By BEN KLEINE

Staff writer

For the first time in seven years Holy Family Parish in Marion County will have a new priest.

With the regular rotation of the Wichita diocese, Father Hien Nguyen will become the priest for St. Joseph Church in McPherson and St. Bridget of Sweden in Lindsborg.

“It would be the best fit for me to move on to a new challenge that will make a better priest by serving God not only through the people I know and love but also those who I have not met,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen said some features of his new assignment that he was looking forward to were dealing with the challenge of St. Joseph’s building debt and catering to the 140 children in their schools.

What he will miss are the people he grew to love in his congregation.

“I will miss most of all the faithful who so loved God that they came to church to worship with me,” Nguyen said. “I will miss looking into their eyes when I preach the Word of God to them. I will miss enjoying a cup of coffee and a conversation with them after Mass.”

Father Darrin May will be the new priest for Marion County.

He is coming from Mary Queen of Angels Church in Fort Scott. He is originally from El Dorado. May’s first day is Tuesday.