Fathers Finkbeiner, Barba, Musgrave and Whalen share the joys, surprises and graces they've found in their first months as priests
DETROIT — When Fathers Lizandro Barba, Karl Finkbeiner, James Musgrave and Daniel Whalen knelt before Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger on May 23, they knew years of formation and discernment had led them to that moment.
Now, a few months into their priesthood, the four newest priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit are discovering what it means to live that vocation day by day.
Their first months have included early-morning Masses, confessions, funerals, parish gatherings, homilies, meetings and plenty of ordinary moments. But despite their busy new lives, each priest says the greatest graces have come through the sacraments and the people they are now called to serve.
For Fr. Karl Finkbeiner, who is serving at Holy Name Parish in Birmingham, one of the greatest privileges has been hearing confessions.
“That’s what makes me feel most like a priest,” Fr. Finkbeiner said. “Because I know that, at any time of day, someone could ask to have their sins forgiven. I have the ability to do that now, on behalf of the Lord, which is just incredible.”
Fr. James Musgrave, assigned to St. Hugo of the Hills Parish in Bloomfield Hills, has found the same ministry particularly powerful. He said there is something tangible about watching someone leave the confessional after receiving God’s mercy.
“You get to witness people walking out, fresh from the burden and shame and just breathe a sigh of relief,” Fr. Musgrave said. “It has been very powerful and very humbling.”
For Fr. Daniel Whalen, the sacramental ministry has also been one of the most striking parts of priesthood. He described celebrating Mass, hearing confessions and anointing the sick as moments when he can serve as a kind of “first responder,” bringing Christ to people at important moments in their lives.
As a 26-year-old priest, Fr. Whalen said he is particularly humbled when older parishioners come to him for confession.
For Fr. Lizandro Barba, the joy has been found not only in celebrating the sacraments but in witnessing how people receive them.
“It’s been a huge blessing,” Fr. Barba said. “Not only encountering God through the sacraments, but even just as a minister, seeing how they receive God’s mercy in the confessional, seeing how they receive the Eucharist at Mass.”
The awe of the Eucharist
If there’s one experience the four priests continue to describe with a sense of wonder, it’s celebrating the Eucharist.
Fr. Finkbeiner said the favorite moment of his day is often the consecration, when he holds up the Body and Blood of Christ, changed from bread and wine.
“That’s just something that causes me to pause every time,” he said. “It sets the tone for the rest of the day.”
Celebrating his first Mass was similarly profound. At his first Mass as the principal celebrant on the evening of his ordination, Fr. Finkbeiner said the experience was both “surreal” and exactly what he felt he was created for. But it was distributing Communion that moved him most deeply.
“I’ve done that multitudes of times, but now holding the hosts in my hand, knowing that Jesus is there and he was giving himself to his people because of what I had just done at the altar — that really just moved me to a sense of wonder and awe,” he said.
Fr. Barba said he still feels that awe every time he celebrates the consecration.
“Even though I’ve been celebrating Mass for a couple months, every time during the consecration, I still kind of shake,” he said.
For Fr. Whalen, his first Mass at 11:30 a.m. on Pentecost Sunday at Our Lady of Refuge Parish in Orchard Lake was unforgettable. The memory of that first Mass is something he often returns to for grace and inspiration.
Fr. Musgrave described his first Mass as “kind of surreal,” as he concentrated on saying the right words and making the proper gestures. But afterward, celebrating Mass during a pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Paul gave him a chance to slow down and appreciate the gift he had received.
Learning the parish and the people
The transition from seminary to parish life has brought its own surprises.
Fr. Musgrave said he was surprised to discover how often parishioners would ask him, “Father, how do you want it done?” Coming from the structured environment of seminary formation, suddenly being the one expected to make decisions was a significant change.
His response?
“I’m still kind of learning,” he said with a laugh. “It’s been such a mindset shift, you know? I love it, but I just say, 'Let's just keep doing things the way they’ve been done for now until I figure things out.'”
At St. Hugo, Fr. Musgrave has also made it a priority to spend time getting to know parishioners personally. During his first few months, he set aside half-hour appointments so people could sit down with him and share their stories.
“As someone who’s called to be their spiritual father, it’s hard for me to do that if I don’t know them,” Fr. Musgrave said.
The same desire to know and serve people is evident at the other parishes.
Fr. Finkbeiner said Holy Name Parish has been incredibly warm and gracious and seems excited to have a new young priest. Msgr. John Zenz, who has been with the parish for two decades, has been very enthusiastic in welcoming Fr. Finkbeiner into the community. Fr. Barba said both the Basilica of Ste. Anne de Detroit and Most Holy Trinity Parish in Detroit have embraced him, particularly the Hispanic community, where his ability to speak Spanish and connect with parishioners through their shared cultural background has been a blessing.
Fr. Whalen said the people of Divine Child Parish in Dearborn have been “very welcoming and encouraging,” while Fathers Bob McCabe and Ryan Asher have helped him learn the practical aspects of parish ministry.
Saints, ordinary days and what comes next
The inspirations of the four newly ordained priests are as varied as their personalities.
Fr. Finkbeiner has developed a particular devotion to St. Philip Neri, whose joy, humility and love for priestly fraternity have inspired him. Fr. Barba looks to Mexican martyrs St. Toribio Romo and St. José Sánchez del Río, whom he visited in Mexico earlier this summer.
Fr. Musgrave keeps artwork of four favorite saints — St. Paul, St. Joan of Arc, St. Mary Magdalene and St. Catherine Labouré — in his office. And Fr. Whalen counts St. John Bosco, St. Aloysius, St. Francis de Sales, St. Vincent de Paul, St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II among his inspirations.
Their lives outside the parish are equally human: Fr. Finkbeiner runs and occasionally golfs with his father and brother. Fr. Barba enjoys music, reading and visiting people. Fr. Musgrave swims, lifts weights, cooks and reads. Fr. Whalen enjoys movies, gardening and hopes to get back to bike riding.
And then there is the question of what a new priest does immediately after an interview.
Fr. Finkbeiner was headed to a leadership meeting and preparing for a young adult event. Fr. Barba was preparing for a funeral vigil for a longtime parishioner. Fr. Musgrave was meeting with a former seminary professor before preparing an OCIA lesson and his Sunday homily. Fr. Whalen was headed to spiritual direction before celebrating his father’s birthday.
Different schedules. Different parishes. Different personalities. But one shared vocation.
A few months after their ordination, the four men are no longer preparing to become priests. They’re living it — one Mass, one confession and one ordinary day at a time.
