I am very excited to have Fr. Wayne Belschner, Pastor at St. Mary of the Assumption in Dedham, MA join us for this episode. Fr. Wayne is an incredible man - he has built a thriving parish, with youth, and young and old families alike, because of his authentic approach. Born and raised in Revere, MA, and one of eleven children (nine brothers and one sister) let's just say Fr. Wayne knows a thing or two about people, the faith journey, and a man's need for God. There are so many things I appreciate about Fr. Wayne, but not least of which is his own desire and longing for God. Often times, people can look at priests and think they're invisible, but they are people just like the rest of us, who need to rely on God for their strength and healing all the same. I hope through this conversation, it helps you understand a priest's need for God, and are able to learn a thing or two from the wisdom Fr. Wayne shares with us. Thank you for listening to another episode of A Man's Need for God podcast.
(Taken from St. Mary's directly, you can read Fr. Wayne's complete bio here:
Fr. Wayne was born in Revere to the late Robert and Celeste Belschner. Fr. Wayne has nine brothers and one sister along with twenty-four nephews and nieces as well as three grandnephews and one grandniece. After attending Revere Public Schools, he completed his undergraduate work at St. John’s Seminary College. He did graduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1991-1993) and finished his formation at St. John’s Seminary (1993-1995). Fr. Wayne received a Licentiate in Sacred Theology with a concentrate in history from Boston College in 2011 and his Doctorate from Boston College in 2017 in Medieval history. While in the seminary, Fr. Wayne served in parishes in Roxbury and Winchester and was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 1995. He served as a parochial vicar at St. Charles Borromeo, Woburn (1995-2003); and, as a pastor at Sacred Heart, East Boston (2003-2016). As a priest, he says that his greatest joys are rooted in the Holy Mass: “My greatest joys as a priest all stem from the celebration of the Mass. Whether it be marriages, baptisms, even funerals, to be gathered together as a family at the altar of God to share in His great gift of His Son is pure joy.”)
https://stmarysdedham.com/about-us/clergy