Following the tragic death of Fr. Arul Carasala, a long-time, beloved pastor in Nemaha County, God called me here in April of 2025 to serve the people of Sts. Peter and Paul in Seneca, KS, right where my dad grew up. 

Though the circumstances for my arrival were surrounded with pain and hurt, I have been blown away by the faith of this community and how so many families and our youth are leaning into the Lord for healing, stability, and a renewed sense of meaning and purpose amidst the obvious darkness of this world.

The Holy Spirit is on the move in our desperately hurting culture, and I can perceive His fire and healing being poured out in a special way here in rural northeast Kansas.

At Sts. Peter and Paul, we strive to place Jesus in the Eucharist at the center of all we do. We as Christians are not meant to be merely good people; we are called to be transformed by the fire of Jesus’ love for us in prayer, sacrament, and community. 

We aren’t perfect, and we often make mistakes individually and as a community. Pope Francis called the Church a “field hospital”, and my hope is that rather than hiding our wounds, we continue to bring them into the light and to the Divine Physician to find healing. Hurt people hurt people, but healed people heal people.

We live in a culture of unprecedented anxiety, depression, and loneliness, and Jesus wants to draw us out of this isolation and pain into communion and healing. 

When you have the chance to come and visit for a while, and I think you will find Jesus’ words to be true for you here in this beautiful parish community: “Come to me all you who are weary and heavily laden, and I will give you rest.”

Rejoice in hope,

Fr. Joel Haug

Pastor, Sts. Peter and Paul

Seneca, KS