Dear Beloved Parishioners,
As you know, Archbishop Rozanski officially announced, in broad strokes, the changes from the first stage of the All Things New Pastoral Planning process at a press conference beginning at 5:30 today. All of that information can now be found on the All Things New Website. That is your best ‘one stop shop’ for all the latest on All Things New.
Here is the link to the letter that I read at the 5pm Mass from the Archbishop about our parish, (and that I/Fr. Chris will read at all the Masses on Sunday.) It is a combination of Good News for us and Good News for the Archdiocese.
The short version – St. Justin emerged as a ‘Stand-As-Is” parish. (I am not a fan of the “Stand Alone” verbiage used in some communication from the Archdiocese.) That is part of the Good News for the Parish. The other part is that you will have a new Pastor, Fr. Brian Hector, coming to us from St. Mark parish. He is a good man, and I know that you will be in good hands.
The Good News for the Archdiocese is that Fr. Chris and I will both have new ‘mission fields’ in which to minister. Fr. Chris will be the associate pastor (parochial vicar) of St. Charles Borromeo and St. Peter Parishes in St. Charles, MO. I will be the pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Florissant. (with a few more job duties, at least in the short term, involving two other parishes/schools. But since neither was mentioned in the letter, I, like you, await further clarity on my ministry in north county.) Both of these assignments will be effective August 1st. (Note, I did not seek out this assignment. I was kind of hoping that SJM would be my ‘forever home’. Fr. Chris was hoping for a bit more time in one place, before being reassigned. Alas, that is not to be for either of us.)
I will have time in future missives to give you more information about “what I knew and when I knew it”. (I have known that getting a new assignment was ‘more likely than not’ on the Thursday before Holy Week. Fr. Chris found out while on retreat last week.)
And, if you ask me how I am doing with all this, my answer remains the same as it has been since I was first assigned here. I am still ‘always better than I deserve”. Thank you for being a part of that blessing. Pray for Fr. Chris and me. And know that we continue to keep you in our prayers, for this and for all days…
blessings,
fr. bill