Father's Reflection 7.2.23

7.2.23

Please welcome Father Joel Haug!

Hello all! 
To help answer some of your questions on who your new pastor is, I thought I would use this first newsletter to give a little summary of my family and background. I’m sorry in advance if this is more detail than you wanted to know; on the other hand, I’m happy to fill in the gaps when I meet you face to face! 

Where are you from? How are you related to the Haug’s in Nemaha?
I was born and raised in Atchison, Kansas, the youngest son of James and Aleda Haug. My dad was one of the eye doctors in Atchison and also served regularly up in Hiawatha. 
My dad grew up in Seneca, and when I was little, my four older siblings and I often came to visit grandma and grandpa’s (Dorothy and Donald Haug) little farm just off 36 and J4 road. My grandpa’s father was Charles (Charlie) Haug, and he was one of over 10 Haug brothers that accounts for a lot of the Haug's here in the area!

Where does your family live now?
~Mom and dad are retired and spend most of the year in Tucson, AZ, and they spend the summer where my mom grew up in the mountains in Nederland, CO.
~My sister, the oldest, Kristen and her husband Reed live in Pierre, South Dakota, and she is a professional jeweler, selling her pieces at art shows across the country.
~My oldest brother Aaron and his wife Lindsey live in Denver with my niece and nephew, and they both serve as doctors in the area.
~My middle brother Nathan and his wife Jen live in Oakland, CA, and they are both website developers.
~My youngest brother Jesse and his wife Lea actually live in Strasbourg, France because that is where she is from (they met after he did grad school abroad in Paris). He owns his own business in Paris prepping students for the GMAT test to go to grad school in the U.S. They have my other niece and nephew, and we get to see each other about once a year. 
From this you can rightly conclude that I’m the lone Kansan in my family at this point!

Where did you go to school?
I was baptized and raised in St. Benedict’s Parish and attended the Catholic school there. I graduated from Maur Hill-Mount Academy and attended KU to pursue a degree in Spanish with aspirations to enter med school like my dad and brother Aaron. 

When did you know you wanted to be a priest?
While I was at KU, I had a deeper conversion of heart in my relationship with Jesus through the vibrant Catholic community at the St. Lawrence Center. A sister of the Apostles of the Interior Life became my spiritual guide and taught me how to spend time with God in prayer every day, which would lead to me discerning a calling to the priesthood. I discovered my core passion was going deeper in my relationship with God and helping others to find their happiness and fulfillment in Him too.

Where did you go to seminary?
Immediately after my graduation from KU, I spent 2 years of studying philosophy in Rome and finished my last four years of seminary Theology courses at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. 

When did you become a priest?
I was ordained a priest on May 25th, 2019, and spent my first year as an associate pastor at the Cathedral of St. Peter in downtown Kansas City Kansas. From 2020 to the summer of 2023, I served as the associate pastor at St. Joseph in Shawnee as well as the chaplain of Bishop Ward High School in KCK. Having the opportunity to serve the youth at the grade school at St. Joe and the high school was a special joy for me and a good excuse to play games like old times!  

What are some of your favorite things about the faith?
I have a passion for Jesus, especially His Eucharistic Presence, Mary, our mother, and growing deeper in my relationship with many saints who have spiritually adopted me over the years. A few of my favorites are Saints John Paul II, Thérèse, Joseph, Padre Pio, John Vianney, and Francis, among many others!

What are some of your other favorite activities? 
I enjoy faith-filled conversation over dinner with friends, reading, running, swimming, and playing catch and shooting a basketball around.   
I’m thrilled to be a pastor for the first time here between the parishes of Sacred Heart, St. James, and St. Augustine! 
Pray for me that I can be a good and faithful priest to serve you well and become more conformed to Jesus myself.
 
In Jesus’ joy, 
Fr. Joel