August 2, 2026•Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Parish Family,
Before every ordination in the Catholic Church, there is a sacred pause. Before the laying on of hands, before the promises, before the joy of the celebration, the Church requires those who are to be ordained to step away from the ordinary rhythms of life and enter into a canonical retreat.
From August 6–10, 2026, our own Mike Nowakowski and his thirteen classmates preparing for ordination to the diaconate on September 12, 2026, will make this canonical retreat at Malvern Retreat House. The retreat will be preached by Bishop Ronald Gainer.
A canonical retreat is much more than a time to relax or study. It is an opportunity to listen attentively to the voice of God, to pray deeply, to celebrate the Eucharist, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, spend time in silence, and entrust one’s life completely to the Lord. These days allow the men to reflect on the profound mystery of the vocation they are about to embrace and to prepare their hearts to receive the grace of Holy Orders.
I will also be present for the retreat in my role as Director of Spiritual Formation for the Diocese of Harrisburg’s Permanent Diaconate Formation Program. Walking with these men over the course of their five years of formation has been a tremendous privilege, and these final weeks before ordination are among the most meaningful. It is a time filled with prayer, gratitude, anticipation, and a deep awareness that God continues to call generous men to serve His Church.
I ask our Good Shepherd family to keep Mike, his classmates, their wives (especially Cathy), and their families in your prayers during these retreat days. Please pray that they may be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, grow in humility and holiness, and be strengthened for a lifetime of service at the altar, in the proclamation of the Gospel, and in charity to those most in need.
As a parish, we have been blessed by Mike’s generosity and faith throughout his years of formation. May these days of silence, prayer, and reflection bear abundant fruit, and may the Lord who has begun this good work bring it to completion.
Grace and peace!
Father Neil Sullivan