Fr. Tom McDermott Pastor

For those of you I've not had the pleasure of meeting, I'm Fr. Tom McDermott. I was 30 years old when I left farming rural Dubuque County and my home parish of St. John--Placid. That little corner of heaven is among those now with no weekend Mass, so I know how that feels! I'm now in my 30th year of priesthood. If our paths have crossed, it may have been during my time as parochial vicar at St. Edward (1997-2000), Pastor of Blessed Sacrament (2011-2018), administrator of Queen of Peace with a newly ordained F.r Kevin Earleywine (2017), or these past 2 years as Pastor of St. Edward. I also served parishes in Maquoketa and Cedar Rapids and as Director of Spiritual Formation at St. Pius X Seminary at Loras College. Priesthood keeps bringing me back to Waterloo, and that's more than fine with me. I look forward to encountering the Lord with you on this hope-filled adventure we call Journey in Faith! Fr. Tom's email is: [email protected].

Fr. Kevin Earleywine Parochial Vicar

My name is Fr. Kevin Earleywine. I am originally from Wisconsin, but while studying as a student at Loras College, I discerned my call to be a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. I was among the first seminarians from Dubuque to be sent to Mundelein Seminary, north of Chicago, which is where we currently send all our seminarians for theology. I was ordained a priest on May 27 of 2017. For that summer, because I can speak Spanish, I was assigned temporarily to serve at Queen of Peace, while they awaited the arrival of Fr. Homero. Then in August of 2017, I was sent to serve the parishes of Hardin and Franklin Counties to serve as Associate Pastor for one year, then as Pastor for the subsequent eight years. I look forward to coming to Waterloo to serve the parishes of the Waterloo Pastorate.  Fr. Kevin's email is: [email protected].

Fr. Greg Lambert Parochial Vicar

As our pastorate continues to grow together, I would like to take a moment to introduce myself to those I have not yet had the opportunity to meet. My name is Fr. Greg Lambert, and I am grateful for the blessing of serving the Waterloo Pastorate as one of your Parochial Vicars, while also serving as Chaplain for Cedar Valley Catholic Schools. 

It is a joy to walk this journey of faith with you. Whether celebrating the sacraments, visiting parishioners, spending time with our students, or simply getting to know the wonderful people who make up our parish communities, I am thankful to be a part of what God is doing here. I look forward to growing in faith together as we continue building a welcoming, vibrant, and Christ-centered pastorate. Please know of my prayers for you and your families, and I ask that you keep me in yours as well. 
Fr. Greg's email is: [email protected]. 

Fr. Paul Htai Naw
Parochial Vicar

I am Fr. Paul Htai Naw from Myanmar (Burma) in Asia. I was ordained to the priesthood in 2006 for the Diocese of Loikaw. In December 2019, the Bishop of the Diocese of Loikaw asked me to come to the United States to serve and minister to the Burmese Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. I was appointed Associate Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Waterloo. After eight months of ministry, the pastor, Fr. Kenneth Stecher, passed away. I was subsequently appointed Pastor by Archbishop Michael Jackels. Serving the faithful of Sacred Heart Parish over the past six years has been a profound blessing. I have been deeply grateful for the prayerful, generous, and loving parishioners who have made my ministry both joyful and fulfilling. With gratitude for God's blessings and prayerful hope, Iook forward to serving the parishes of the Waterloo Pastorate.  Fr. Paul's email is: [email protected].