Norfolk parish welcomes Father M. David Dawson

By Colleen Gundlach

After serving the Norfolk community for the past five years, Father Ian Highet celebrated his final Mass at St. Martin of Tours Parish on Sunday, September 9. During his last homily at the Norfolk church, Fr. Highet thanked the parishioners for their love and support, and in the bulletin reminded them to “not cry because it’s over, but rather smile because it happened.”

During his tenure in Norfolk, Fr. Highet worked to encourage community-wide cooperation for the betterment of the townspeople through organizations such as NorfolkNET. He oversaw the consolidation of the Norfolk, North Canaan and Lakeville parishes into one cohesive group as part of the state-wide reorganization of the Catholic churches, and helped organize the very popular town-wide community picnic sponsored each summer by the Norfolk church.

Stepping up to carry on the work of shepherding the Norfolk Catholic community is Father M. David Dawson, who comes to the Northwest Corner from Collinsville’s St. Patrick’s Church. Having only been in the Norfolk church for two weeks, he is eager to meet his new flock. He says he has been blessed by the assistance of Deacon Steven Beecher, who has served in the Norfolk parish for many years. “I have already come to know him as a man of great faithfulness, kindness and personal generosity,” says Fr. Dawson.

The new parish leader has not always been a priest. His is a late vocation calling. For 14 years, he worked in the banking industry to “put a roof over my head.” He says that it is “God’s irony” that he became a priest. “I believe it is important to pray and ask God what He wants you to do from day to day. When I finally understood what God wanted me to do with my life, I tried to follow where He led.” He says it is the “hardest and best thing I have ever done. God’s will is not always our will.”

About the Catholic Church nationally, Fr. Dawson says that throughout the church’s history, the age of priests have been across the board, with a wealth of young men going into the priesthood, but he feels that the northeast part of the country has a higher average age of priests than the rest of the country. He hopes that more young people will step up into these leadership roles. He feels one of the most important challenges facing the country today is the need to strengthen the church and families. “We need to have faith first and foremost in Christ and not in politicians – no matter who the politicians are.”

Locally, he said he wants to take the time to get to know the parishioners in St. Martin of Tours. He stresses the importance of bringing the three churches of the parish closer together in unity. “It should be ‘us’ not ‘them’. We need to respect each other and work together.”

During the upcoming months, Fr. Dawson will be meeting the townspeople. “I want to get to know everyone individually,” he says. “ and to bring the parish closer to each other and closer to Christ in the fullness of the church and the faith.” As for himself, he says, “I just want to be a better person today than I was yesterday.”

Photo, top, by Savage Frieze: Father M. David Dawson celebrated his first Mass in Norfolk on September 15. He replaces Father Ian Highet who has moved on to other opportunities within the Catholic diocese.