We are so excited to be here in Muncie with all of you!  Fr. DeCarlo, Fr. Coady, and I love Jesus Christ and we love you - and are enthused to join the Muncie Catholic Family as your priests.  Your faith is evident already and inspiring.   

Together, we are embarking on a new adventure called Uniting in Heart!  With the focus on  Mission, Community, and Witness, we count it a blessing to build upon the rich faith thriving here in Muncie!  And… what a strong foundation it is!

Like three close friends who each bring their own unique personalities, it will be invigorating to experience our shared faith as a larger Catholic community – St. Francis, St. Lawrence, and St. Mary… embarking on this exciting journey together!

Thank you to Fathers Doerr, Hellmann, Williams, Dudzinski, and Kalu, who have worked hard with our      incredible staffs and volunteers!  We continue prayers for them and their new parish communities as the      adventure unfolds.  And, we look forward to building upon the strong foundation they built so well.

Fr. Doug Hennessy was the pastor of St. Paul Church, where I grew up in Illinois.  When I was in seminary, he and I had lunch one day and he gave me the best advice ever: “when you get to your new parish, spend the first year doing two things – being a historian and a lover”.  Take time to get to know the people, the parish, the community, and how they got to where they are today; and, love them with all your heart.  I have tried to put his advice into practice everywhere I go.

We love you – and will do our best to serve you faithfully as we all journey together in our Catholic Faith.  Thank you for your kind welcome, your patience, and for sharing your beautiful faith.

Please pray for your priests - we will pray for you every day!

And together…. Let us always give glory to God!

God Bless,
Fr. Eric Underwood