I have been writing this column for over 30 years now and this month I will have served the archdiocese as a priest for some 42 years.
But a new milestone in my life is being reached. I will be retiring for health reasons next month.
You, my loyal readers, have stayed with me through it all. In the last three years I didn’t miss an issue, but I underwent cancer treatment and then later hip replacement.
My doctors have been telling me for some time to retire and get some much needed rest. I put them off for almost two years, but they are winning out in the end. My daughter/ward is graduating in early June so I guess we will both be making big changes in our lives.
This may mark my retirement, but this is not my last column. After writing this column for some 30-plus years for free, Today’s Catholic would like that arrangement to continue. I guess you might say they feel the price is right.
I will be giving continuation of this column my utmost consideration. After these some 30 years I must say I do have a little problem in coming up with a topic each month.
Thus I have had to revisit some topics again and again. With a lot more free time I will be able to keep better check on the farm and ranch, as thus topics should be forthcoming.
Although I will be retiring, I am not retiring from my priesthood. I will be helping out from time to time as brother priests are in need of their rest as well. There are three churches in New Braunfels, where I grew up and where I will retire, so I should be in a good location for some assistance to them.
Thus this is not saying “goodbye,” but rather, “see you again next month.”
Father Samuel Heitkamp was pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Kirby (until the end of May), and was director of the former rural life organization in the archdiocese.