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June 20, 2022Greetings! As I arrive to pastor the faithful of Blessed Sacrament and serve others in its embrace, a “brief” introduction is in order. As you may notice from the graying individual in the photo, I have recently entered into my 61st year of life on May 24 which I am told places me into the stage of “Transition into late Adulthood” leading into more senior years, God Willing. Currently, I am the Director of Pastoral Formation, at St. Francis de Sales Seminary that has helped to form hundreds of men for the priesthood, some who have since become Bishops and Cardinals for the greater church. Even as I am offered a variety of sacramental and administrative duties at the parish, I will still maintain my duties as a professor and formator (or mentor) at the Seminary. I offer two courses in Fundamental Pastoral Theology and four levels of Theological Reflection (basic to advanced). It is all about making prayer and intellectual thoughts more practical and useful. There are 70+ seminarians in-house (always room for more). Some just starting out may help around the parish. I am responsible for sending Matthew Ferch (now Reverend Father, ordained, May 21, 2022) your way the past four years as a Teaching Parish! Another priest whom you will come to know is Fr. Alex Nwosu, who was my “formation advisee”. I am glad that he is assisting me as a part-time associate pastor! Given this split in responsibilities, I am formally defined as “shared”, much like the most recent and illustrious pastor, the Very Rev. Mark Payne. I look forward to meeting everyone and working with a wonderful and very competent staff (and other volunteers) who pour their hearts and souls into keeping the parish functioning as well as it is! They serve to remind me the Holy Spirit is both real and alive providing many gifts in every age for every need. Let us move forward together in a spirit of Divine and Holy Communion.
For those who want more, continue to read on, for each our lives is intriguing. My mom (Sylvia, an extraordinary homemaker with a big heart, who died on February 13, 2011 before Valentine’s Day) and dad (a jeweler and fine craftsman by profession, recently deceased, November 6, 2020), brought me to the life-giving waters of Baptism on July 2, 1961 at St. Agnes Parish, Butler. I have four siblings, including: three brothers, Doug, Keith and Steve; and, a younger sister, Beth. It was at St. Agnes that I received First Holy Communion, being present at their parochial School from Grades 1-3. I was then enrolled into Webster Public Grade School, Wauwatosa, for Grade 4. Grades 5-6 were at Cottage-Swanson Public Grade School and grades 7-9 at Wisconsin Hills Junior High, Brookfield. I entered De Sales Preparatory Seminary High School in my sophomore year in 1976, the Bicentennial Year at age 15, graduating in 1979. I was able to go to three colleges at the same time: Cardinal Stritch (for art); St. Francis de Sales (for theology) and Marquette University (for philosophy) receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1983. I then entered St. Francis de Sales Seminary School of Pastoral Ministry (as it was called then) for four years receiving a Master of Divinity Degree with honors in 1987. Of late, 2010 to present, I am still an active Candidate for a Doctor of Ministry Degree at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, IL (with project work complete and trying to write a book in its regard that is due by March of 2023)!
I was ordained to the Diaconate on September 26, 1986 and to the Priesthood (Roman Catholic) on May 15, 1989 by The Most Reverend Rembert G. Weakland, O.S.B., Archbishop of Milwaukee. My first Assignment as Associate Pastor was at St. Alexander Parish, Milwaukee, 1987-1990; then as Pastoral Team Member at St. Matthias parish, Milwaukee, 1990 – 1995; then as Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Sheboygan (founded by Lithuanians), 1995 -2012; and, shared pastor with Ss. Cyril & Methodius, Sheboygan (founded by Slovenians), 2001 – 2012. I was also Temporary Administrator to Holy Name in Sheboygan while a priest was on Sabbatical. In my Silver (25th) Anniversary Year in 2012 at the behest of the Rector of St. Francis de Sales Seminary and Archbishop Dolan, I was appointed to my present position as Director of Pastoral Formation. In 2012, I was the Temporary Administrator of Nativity of the Lord, Cudahy, after the tragic death of a priest. I have also served as a member of the Priest Placement Board, as Chair of the Priest Pension Board; and currently as a member of the Senior Priest Advisory Committee for the Archdiocese. I have also served as a Chaplain to the Knights of Columbus, Council 722, Sheboygan and to the Legion of Mary. All combines, unto a sense that every inch of life is Holy Ground as Moses himself discovered; and, that all of us are on a (sacrificial) Journey of Faith with others to Life and Life to the Full patterned on the central mystery of the life, death and resurrection of Christ (the Paschal Mystery). We are all called to a heroic degree of perseverance (to a hope beyond hope) and confidence. As for me, may the adage prove true that “an old vine often produces the most tender, noble and sweetest of grapes”. Žametovka - Fr. Glenn Powers
