Mass of Christian Burial for Father Dan Juelfs

Bishop-elect Scott Bullock
Homily from the Funeral Mass for Father Dan Juelfs
September 19, 2024

Good morning. I’m Bishop-elect Bullock, Scott Bullock,  for a few more days anyway. It’s good to be with you. This is a great honor for me. Certainly it’s something I never anticipated but nonetheless it’s a great honor, especially after getting to know Father Dan a bit, to do what I can to pay tribute to him and to the Lord that he served. Thanks to Archbishop Hebda who traveled to be with us today. We are grateful that you’re with us as well. 

As the newly appointed Bishop of Rapid City it’s my honor to offer this homily on the occasion of this funeral of Father Dan Juelfs. While many have reported to me their sadness of course at his death, the death of this good and faithful priest, particularly I want to acknowledge those who have very unique sorrow at this time, remembering and offering sympathy to the family and friends of Father Dan — his sister Marcia, his brothers Gregory and Vincent, his brother priests of the Diocese of Rapid City with whom he shared 51 years of priestly ministry, other family members, parishioners, friends. I want you to know my prayerful support for you at this time of loss. I’ve certainly been praying for you all since we heard the news of Father Dan’s death a couple weeks ago and I will continue to do so in these days to come. 

While my relationship with Father Dan has been a short one, from all that I have heard, I think it was a very typical one shared by many others. My first conversation with him was when he was on a cruise ship in an Alaskan inlet somewhere trying to avoid telephone calls. So much so that he put the apostolic nuncio off for a couple of days until finally he sailed into a cell phone signal and got all kinds of calls. 

From that first conversation that I had with him shortly after that he represented you, the members of the Diocese of Rapid City, admirably — with good cheer, with hospitality, with enthusiasm. From that first moment I felt welcomed and appreciated. For that I am grateful. 

In the year 2023, in connection with his Golden Jubilee celebration of 50 years as a priest, in an interview published in the West River Catholic Father Dan could have said a lot of things but he chose things that I think were very specific to what he wanted to say at that time. We see an occasion like that as a time of reflection, isn’t it? We think back to what do I really want to say that’s important? And so, he first mentioned how he ended up going to the seminary and I’ll quote him now. He said, “I planned on attending the School of Mines for an engineering degree but decided that I should at least give the seminary a year to see what happened. I stayed eight years.” Plus 51. 

Such an admission in my mind reveals a general openness to Jesus in the promptings of the spirit. He had a plan but was ready to be guided by Jesus in another way. While couched in an assuming language it reveals a heart that was comfortable with seeking the God who in the end was seeking him and calling him to the very fullness of life even if that meant going where he did not expect. 

In that same interview Father Dan chose to consider others who would follow him in his priestly vocation, men who might be discerning priesthood. He advised them, “Give seminary a try. We don’t go to seminary because we know we have a vocation to the priesthood, we go to find out if we have a vocation. You won’t find out if you’re called to the priesthood without checking it out.” 

With this natural encouragement to others to follow his example to the priesthood, I believe Father Dan revealed his love for the priesthood and of course for the life of a priest that he celebrated and enjoyed for his 51 years. Over and over again during these last weeks, I heard testimonies from many of you of how much this priest meant to you. How much he affected your life, the life of his parishioners and others. His love of the priesthood and his desire for others to follow behind him is evident in the love that others had for his priesthood. You are the beneficiaries of his love. 

And then finally, the newspaper article ended by recalling the many things that he had done along the way and then it said this. “He was eligible for retirement in 2016 while he was pastor on the Cheyenne river reservation. Due to a shortage of priests he continued to serve at Eagle Butte and seven mission parishes. He followed that assignment by being the parish administrator in Wall and then in Lemmon along with affiliation parishes.” 

And then of course there was that election to Dicoesan Administrator in February, this year. Eight years after he reached retirement, he ended his life doing what he loved — serving the church and its people. This is evidence that in my mind that Father Dan loved the Church and loved being faithful to its mission. When it would be understanding for him to say rather, I’ve done my duty. I think I’ll rest now. Instead, his choices show that he desired to serve to the very end with the heart of a faithful priest. So, it’s clear that Father Dan remained to the end open to the Holy Spirit and the call of God and the priestly vocation that he loved, as his way to love the people, to live in fidelity to the mission of the Church. 

Now there could be a natural regret that his recent sickness and now death did not allow him to enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Such a sentiment however I would like to suggest fails with too short a vision. For we believe that with a sure and certain faith that Jesus indeed has a retirement for him. This confident hope is rooted in promises given by Jesus himself, in the Gospel that we just heard proclaimed that Father Dan himself chose for this occasion. There Jesus assures all of us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. For in my father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” 

In these words Jesus describes his retirement plan for his soul. The desire to give us that eternal rest and that dwelling place prepared for each of us, which when we go, will be an experience of the fullness of eternal life with the one who gave us life in the 1st place. So I invite you in faith to envision with the eyes of faith after a life of priestly service Father Dan’s retirement is finally underway. Eternal we pray as we Catholics often do eternal rest grant him O Lord and let your praise your last shine upon him may he rest in peace. Amen.