The following is a letter I wrote last evening to be published in next Sunday's church bulletin.
Dear Parishioners,
As I write this letter on Tuesday evening I have spent only a little over 33 hours as your pastor. But I am very grateful to have been able to spend many hours here spread over the past 6 weeks. Early in July I visited for 5 days to meet with Father John, members of the staff and some of the parishioners. I was here for a few days before and after Joe Murray’s first profession Mass, then went on retreat in Suffern, NY, and arrived back here last Friday. I met many of you at Father John’s farewell Mass and reception. All of you have received me very warmly. Thank you!
So I consider myself extremely fortunate to be following Father John in this work as your pastor. Both you and I owe him an immense debt of gratitude.
When first I was informed about my appointment as pastor here, I was apprehensive. For many reasons. It has been a long time since I last was a pastor. It was a much smaller parish in a nation far away from America. But God gives us the grace to do the job he calls us to do. As Augustinian friars, our community life, centered on supporting each other in our relationship with the Lord, is the sustaining basis for our ministry. I am extremely pleased to be teamed with Fr. Jorge Luis Cleto and Fr. Jim Cassidy as my brothers in the friary and as co-workers in the parish. Please pray for us, that we might grow into a community that St. Augustine would be proud of, and that we might serve all of you in the wider parish community in a way worthy of Jesus Christ our High Priest.
And we three Augustinians will of course pray for all of you, our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Sincerely,
Father Liam
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