Archangels Cluster blessed with gift of two new priests

The Archangels Cluster is a group of Catholic churches in the area which include St. Patrick Catholic Church, Lake Mills; St. James Catholic Church, Forest City; St. Patrick Catholic Church, Britt; St. Patrick Catholic Church, Buffalo Center; St. Boniface Catholic Church, Garner; and St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Duncan.
As of July 14, the Archangel Cluster welcomed two new priests—Fr. Andrew Marr and Fr. Joseph Sevcik. Both were assigned to the cluster by Archbishop Michael Owen Jackals of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

Fr. Andrew Marr
Fr. Marr said he grew up on a dead-end gravel road east of the town of Floyd and attended school in Charles City, graduating in 2006. He was an active member of Immaculate Conception Parish.
After high school, he studied at Riverland Community College, Austin, Minn.; Iowa State University, Ames; and the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, S.D.; before attending Loras College, Dubuque, receiving a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy, and Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, Ill. for Theological Studies, receiving his Master of Divinity degree.
“I began to think about priesthood after a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) asked me where I saw myself in five years and then asked if that was what God wanted for me,” said Fr. Marr.
Marr was ordained a deacon in 2016 and ordained a priest on May 27, 2017.
“The way the Catholic Church ministers to Catholics, is that the Bishop or Archbishop assigns priests to the parishes within his diocese. We are assigned for an unknown amount of time, but typically it is for a six to 12-year period. My hope is to be here as long as the Archbishop decides.” He added that the second Tuesday of July is the typical ‘move’ day within the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
“I am looking forward to getting to know the people in North Iowa. I am excited to begin parish ministry as a pastor and eager to help grow the faith lives of all, and to realize how my faith grows through these years.
I love snow, so the possibility for a lot of snow does not dissuade me from living in northern Iowa.”
This new priest said he loves to play board games that are heavier in strategy and less about luck, playing cards, and watching NHL and NASCAR. He also said he loves smoking different kinds of meats and continuing to learn more about best practices when it comes to smoking.

Fr. Joseph Sevcik
Fr. Sevcik grew up in Cedar Falls, attending Cedar Falls High School, graduating in 2010. His home parish was St. Patrick Catholic Church.
Following graduation, he attended Iowa State University, Ames, receiving a B.S. in Kinesiology and Health; Loras College, Dubuque, graduating with a B.A. degree in Philosophy; and Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, Ill. with a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained May 23, 2020.
“I received a good grounding in my faith from my family, my parents’ witness of their faith and marriage, and the St. Patrick Community in Cedar Falls. When I went to Iowa State, we had a really active Catholic Student Center at St. Thomas Aquinas. I also had been blessed by the example of many good priests throughout my life,”  said Fr. Sevcik.
“As I was growing in my faith and prayer life, I experienced a call to priesthood. It certainly was mysterious, but it was also clear, distinct, and an experience I have never been able to doubt in the following years. It took awhile for me to subjectively accept the call to priesthood because it was a major change in my plans for life, but God has always generously provided throughout discerning and accepting the call. I am very grateful to be a priest.”
He jokingly shared that Archbishop Jackals assigned him to be the Associate Pastor at the Archangels Cluster, which means that “I get to have all the fun and let Fr. Andrew Marr take ultimate responsibility for any decisions.”
On the serious side, Fr. Sevcik said, “I’m looking forward to getting to know the people of the parishes and towns, and growing in relationship with them. I am happy to be settled in an area and jump into the community. Being a priest is a lot of fun, and I am very excited with the energy and enthusiasm that the parishes have exhibited so far. It will be exciting to see what the Lord wants to accomplish in our midst.”
In his spare time, he enjoys roasting coffee, participating in outdoor activities, and is looking forward to cooking more often. He also finds other languages, interesting.