On July 1, Fr. Christian will be taking the next step in his religious life, becoming the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Mishicot and St. Anne Parish in Francis Creek.

With this move, he will be stepping down as Notre Dame’s chaplain at the end of the school year, a position he’s held since 2018.

Since that time, Fr. Christian has become a beloved and ever-present member of the school community.

Understandably, his transition to the life of a pastor is certainly an emotional one.

“[Becoming a pastor] has been a dream and a passion within me,” Fr. Christian said.

Above all, in his new position Fr. Christian most looks forward to “taking care of the people in his parish, preaching good homilies, and helping the youngsters to head into a path where God wants them to go.” 

Despite this, he explained how difficult it is to leave Notre Dame.

“I’ll miss the fun that I have with the kids, the midday prayer, the daily mass and playing Uno with the kids in campus ministry,” he remarked.

Further reflecting on his time here, he said some of his favorite memories have come from his Cabaret Night musical performance and the freshmen-sophomore retreats at Camp Tekakwitha.

While working as a parish priest, he will continue to have responsibilities as a Norbertine.

“As a Norbertine, I’m always linked to the Abbey.  Although I live in the parish, as a Nortbetine I need to be affiliated with the Abbey,” explained Fr. Christian.

“In order to connect with the community, I come once a week, on a Monday, and live the community life with them,,” he said.

As for what his plans are in the future and how long he will be a pastor, Fr. Christian is uncertain.

“As of now, I have not decided how long I am going to be here [in the United States], but I enjoy being here at the moment.  I love the people here, love the environment, culture, food, even the weather.  I love snow now!   I don’t know how long I am going to be here, but I have applied for the Green Card, which means I will be here for at least another five to ten years,” he explained.

In closing, Fr. Christian had this advice for the Notre Dame community:

“I take everything positive.  Whatever happens happens for a reason.  Everything happens in our life for the good.  That’s my way of thinking, and I would encourage all the Notre Dame kids to take it that way because there are a lot of things that go out of our hand.  Sometimes things will not go the way we want to go, but remember God has a plan for all of us.  God’s plans are mysterious, and God’s ways are really difficult to understand, but God always will plan what’s best for us, and we should take everything in a positive way.  With God’s grace, we move ahead in our lives,” he said.

Succeeding him as Notre Dame’s on-campus chaplain will be Fr. Jordan, a fellow Norbertine and already active on-campus presence.