After last weekend’s surprise announcement, I probably ought to use this space just to make sure we’re all on the same page. So here’s what’s going on:
· My new assignment begins on August 6, and yes, I was the one who requested that it start earlier than October 15. Waiting until October would have been a real disservice to the students at those colleges I am being called to minister to, and if I have to leave St. Richard anyway, we might as well do it right. I’m grateful to the Bishop for making this change.
· Fr. Vince Kolo will be coming to St. Richard on August 6 to serve in replacement ministry until the rest of the On Mission! changes happen in October. Father is currently serving in replacement ministry in the New Castle area parishes, while their pastor, Fr. Frank Almade, recovers from some serious health problems. Thankfully, Father Almade is recovering nicely, and so Father Kolo will be able to be with us for this short time. Father already is somewhat familiar with the area, having also served as the chaplain at Passavant Hospital.
· Deacon Ming’s assignment is unchanged. He officially starts tomorrow, July 9, and is with us until he determines he needs to get back to school. During his breaks at Christmas and Easter, as well as the break between the end of the school year and his priestly ordination, he will also be assigned here.
· The new Mass schedules are still pending. Every new clergy team submitted their proposal on June 11. The regional vicars are now reviewing those proposals from a more global perspective and making changes as necessary. For example, if every parish along the Route 51 corridor wanted a
9:00 am Mass, but no one wanted a noon Mass, that’s something the vicars would catch and fix. (Yes, I’m deliberately using the South Hills for an example.) The finished schedules should be released in late July or early August, and will be effective October 15.
Keep all of this in prayer. It looks like there’s a lot of moving parts here, but it’s bigger than that. It’s not parts; it’s people. Your priests and the diocesan staff – not to mention the Hardest Working Parish Staff in the Diocese – are doing the best they can to make this transition as easy as possible. It’s still going to have some rough patches. Trust in God and have faith that, as the Psalmist says, He might “grant success to the work of our hands.”