"I have never been bored as a priest," writes Fr. Jim Fenstermaker, C.S.C. "This experience includes my 10 years outside of parish ministry as Vocation Director and as Director of Campus Ministry.... I must say, however, that parish ministry has been the most fulfilling and enjoyable ministry I...

"Saint James reminds us in his letter that faith without works is dead," writes Fr. Jim Fenstermaker, C.S.C. "I have been impressed in my four years here at Holy Cross Parish by the level of social outreach offered by our parishioners. Our social ministry is coordinated by our Social Action...

"Visiting the sick is one of the seven corporal works of mercy. It is also one of the most fulfilling aspects of the ministry of a parish priest, and one of the most appreciated by his parishioners," writes Fr. Jim Fenstermaker, C.S.C. "One of the lessons I learned early in my priesthood was the...

"Two words you may have noticed repeated throughout this blog are 'fellowship' and 'meal,'" writes Fr. Jim Fenstermaker, C.S.C. "It's not surprising that the two are paired together so often. In a sense, isn't that what Eucharist is all about? As parish priests, we strive to strengthen the sense...

Working with children is certainly one of the delights of parish ministry. As priests, we have a wonderful opportunity to shape these children's perceptions of church and religion from the very beginning of their faith lives. At a recent Sunday mass, one of the young children said to his parents...

"This is a busy and exciting time of the year in a parish, as you well know from your own home parish," writes Fr. Jim Fenstermaker, C.S.C., pastor of Holy Cross Parish in South Easton, Mass. "Advent is one of my favorite liturgical seasons in which to preach, with that dual focus on the first...

"We see the introduction of the new Mass translations as a wonderful opportunity to catechize our parishioners on the meaning and importance of the Sunday Eucharist in their lives and the life of Holy Cross Parish," writes Fr. Jim Fenstermaker, C.S.C. "Our hope is that, by the beginning of...

"While we strive to teach our parish children the fundamentals of their Christian faith and Catholic religion so that they understand what they are participating in at Church," writes Fr. Jim Fenstermaker, the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in South Easton, Mass., "our most important task is to...

Fr. Jim Fenstermaker, C.S.C., the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in South Easton, Mass., has sent us his second post for us in his series this year on parish ministry in the Congregation. His post reveals how the charism of Holy Cross impacted the vision of his parish in its new three-year pastoral...

Today, we cover our parish bases with a new monthly contributor to our blog, Fr. Jim Fenstermaker, C.S.C., the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in South Easton, Mass. As we learn in his post today, Fr. Jim's life in Holy Cross has led him to several different ministries, but now he loves his work...