My First 45 Days as a Priest

Thy Kingdom Come!

Greetings from Mexico City!

I hope that you are all doing great. This first month and a half of priesthood has been extraordinary. It has been the most beautiful period of my life. From the day of ordination I have felt my heart so full of joy, humility, and gratitude. That continues to be the case. I have had the grace to celebrate Mass every day since then and, especially since arriving to Mexico, I have had the grace to hear many confessions. That has been truly beautiful- I have never had such an extraordinary opportunity to receive and love my brothers and sisters with all their weaknesses and struggles, to see their valor, vulnerability, and goodness, and to share with them in the name of Jesus Christ the forgiveness and mercy of God through the absolution of their sins. It is awesome. And for me it has been among the greatest motivations I have ever had to pursue with interest- indeed, to give the highest priority to- my spiritual life, my quest for holiness.

It has been very busy; these have been weeks full of activities. This past weekend I had an opportunity to accompany as chaplain a group of young men and women who went on construction missions. We went to a very poor community (I don’t say town, because “town” makes it sound more developed than it is) to build three simple homes for families in dire need. I am attaching a photo collage of that experience. In addition to the construction work it included hearing confessions for more than three hours the first day and celebrating Mass in their Church on Sunday morning. (I should explain that this is a community that does not have a resident priest. The priest from the nearby town is only able to visit them once a month.) We worked through the cold, drizzly days to finish as much as we could and were content to leave the three sites with the walls up and a roof covering everything. They will finishing putting concrete on the walls and will proceed to paint, and shortly thereafter the families will move into their new “hogares.”

The weather here in Mexico City in the winter is fantastic! It cools off quite a bit in the evening, though it really never gets down to freezing temperatures, and during the day it is very comfortable- during these last weeks we have had clear blue skies with highs around 70. :) Visitors are welcome anytime! Oh, and just about everyone here is excited for the Super Bowl. I get the impression that there are more people here pulling for Atlanta than New England… I think New England will take it 31-27.

Please continue to pray for me, for those who were ordained with me in December, and for all priests. I am now beginning my priestly life and want to ensure that I live it based on the solid foundations that were laid during the long years of formation and preparation. If I could share one reflection with all of you it would be a reflection on Divine Mercy. I pray that we all contemplate and reflect on this great reality. May God’s mercy and love for us be our true center, the compass of our life. It is something that we can always count on- ALWAYS- and if we live trusting in God’s mercy we have a sure way to prepare with peace and confidence for the eternal embrace with God in heaven.

May God bless you all! Yours in Christ,

Fr. Daniel Rolczynski, LC