The New Wine Press vol 25 no 8 April 2017 | Page 7

Wine Tasting
Go and Bear Fruit
by Fr. Mark Yates, c.pp.s., Iowa
Early last year Fr. Joe Nassal asked me if I would be
willing to serve as the pastor/administrator in south
central Iowa for three parishes we have not served
before (except for Fr. George Heinzen, who served
in Georgetown from 1983-1985). It would be an op-
portunity to increase the number of our members
in the area with Fr. Jim Betzen in Ottumwa, Fr. Bill
Hubmann in Centerville, and Fr. Mike Volkmer in
Albia. It would also help the Diocese of Davenport,
since the diocesan priest who served the three parishes
was retiring. I agreed to go.
The parishes are St. Patrick in Georgetown,
St. Peter in Lovilia, and St. Patrick in Melrose. As
you can gather from the two with St. Patrick as their
patron, the parishioners are of predominantly Irish
descent. St. Peter Parish is of Slovenian, Croatian,
Hungarian and Irish heritages. All three are rural
agricultural communities. There used to be a coal
mine near Lovilia, but it closed several years ago,
causing many to look for work elsewhere. Lovilia and
Waiting for Mass to begin
Melrose are twenty-five miles apart with Georgetown
being seven miles east of Melrose.
In April I made a reconnaissance trip to the area,
since I had never been there before. I checked
out which rectory I wanted to live in (Lovilia
or Melrose), and I met with the pastor, Fr. Pat
Lumsden, to get more information about the par-
ishes—which operate independently.
On another occasion, I travelled to Davenport to
meet with Bishop Martin Amos. We got acquainted
with one another over lunch. He advised me to listen
much and not to make many changes—especially to
the Mass schedule—during my first year. This is the
same sound advice I have heard from a number of pas-
tors over the years.
I moved into the rectory in Lovilia the last week
of June and began my assignment July 1 st . I have
been reminded numerous times of what the pastor
in Chama, New Mexico told me when I left there to
return to formation some years ago. I asked him what
he did not learn in seminary. He extended his hands
and exclaimed, “All this!” It did not take long to
understand his comment and to realize I have much
to learn.
My first weekend of Masses, I met many parishio-
ners who expressed their gratitude for my coming. I
continued on page 7
April 2017 • The New Wine Press • 5