Dear Parishioners, I am Father Amer Awad, 40 years old, and I am from the Holy Land. My hometown is Taybeh, which is known in the Bible as Ephraim, mentioned in John 11:54 as the place where Jesus went before His Passion. I grew up in my town and attended the Catholic school there. I come from a large family—seven children in total, five boys and two girls. At the age of 19, I had the opportunity to go to France, where I entered the seminary in Lorraine. I was ordained as a deacon in 2010 and a priest on June 12, 2011, for the Diocese of Verdun. I served as a vicar in a parish for three years, and during that time, my bishop appointed me as the attending priest for the youth ministry and also as the Pontifical Master of Ceremonies. In 2014, my bishop entrusted me with the responsibility of serving as Pastor for 25 villages in the countryside. At the same time, he asked me to pursue liturgical studies at The Catholic University of Paris. In 2017, I was appointed as an Episcopal Vicar with a special mission to focus on the proposition of faith, youth ministry, and liturgical ministry. I also participated in the episcopal council every Friday. Since my family moved to the United States in 2013, I have been interested in coming here as well. I knocked on the door of the Diocese of Sacramento, and I am grateful that it was opened for me. I would like to express my deep gratitude to Bishop Soto, who appointed me in March 2023 as the Parochial Vicar for St. John the Baptist Parish in Chico and St. James Mission in Durham. Last month, Bishop Soto asked me to serve as the Parochial Administrator for our parish, Saint Francis of Assisi, a position I humbly accept, and I thank him for the great trust he has placed in me. I am eager to meet each one of you, to listen to you, to love Christ together, and to serve Him through the love and care we show to one another. In many of his writings and prayers, Saint Francis referred to the Church as the "Bride of Christ." Let us love this Bride by embracing the Catholic faith, and let us serve this Bride by following her teachings on love, forgiveness, and humility. God bless you all! In Christ, Father Amer+