Our Pastoral Administrator

At the end of August 2012, friar Bob Showers joined the Franciscan friary community on Union St. in Brunswick. Fr. Bob was assigned by Bishop Hartmeyer as associate pastor (parochial vicar) of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Brunswick and associate pastor (pastoral administrator and parochial vicar) of Nativity of Our Lady Mission Church in Darien. While Fr. Chuck Henkle OFM Conv. remains the canonical pastor of Nativity Mission, Fr. Bob has been delegated by Fr. Chuck and Bishop Gregory to be acting pastor in their names.

Fr. Robert G. Showers OFM Conv. was born in Waupun. Wisconsin in 1959. He joined the Conventual Franciscan friars when he finished high school in 1977. After formation (education) in Minnesota, Missouri, Indiana, Washington D.C. and Switzerland, friar Bob made his solemn vows as a Franciscan in 1986 at the tomb of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. He was ordained a deacon in Plaffeien, Switzerland in 1988 and ordained a priest in Waupun, Wisconsin in 1990.
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For 18 years, Friar Bob was a missionary in Scandinavia together with Franciscans from all over the world. While there, he served as theological library director, youth minister, and pastor or administrator for about a dozen parishes (among other things). Fr. Bob says that he is very happy to be part of the local church in Southern Georgia and looks forward to meeting all the people. Compared to what he is used to in the Scandinavian mission, the Catholic Church in Georgia is very large and wealthy, so he truly hopes that the Catholics of McIntosh county are grateful for their many blessings.