Fr. Todd 7/27/25

Dear Sacred Heart and St. Mary on the Lake,

            This weekend we welcome Fr. Brian Barron speaking on behalf of Maryknoll and their various missions throughout the world.  Maryknoll is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life of missionary priests and brothers who, for over 100 years, have modeled themselves after the compassion and love of Jesus Christ in reaching out to those in the world who are most in need.  Maryknoll ministers to the hungry, sick, and marginalized in more than 20 countries across the globe.

            My family has a personal connection to Maryknoll.  My second cousin a generation back was a Maryknoll priest.

“Msgr. Albert Koenigsknecht, M.M., was a native of Most Holy Trinity Parish, Fowler.  In 1942, the young seminarian decided to join the Maryknoll Missionaries.  He was ordained at Maryknoll, New York, on June 10, 1945.  With the exception of three years in Mexico, Msgr. Koenigsknecht spent his entire priesthood serving the Church in Peru.

In 1973, Msgr. Koenigsknecht was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Juli Prelature with a population of about 350,000 people.  An Apostolic Administrator has the rank of a Bishop without the privilege to ordain.  Msgr. Koenigsknecht died in an automobile accident in February 1986 in Peru.”  https://dioceseoflansing.org/office-bishop/history-lansings-bishops

While looking up more information about him I ran across an old article from Sacred Heart Major Seminary that was written when my brother, Fr. Gary, and I were ordained in 2014.

“When Most Rev. Earl Boyea, Bishop of Lansing, lays hands upon them, Todd and Gary will become the fifth and sixth priests from the extended Koenigsknecht family.

This priestly hall of fame includes great uncle Fr. William Koenigsknecht (1912-2002); another great uncle, Fr. Julius Hengeshbach (1916-2002); Msgr. Albert Koenigsknecht, MM (1917-1986), second cousin and Maryknoll Missionary; and uncle Fr. Bill Koenigsknecht (b. 1941), a senior priest with the Lansing diocese.  All four men earned their undergraduate degrees at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.”  https://mosaic.shms.edu/a-family-tradition

Over all those many years spanned by my family there have been people faithfully praying for priestly vocations.  On behalf of myself and my five other relatives listed above – Thank you!  The Lord has been so generous in seeing fit to call Koenigsknechts to be priests.

St. Mary on the Lake Thursday morning Adoration: For those who don’t know, we have Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday from 8:15am-9:00am before the 9:15 morning Mass.  It has been great to see the growing number of people coming for that time of prayer.  We have been praying both the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Rosary together.  Both are excellent prayers but in order to make more time for silent prayer during Adoration we will make a couple of tweaks.  From 8:15-8:45 there will be time for silent prayer.  We will pray the Rosary together starting at 8:45.  While we won’t be praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet together it can certainly still be prayed quietly.

God Bless,

Fr. Todd