Dear Friends,

As I reflect on my life, I take this Father’s Day to recall all the male role models I encountered. As a boy, my uncle who lived in Safford, my baseball little league coaches, my 4th/5th grade teacher who lived across the street from our house. My 6th grade teacher in Holbrook. My football coaches in high school and certain priests who were excellent role models for me. These men shaped my view of life, shared values that I remember even today. The list of male role models are more than what I shared in this article. I thank God for these men and the impression they left with me. 

Yet the greatest male role model is my father, Carmelo. Honor, sacrifice, honesty, modeling how to deal with discrimination, being patient in raising children, and serving others. These are only some of what I learned from him, but these are the ones that mean the most to me.  

Today we will call all fathers, all men who are given the title father, to come gather at the altar during the Eucharistic prayer. These men will be living witnesses to being men of God, loving, serving and teaching others about what it means to be a good man, a good human being. 

As we take this day to honor all fathers, we give thanks to the many men who daily do what is right, many times without being noticed. I am grateful to all the fathers in our parish and I hope they remember how this world needs them to be role models for the many.  

Happy Father’s Day! 

Peace in Christ,

Fr. Eric