Dear Parishioners of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Grace and peace to you in Christ.
I write today to share with you important news regarding our beloved associate pastor, Father Jhon Mario Garcia. Bishop Mark Beckman has asked Father Jhon Mario to take on a new pastoral assignment at St. Mary
Church in Oak Ridge, effective July 1, 2025.
Since his arrival at our Cathedral Parish in May of 2020, in the midst of the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Father Jhon Mario has served our community with great dedication, compassion, and faith. His presence has been a true blessing to our parish family—offering pastoral care, celebrating the sacraments, and walking alongside us through both joys and trials.
Though it is always difficult to say farewell, we are deeply grateful for the time we have shared with him and for all the ways he has helped our parish grow in faith. As he begins this next chapter of his ministry, we send him forth with our heartfelt prayers and blessings, confident that he will bring the same spirit of service and joy to the people of St. Mary Church.
Please join me in praying for Father Jhon Mario as he prepares for this transition, and let us continue to support one another in faith as we move forward together.
In Christ,
Father David
Very Rev. David A. Boettner
Rector- Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
I began my ministry with you joyfully on May 1st, 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic. And today, I write to you with deep gratitude and emotion, as the time has come to say goodbye to this beloved parish
community that has been my home for the past five years.
It has been a true privilege to serve you as a priest in this beautiful Cathedral, sharing our life of faith in every Mass celebrated, every moment of prayer, and every daily encounter. God has allowed me to witness His love in the faces of the children at the school—who I greeted with joy, and some even had the treat of tasting Colombian coffee candies—and in your faces, my dear community, whom I have embraced and accompanied on your journey of faith.
You have given me the honor of walking with you through many meaningful moments in your lives: the baptism of your children, their First Communions, weddings, quinceañeras, Confirmations, anointings of the sick, and the farewells of those who have gone to the Father’s house… You allowed me to be by your side in tears and in smiles, in silence and in warm embraces.
I thank God for each one of you — for our Pastor, Father David, who placed his trust in me and supported my initiatives; for Father Martin, from whom I have learned so much; and for Father Daniel, who brings us energy and enthusiasm with his youth. I also thank the deacons who have served so generously in the liturgy of the Masses I have celebrated, the entire staff, the teachers, the leaders and catechists, volunteers, and each one of you with whom I’ve had the chance to connect personally. It has truly been a blessing to serve you.
Thank you for your trust, your love, your patience—especially with the language—for forgiving my shortcomings and my sin, and for allowing me to be part of your lives. You have taught me to be a better priest, helped me reaffirm my vocation to diocesan life, and confirmed to me that it is truly worth giving our all for the proclamation of the Gospel.
I simply ask you to pray for me, just as I will continue praying for you. And if at any moment I failed to live up to my vocation—if my words or actions ever caused any pain—I humbly ask for your forgiveness. Each day, I did my best to do everything with love.
Today, I leave with a full heart—full of faces, names, and experiences that have marked me forever. And even though the Lord now calls me to serve elsewhere, we remain united in prayer, in the Eucharist, and in the love of God that knows no boundaries. I trust that this community will continue to grow and walk forward as a living Church, guided by the Holy Spirit.
May the Lord bless you and keep you always.