Search
August 28, 2022
Introducing Seminarian Dan Roberts & Sr. Maisie Ng
-
For those who have not yet met him, Dan Roberts is a seminarian for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. You might have seen him recently at Mass, serving at the altar, singing or as lector. You may have run into him at Vacation Bible School, Best of the Fest, or at
Grill the Priest, where this photo was taken. Dan moved to New Castle in June to begin his pastoral year here at Holy Spirit Parish.
After the first several years of seminary, all Pittsburgh seminarians complete a pastoral year, during which they take a break from the normal routine of seminary formation in order to enter into the life and ministries of a parish. Dan is very happy to return to Holy Spirit, where he was assigned last summer. Since he will be here for a year this time, Dan is looking forward to many more opportunities to serve, connect, and learn from the Holy Spirit family and the Lawrence County Community.
Dan believes that God has a call and a particular plan for each of our lives, even though we may not see it. In his own journey, Dan has been truly surprised where God has led him. Six years ago, he was living in Los Angeles, auditioning for acting roles and working as a college theatre professor. Dan shares: “I would have laughed in disbelief if someone had told me that within a few years, I’d be back in my hometown of Pittsburgh and on the path to becoming a priest! Yet, by opening myself to God in prayer, what once seemed crazy to me started to look increasingly like the very thing that God wanted me to do. I’m excited to continue my walk with God, and I’m looking forward to walking alongside all of you for the next year, here at Holy Spirit Parish. Please pray for me, and know of my prayers for all of you—especially for those seeking God’s will for their lives.”
Please join me in welcoming Sister Maisie Ng to our parish. Maisie has been living in one of the sisters’ community houses in Bellevue, PA since September. Sister Maisie was born in Hong Kong, became a Canadian citizen and met the sisters through
the internet.
Maisie became a Canonical Novice with the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities on Saturday, August 6th and has moved here for her novitiate experience. She will be living with
Sister Annie and Sister Veronica when she is here in Pennsylvania.
As a Canonical Novice Maisie will be learning about the Rule and Life of the Sisters. She will be spending some time in Chicago at an Intercommunity Novitiate Program where she will be learning with six other novices from different communities.
The stages of formation are extensive. After Maisie finishes her canonical novitiate, she will move into an apostolic novitiate year in which she will experience different ministries. After she has finished two years of novitiate, she will pronounce her First Vows. These are vows of Poverty, Obedience, and Celibacy, and she vows to live them for a period of three years. If at the end of three years Maisie and the community feel this call is the best way for her, she will then profess her vows for life.
Please welcome Maisie to our Parish Community here in Holy Spirit and keep her in your prayers as she transitions into this new phase of her religious life.
God love you,
