Welcome

Hello CTK! It is a joy and honor to be your new Pastor. People usually ask what I prefer to be called and either way is fine by me. Growing up with 2 first names, I am used to being called both. Most folks call me Fr. Mark and that is perfectly fine with me. Below is a brief biography and background information. I originally grew up in Mount Sterling, IL, where I attended St. Mary's grade school and Brown County High School. I am one of four children of my parents, Jim and Jil Tracy. We attended Mass and religious formation as a family at Holy Family Parish in Mount Sterling. After high school, I attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Management (Bishop Paprocki usually gives me a hard time for that degree and connecting it to priesthood). After college, I worked for a bit in Indianapolis and after a few months I knew the Lord Jesus was inviting me to give seminary a chance and explore the possibility of Priesthood. I attended St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Southern Indiana for six years and my first assignment as a priest was as parochial vicar at St. Anthony in Effingham and St. Mary of the Annunciation in Shumway. I also taught theology and was an assistant coach for basketball and baseball part-time during my time at St. Anthony. For the past 4 years, I have served as Pastor at Holy Family Parish in Decatur and greatly enjoyed my time there. I was also the Chaplain at St. Teresa High School for the past 3 years. In total, I have been a priest of Christ Jesus now for 7 years and it has been an immense joy to serve Christ and his people as a priest. In my spare time, I love golfing, hiking, playing sports, traveling, watching Cardinals baseball, reading, and hanging out with friends and family. I look forward to meeting you all! Please have patience with me as I learn names. More information will come out soon for a welcome reception. We plan to have a welcome reception after my Pastor Installation Mass some time in July or August with Bishop Paprocki. We will also be welcoming a seminarian, Dennis Trickey, for a Pastoral Year beginning in July through June 2026. In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy 

Today, we celebrate two great pillars of the Church: Ss. Peter and Paul. Though very different in personality and mission, both gave everything to Christ and bore witness to the Gospel with their lives. St. Peter, the fisherman, was chosen by Jesus to be the rock upon which the Church is built. Despite his denial, Peter’s deep love for the Lord led him to repentance, renewal, and, finally, martyrdom in Rome. St. Paul, the persecutor turned apostle, reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace. His tireless missionary journeys and bold preaching carried the Gospel to the Gentiles and laid the foundation of Christianity across the Roman world. Their lives show us that holiness is not about perfection, but about surrender. It's about letting Christ transform our weakness into strength, our fear into faith, our failure into mission. May we, like Peter and Paul, have the courage to follow Jesus boldly, to proclaim Him with our lives, and to remain faithful to the end. Ss. Peter and Paul, pray for us! A Fond Farewell The book “The Little Prince” is a children’s book that is actually a book for adults and it’s one that I consider a classic. There is a line in the book that says “it’s a mysterious place, the land of the tears.” The things that I thought would stir my emotions didn’t do so as much and then some other things surprisingly moved me a great deal. I cannot adequately express my gratitude for the sentiments, notes, and generosity that I have received as I take my leave from CTK. It is very hard to leave you but I go with a full heart. Several of you have asked for my contact information at Saint Meinrad so here it is: Fr. Christopher House 200 Hill Drive St. Meinrad, IN 47577 812-357-6611 I will be praying for all of you each day; please remember me and the seminary community in your prayers. One day, perhaps when you least expect it, I just may pop in to my old stomping grounds. Until then, may the Lord bless you and keep you! Wishing you and yours every good gift of heaven now and always, Father Chris House