Latest Message from the Administrator’s Desk: Fr. Ton Nguyen – August 23, 2026

HOW MANY STOP SIGNS ARE THERE FROM YOUR HOUSE TO CHURCH?

Fr. Eruva warned me when I arrived: “There are a lot of stop signs and one-way streets in Elmwood Park.” Yes, thanks GPS! Well, one day I went jogging around the neighborhood without my phone. On my way back, I somehow found myself running around the same block, trying to figure out how to get back to the parish. Eventually, I gave up on my “shortcut” and started running back in the direction I had come from.

How many stop signs had I passed? I have no idea. Maybe I should have counted them so I would know when to turn! That little adventure made me think: What direction are we heading in life? God created us for one ultimate purpose: to seek Him, to love Him, and one day to be with Him forever. Along the journey, God gives us many “stop signs” – moments of success and failure, joy and sorrow. They invite us to pause and ask: Where am I going? Am I still heading in the right direction? Is my life leading me closer to Christ?

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives His disciples one of those stop–sign moments. He asks, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They give Him plenty of answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Peter knew his destination. He left everything to follow Jesus. He loved Him enough to eventually give his life for Him. Was Peter’s journey perfect? Absolutely not! He even denied Him. But Peter did not allow his failures to become his final destination. With God’s grace, he got up and continued the journey.

Perhaps that is a good question for each of us this week: How is my journey going? When life gives us a stop sign – a success, a disappointment, a joyful surprise, or a storm – perhaps we can pause long enough to ask where the Lord is leading us. The stop sign is not the destination. Keep your eyes on Christ.

Speaking of signs, some of you have asked what JMJ at the end of my articles means. It stands for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph – the Holy Family.

And speaking of names, I want to learn yours! Please consider sharing a family photo with me, with everyone’s names written below the picture or on the back. I am not always great at remembering names, so I need your help! My hope is not simply to memorize names but to bring your names and faces with me into my morning Holy Hour and pray for you by name. And if you’re thinking, “I’ll bring the photo next week…” Well, how about today? You can drop it off at the parish office or place it in the box near the baptismal font during Sunday Mass.

After all, we’re traveling toward the same destination. It would be good to know the names of the people we’re journeying with! I love being a priest.

JMJ,
Fr. Ton Nguyen
Administrator of St. Mother Theodore Guerin Parish