Dear Friends in Christ,
I write today to share that beginning July 1, 2026, I will begin serving as vice president for mission at the University of St. Thomas. Fr. Christopher Collins, SJ who is currently serving in this role has announced that he will begin a new assignment as pastor of a Jesuit parish and school in Belize City, Belize this summer. Fr. Chris’s departure from St. Thomas necessitated discernment regarding his replacement. After discussions between Archbishop Hebda, St. Thomas President Rob Vischer and others, I was selected to serve in this role at St. Thomas. My successor as pastor and rector of The Basilica of Saint Mary will be announced in a couple of weeks. Your new pastor will begin his service to The Basilica this summer.
My change of assignment is bittersweet, as serving as pastor and rector of The Basilica of Saint Mary has been a great honor and personally has been a source of God’s grace in my life. I know that the change of a pastor and change broadly can be challenging – a source of uncertainty and even anxiety for some.Change can also be a source of new life and renewal. I know that God sends pastors at a time when the parish needs their specific gifts – I believe the history of The Basilica attests to this reality. I am confident that Archbishop Hebda and his collaborators have chosen the right priest to succeed me. Please know that I will be working closely with the next pastor of The Basilica and with our staff and parish leaders on a detailed and orderly transition of pastoral leadership.
The restoration of The Basilica is a generational project – thus I am grateful that Archbishop Hebda, President Vischer, and the incoming pastor have agreed that I will remain on this project – both on fundraising and with project management – until its completion in spring of 2027. So many have already invested significant resources – financial, time, and energy, and it is critical that our excellent team remains united and intact until America’s first Basilica is comprehensively restored. I will also remain a member of the Basilica Landmark Board through June of 2027 and will be present for many of the centennial events in 2026. I look forward to being a part of this season of restoration, celebration, and renewal at The Basilica.
Regarding my upcoming work at St. Thomas, I have a long history with the university – obtaining three degrees from my Alma mater, and I remember vividly entering through the famed arches when I was a young man, not knowing the path that God would put before me. I have enjoyed serving as a faculty member of the St. Thomas Law School since 2011 and have been blessed to be involved in the important work of restorative justice – never more needed than now. My restorative justice work and its positive potential will have a broader impact at St. Thomas when I begin my new role this summer. I also look forward to the continued fruitful collaboration between St. Thomas and The Basilica – two communities which share similar missions, values, and ascendant trajectories.
The Basilica of Saint Mary is a remarkable parish – a vibrant and inclusive community of faith – one of the most impressive parishes in the United States. I look forward to seeing where God will lead The Basilica in the coming years as Jesus calls all disciples to be a light and a leaven in a world that is so in need of God’s goodness and truth. May God richly bless The Basilica now and into the future and may St. Mary, our patroness and friend, generously intercede on behalf of our fine parish. May God richly bless you and your families as we continue our journey of faith.
Gratefully to God and to You,
Fr. Daniel Griffith
Pastor and Rector