Fr. Evan Harkins, Associate Pastor
The link to Fr. Evan's weekly homework assignment here.
Fr. Evan Harkins was just recently ordained—on May 29, 2010—and began his priestly ministry here at St. Therese at the end of June. He brings many gifts to his ministry: besides his youthful enthusiasm, he brings learning and understanding, graciousness and approachability, eloquence and dedication to the priesthood, and the quality Pope Benedict described as essential to a priestly ministry, a commitment to holiness of life
“I have looked forward for so many years to becoming a priest, and now that I am a priest it is incredibly more wonderful than I imagined. It is truly awesome to pray in the person of Christ and say, ‘This is my body’ and ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ It is a wonderful life.
The question of vocation can seem very big and perhaps daunting. Ultimately, the question of state in life is the same in principle as the decisions we make every day. With each choice, we can embrace either good or bad or to do something out of selfishness or for the love of God and neighbor. If you are used to practicing making your daily decisions out of love for God, the big decisions for Him will come more easily. In other words, focus most of all on holiness. Holiness is our closeness to the Blessed Trinity. That union is our final goal; it is the most important thing. Our vocation and our daily decisions are both just means to reaching that union.
“My family was very supportive and helpful. Growing up, I was exposed to the beauty of the vocation of marriage. I saw how deeply my father and mother loved each other and saw that joy that came from their embracing that vocation. Their witness disposed me to look, not for a job or some way of fork-lifting a ton of money in my life, but of finding that joy, that deep love they had. Our Lord lead me from their witness and example to the priesthood.
“I am very blessed for so many reasons with this first assignment at St. Therese. One of those blessings I see as a gift from the Little Flower, that I would begin my priestly ministry in a parish under her patronage. I have had a long devotion to St. Therese, reading and re-reading her Story of a Soul. I was drawn to her in the similarity we shared, namely, feeling early on a call and desiring very much to follow it. St. Therese entered the Convent at 15 and I entered the seminary at 14. I am very drawn to her spirituality, which is marked by balance; it is both deeply beautiful and quite practical.”
“I have looked forward for so many years to becoming a priest, and now that I am a priest it is incredibly more wonderful than I imagined. It is truly awesome to pray in the person of Christ and say, ‘This is my body’ and ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ It is a wonderful life.
The question of vocation can seem very big and perhaps daunting. Ultimately, the question of state in life is the same in principle as the decisions we make every day. With each choice, we can embrace either good or bad or to do something out of selfishness or for the love of God and neighbor. If you are used to practicing making your daily decisions out of love for God, the big decisions for Him will come more easily. In other words, focus most of all on holiness. Holiness is our closeness to the Blessed Trinity. That union is our final goal; it is the most important thing. Our vocation and our daily decisions are both just means to reaching that union.
“My family was very supportive and helpful. Growing up, I was exposed to the beauty of the vocation of marriage. I saw how deeply my father and mother loved each other and saw that joy that came from their embracing that vocation. Their witness disposed me to look, not for a job or some way of fork-lifting a ton of money in my life, but of finding that joy, that deep love they had. Our Lord lead me from their witness and example to the priesthood.
“I am very blessed for so many reasons with this first assignment at St. Therese. One of those blessings I see as a gift from the Little Flower, that I would begin my priestly ministry in a parish under her patronage. I have had a long devotion to St. Therese, reading and re-reading her Story of a Soul. I was drawn to her in the similarity we shared, namely, feeling early on a call and desiring very much to follow it. St. Therese entered the Convent at 15 and I entered the seminary at 14. I am very drawn to her spirituality, which is marked by balance; it is both deeply beautiful and quite practical.”
