadan.
As it turns out, this was probably one of the better apartments in town. The buildings became more
rundown and dark; the apartments became more cramped, dilapidated, and cold. Yet, each time I saw great
love and compassion with which Fr. Dave cared for the people. For almost three weeks
I traversed the sites and sounds of Magadan and Ola. I saw plumbing work by Fr. Dave which allowed one
or two of the people to have running water in their apartment, a door he made whole again for a single mother with beautiful
artwork, the apartment in Ola he painted, decorated and restored so people had a place to pray, and shoes he found for an
infant just learning to walk whose mother could not afford them. I was honored to walk with Fr. Dave through the snow and over
the icy sidewalks to visit people (in one case an elderly lady who survived the gulag system, and in another case a single
mother) who anxiously awaited his arrival to have hot tea with him and just a few minutes of his time. You
see, not only did Fr. Dave minister to people in the “usual fashion” we see in this country, but in the most unusual
ways required of Siberian Russia. To say he saved lives is not an understatement. One
mother at a time, he met the women who decided whether their child lived or died. No matter the subject
at hand, I always saw the love in Fr. Dave’s eyes. No matter the subject at hand, I witnessed the
dignity with which he treated people. Even when the wind was howling and he was freezing, he never refused
his time or help. What can Fr. Dave’s leaving Magadan mean to the people there?
Only they can truly answer this question, but what I feel confident about is that there are people in Russia now who
owe their very lives to him. So, to you, Fr Dave, you’ve been a blessing to Russia and our best wishes
and love go with you always.
C. Hood
(Above) the Women’s Center building where we now have a small office to counsel women. The Women’s Center is the government service where almost
all pregnant women go to seek help or advice about their pregnancy. Often the outcome is an abortion. In Russia
70% of all pregnancies end in abortion.
Our Work Continues. Although Fr.
Dave is returning to the U.S. our work continues in Russia. More and more mothers and babies need our help
as the mothers come to understand that abortion ends the life of a child and people continue their struggle in the weak economy.
For those from St. Louis, although Fr. Dave is now nearer to us geographically we are committed to continuing the work
with his help.
THANK YOU. Our appeal in the last newsletter for pregnancy tests for our recently
opened counseling center brought good new. We learned about a place overseas where we could purchase the tests for 50 cents
each, allowing our limited resources to go even further!
Fr.
Michael, pastor, and Fr. Dave after the recent baptism of a third generation Catholic! “If you can’t feed
a hundred people, then feed just one.” Mother Teresa.
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