That journey has been filled with both challenges and rewards, but he calls each day a gift. “Truth be told, priests experience the same joys and suffering, the same sense of belonging and loneliness that all of us do,” Fr. Scott said. “But throughout it all, we are sustained by knowing that God is with us in each and every moment of our lives.” He also said that being a priest means being embraced, loved, cared for, and supported by the larger community we call the Church.

Fr. Scott said that the most rewarding part of his ministry is connecting deeply with others and with God. “As a priest one is called to break open one’s life and share it with others. To celebrate the sacraments and to proclaim the Good News. What a privilege it has been to walk with friends and strangers and be with them in some of the most important moments and difficult moments of their lives. As a priest one hopes to discern with those you serve where God is found in these precious moments of life.”

Fr. Scott concluded by paraphrasing one of his favorite quotes from Dag Hammarskjöld, the Swedish diplomat and author of “Markings”: “For all that has been, thank you. For all that will be – for another 35 years, God willing – Yes.”