Welcome to the St. Mary Parish Website A Note From Father Eric Weber
I am happy that you found us. My name is Father Eric Weber. I grew up as the oldest of three children in Fowler which for those not from the area is the town just to the northeast of us - and our great rival in high school sports. I graduated from Fowler High School in 1993. It was during those years that I discovered my call to the priesthood. I came to believe strongly in Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist. As I was experiencing so many blessings from the frequent reception of Holy Communion and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, I wanted to help make available those same graces to others.
From 1993-97, I studied in St. Paul, Minnesota at St. John Vianney Seminary and the University of St. Thomas where I earned a B.A. in both Philosophy and Catholic Studies. From 1997-2001, I lived at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and earned an S.T.B at the Pontifical Gregorian University. I was ordained a deacon on October 5, 2000 (St. Faustina’s first feast-day as a canonized saint) and a priest on June 9, 2001. The next three years were spent as the associate pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor. From 2004-06, I was the pastor at St. Catherine Laboure Parish in the small town of Concord, which is just southwest of Jackson. The following year, I completed an S.T.L. with a concentration in Church History at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. From 2007-2014, I lived and worked at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit where my main tasks were as a teacher and a spiritual director.
My assignment here at St. Mary’s began in late June of 2014. After 21 years of being away from the area, it is a real joy to be back. So many members of the parish family are very devout, knowledgeable of their faith, hard-working and unusually willing to help out their neighbor. Of course, we all need to invite Christ more deeply into our lives and to allow the Holy Spirit more freedom there, as God always has more in store for us, but we trust firmly in God to bring about this growth in us. We are so blessed to have as our patroness the very Mother of God who is also our Mother and Sister. She is truly one whom we can call upon in any situation and at any time with full assurance. I wish you every grace and blessing from our good Jesus.