Missionary priest returns to visit St. Rose of Lima Parish

Friday, Oct. 31, 2014

By Kevin Cummings

LAYTON — During a three-day mission at Saint Rose of Lima Parish in October, Father Bruce Nieli explored the topic of “Responding to the Holy Spirit with Pope Francis.”

Fr. Nieli is a missionary priest of the Paulist Fathers; as a seminarian, he spent the summer of 1968 working at Saint Rose of Lima. Since being ordained in 1973, he has traveled the world sharing the message of Christ through folk singing and enthusiastic, evangelical-style preaching.

At St. Rose of Lima, he spoke to the parishioners about the importance of responding to the Holy Spirit. He delivered the message in both English and Spanish, holding sessions for each parish community; he also offered daily confessions.

Fr. Nieli challenged participants to find ways to respond to the Holy Spirit in their souls. 

“In the trinity, God is like the conductor, Jesus is the singer, and the Holy Spirit is the music in your soul,” he said, and invited the congregation to sing along with familiar songs such as “Jesus Loves Me” and “This Little Light of Mine.”

Parishioner Marilyn Acosta appreciated Fr. Nieli’s approach. “With simple words, music and a good sense of humor, Father Bruce brought us a beautiful message; with a call to conversion and discipleship,” she said. “It invigorated me to continue serving my community with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

Fr. Nieli’s presentations also explored ways that Catholic Christians are called to respond to the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the world. He discussed the leadership of Pope Francis, focusing particularly on the Evangelli Gaudium and how that encourages Catholics to be joyful witnesses of the Gospel. 

Parishioners Mike and Sue Bedard appreciated Fr. Nieli’s energy and enthusiasm, they said. Mike Bedard described the priest as a “ball of fire,” and Sue Bedard added, “He took us on a journey and made it relatable by talking about people like Michael [from The Blind Side] and [comedian] Danny Thomas.”

In his presentations, Fr. Nieli compared Pope Francis to Servant of God Isaac Hecker, the founder of the Paulist Fathers. Like Pope Francis, Fr. Hecker emphasized the importance of sharing the Light of Christ with a secular world. An investigation has been opened regarding a possible miracle that was attributed to Fr. Hecker’s intercession. If the investigation, which is taking place in Knoxville, Tenn., confirms the miracle, Fr. Hecker will be one step closer to being the first American-born male saint.

The visit to St. Rose was an opportunity for Fr. Nieli to renew friendships with parishioners who remembered him from his previous visit. It was also a chance to tell current parishioners about the important work done among the migrant population in Layton in 1968.

As the parish pastor, Father Clarence Sandoval, noted, “Fr. Bruce came home to Saint Rose, where he began his work with the migrants so many years ago, and now he returned to tell stories and share memories to bring the parish a little closer to God. With his many years of experiences, he shared his stories of the saints of the past and the present and wove them into a tapestry of the love of God in the Holy Spirit. He lit the fire of the Holy Spirit! I appreciate his time and simply being present to our family of Saint Rose of Lima. ”

During that long-ago summer, Fr. Nieli worked in a migrant camp that housed some 25 families who worked in Layton’s fields. His program addressed religious education, health education and personal relations. He taught children’s Bible classes, youth classes and adult classes along with showing films from the Davis Health Department and arranging field trips and activities for the families.

“It was a pleasure to see how the parish has grown,” Fr. Nieli said, joking, “I hope I don’t have to wait another 46 years to come back again.”