Dear Community and Friends of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi,
May the Lord give you peace.
Come to the feast! Tuesday, June 13th, we celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua. We will have bread in memory of the poor he fed, special masses, access to the relic, and space for prayer with the relic. Please see the website for details. This will be a wonderful event for us to celebrate together. Please come and share in the festivities with prayer and thanksgiving. You may even find things you thought were lost!
This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Body of Christ. As we give thanks for the Eucharist, we remember that we, together with all who believe in the Lord, are the Body of Christ. We each have our unique gifts to bring to this awesome body. As we celebrated Pentecost, we reflected on our gifts, joy, love, courage, wisdom, understanding, awe, wonder, beauty, creativity, and so many more. These are the gifts that shape the body, that engage the mission, and that give the Spirits life to the church. Thank you for all that you are and all that you bring to the life of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi.
Finally, it is with gratitude for you and sadness for me that I tell you I am leaving New York. I have been asked by the Province to be the Guardian of our retirement house in St. Petersburg, Florida. It has been my privilege to serve you as pastor while we began the reentry as the pandemic has receded. Likewise, it is a privilege to minister with our older friars. You have been a blessing to me during my short time with you. Please keep me in your prayers, and I assure you of my continued prayers. We do not have a transition date at this time.
The incoming pastor is Fr. Joseph Juracek, ofm. Fr. Joe was here some years ago and is familiar with our ministries. I am sure you will welcome and bless him with your many gifts and talents.
Blessings and peace,
Fr. Tom, ofm