Jayna Smith
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St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish welcomed Fr. Brad Morin as pastor on July 30, 2021.  Fr. Morin comes to St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish from Good Shepherd Parish, which includes Most Holy Trinity Church in Saco, St. Joseph Church in Biddeford, St. Margaret Church in Old Orchard Beach, St. Philip Church in Lyman, and St. Brendan Church in Biddeford.  There he served as parochial vicar.
 “I never really spent time in Washington County, but it’s like where I grew up [in Northern Maine].  It’s a place where you have to get there on purpose, which I love, so when I drove in, it’s like, ok, this feels familiar,” he explained of his new assignment.  
 “For me, as being a new pastor, this is my first assignment where I’m the pastor, it’s not home and I don’t know people, but there’s a similar feel and vibe, so it will be good and will be good learning for me and I’m happy to be back in an area where traffic is normal, the weather is a little bit more my speed, and stores close at the time I’m used to,” joked Fr. Morin.
Born in Upper Frenchville, Fr. Morin graduated from Madawaska High School in 2002 before attending Saint Joseph’s College in Standish, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 2006.  He completed a master’s degree in theology from St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, the nation’s first and oldest seminary.  
 Fr. Morin was ordained to the priesthood in 2014, at St. David Church in Madawaska.  His first pastoral assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Bangor, where he served before receiving his current assignment as parochial vicar at Good Shepherd Parish in December of 2017.
 Growing up in Northern Maine gave Fr. Morin many of the life experiences shared among residents in downeast Maine.  Even though communities were far apart from one another, he shared, all worked together and shared resources.  He is looking forward to that experience again while at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish.  
 “I’m just excited to try to help to see how we can be more neighbor to each other and see what’s already happening, to see what’s already here, but that’s where my heart is, it’s just to see how we can just share and remember that we are on this journey of faith together and we’re not in competition with each other and how we can help each other, do that to help each other get to heaven,” he said.
 “I’m an easy going person, I like talking with people, so when people see me in a store, don’t be afraid to say hi,” Fr. Morin mentioned.
 St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish includes Immaculate Conception Church in Calais, St. Anne Church in Perry, St. Anne Church in Indian Township, St. James the Greater Church in Baileyville, St. John the Evangelist Church in Pembroke, and St. Joseph Church in Eastport.  One can learn more at sktparish.org.