A number of you have been curious about why I chose Fridays
as opposed to Mondays as my day off.
First,
a priest’s day off is critical for success in both his priestly ministry and
personal life. It is mandated by
Canon Law and I am grateful to be “off the clock” to relax, be refreshed and
rejuvenated. The work we priests do
can be very intense and at every step of my formation to priesthood it was
emphasized that we take care of ourselves.
Part
of the reason I chose Fridays off is due to the distance I live away from my
family and friends. Bishop Sirba
assured me that, due to living so far north (which I love!), I need to account
for travel time in order to stay connected to brother priests in addition to my
friends and family. Having Fridays
off will give me flexibility with driving. For instance, if I want to travel to see my best friends in
the Cities I could leave Thursday afternoon, have a full day with them Friday,
and leave Saturday morning to be back for Mass.
Several
of you have asked what this means for First Friday devotions. I would like to respond first by saying
how proud I am to see so many of you have devotions like this in your life that
draw you closer to Jesus! Keep it
up! Some have questioned whether
we can keep First Friday Masses.
While I understand this great desire, I have chosen to keep a consistent
monthly schedule with Fridays off each week because I need to maintain my
overall health and well-being.
That
being said, remember the point of any devotion—to be led to Christ. We have Mass at our parishes six days a
week. If you go to Mass six days a
week, are frequenting Confession and praying for our Holy Father (which the
First Fridays devotion requires), you are already in a great place, even if you
cannot attend a First Friday Mass.
Additionally, you may come to Mass on the Thursday or Saturday
before/after First Fridays and offer that to fulfill your devotion.
Two
other notes for when I am out of town, either on my day off or on
vacation. First, Holy Days of
Obligation always take precedence, no matter what day of the week. For example, the Feast of the
Assumption of Mary will be celebrated on Friday, August 15th and we
will have our regular Mass schedule.
We will always have Mass on
these great feasts, and I will find a substitute if I am away.
And a note on emergency
situations…if you or a loved one needs a priest in a dire situation, please
call the parish office and they can reach me quickly with my personal cell
phone number. After business
hours, please call my home phone number (listed in the bulletin) and I will
respond as soon as I can. Finally,
for those times when I am away, I have spoken with Fr. Victor De Gagne, the
pastor at St. Mary’s in Fort Frances.
He has agreed to cover emergency calls and I will always alert him and
our staff to ensure that emergencies are always covered.
Thank you for your continued warm
welcome and patience through your transition to having a new pastor!
God
Bless!
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