Father Steve Adrian's retirement: July 1, 2012
Farewell message from Father Steve at July 1, 2012 Mass:
Father Adrian, long-time promoter of social justice, to retire
From the Catholic Spirit | June 19, 2012
Fr. Steve Adrian
St. Matthew in St. Paul will celebrate with its pastor, Father Stephen Adrian, his 44 years of full-time ministry and his upcoming retirement, with a 4:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday, June 23, and a picnic at Cherokee Park in St. Paul. In case of inclement weather, the Mass and picnic will be at St. Matthew. The celebration will continue with a reception from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 24, in St. Matthew’s social hall.
“Father Steve has been a tremendous advocate for education,” said Carol Mike, parish secretary and parishioner at St. Matthew. He served on the board at Archbishop Brady High School and St. Matthew and has been working on the establishment of the new Community of Saints Catholic School, Mike said. “He has supported the St. Mary’s Clinic, which operates out of our parish building during the week, and the Loaves and Fishes Program,” she added.
A long-time advocate of affordable housing, Father Adrian was one of the founders of the St. Paul Ecumenical Alliance of Congregations and the Neighborhood Development Alliance, which both provide help with housing for the poor and homeless. He was presented the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Local Legend award by the General Mills Foundation in 2004.
Poem commissioned for Father Steve upon his retirement
A Life Well Spent
It is the wise who see that success
is measured not by money or accolades
but by what you leave for the next generation.
For thirty-four years, you have been
both our pillar and our Shepherd,
sharing the many seasons of our lives
When we're born, you hold us up,
bathed by that mysterious and wonderful
beam of light
When we are broken, it is your words,
infused with His Grace that
begin to wash away the pain
and heal our souls
When we are lost,
your gentle wisdom
somehow allows us
to again find our way
and when we die,
you honor our memories
and usher us again to our true home
you, Father, have personified
the work of the Eucharist,
real presence, unity
hunger is fed,
sickness is healed
the gift of a Catholic education
has changed the lives of deserving young souls
who may not have otherwise known it
When you are no longer on the altar
as pastor delivering your homilies,
You will ever continue to enrich us, Father,
for this positive energy that you’ve infused us with
is contagious and has taken on a life of its own
this is the living legacy of a life well spent.
Eric Vance Walton
