In this first column as the rector of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary and pastor of St. Mary Star of the Sea I’d like to introduce myself.  My name is Fr. Seth Gogolin.  I was born and raised in Brainerd, MN where my parents – Jim and Patti – still live.  I have three siblings who all live in Minnesota.  My brother Mike with his wife Stephanie and their four children Levi, Olivia, Logan, and Lydia live in Duluth.  My sister Rachel with her husband Mike and their two children Christopher and Jacob live in St. Joseph.  My other sister Bridget with her husband Erik and their two children Aiden and Liam live in Hopkins.  

I went to seminary at St. John Vianney college seminary at the University of St. Thomas and St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Duluth on June 22, 2012.  My first assignment as an associate pastor was in the parishes of Ely, Babbitt, and Tower where I served with Fr. Bill Skarich for two years.  In 2014 when there were several retirements in our diocese I became a pastor for the first time being assigned to the parishes in Nashwauk and Coleraine.  Four years later, Bishop Sirba asked me to take on a new assignment as pastor of the parishes in Grand Rapids and Cohasset when Fr. Jerry Weiss retired.  In 2020 I was moved here to Duluth to be pastor of St. John’s and St. Joseph in Gnesen.  Just one year later the clustering in the East Side of Duluth changed to move from having 4 pastors to 3 pastors, and so the cluster changed to have St. Benedict’s clustered with St. John’s.  It is from this assignment that I am moving to now be with all of you. I do also serve the diocese as the Vicar General, so I spend most of the day on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the diocesan offices.  

With each of my new assignments comes a mix of emotions.  Certainly I was sad to move from St. Benedict’s and St. John’s, but I am also happy and excited to now be with all of you at the Cathedral and St. Mary Star of the Sea.  Working with Fr. Jacob Toma who is assigned as the associate pastor, as well as all of the staff of our parishes, I am looking forward to serving you as your rector and pastor.  Fr. Matt Miller, who served you as associate pastor three years ago during his first year of priesthood, is back in Duluth serving as pastor of St. Benedict’s and St. John’s.  Fr. Matt with will be living with Fr. Jacob and me at the Cathedral rectory.  There will also be two priests from India who will be living with us at the Cathedral beginning on July 11^th for a period of about three months as they begin integrating into our diocese before they are sent elsewhere to serve needs in different parishes in our diocese.  It will be a full rectory, and I think it will be good for priestly fraternity and support. 

I am looking forward to getting to know you in the days and weeks ahead.  Please pray for me and for Fr. Jacob as we begin our ministry with and for you. Know of my prayers for you! 

God Bless, 

Fr. Seth 

Please note that Mass on July 4 will be at 9 AM at the Cathedral and there will not be a 7 AM Mass, 12:10 PM Mass or  Adoration.  Our parish offices will be closed both July 3 and July 4. 

The Rosary Society will be meeting Wednesday night, July 12th, at 6:30 pm to discuss suggestions for social events at St. Mary Star of the Sea.  All are welcome to attend as we discuss a possible ice cream social and a spaghetti dinner to help raise money toward the stained glass windows.

The St. John’s Campus of SMA is looking to hire a part-time school cook for the upcoming school year. Direct kitchen functions may include but are not limited to food purchasing, receiving, preparation, and maintenance of quality standards, safety, sanitation, and cleanliness. For more information and to apply please visit www.stellamaris.academy/employment.