Twenty-five Happy Years and More to Come

Always remember the example of the Good Shepherd who came not to be served but to serve.  I still remember these words from the Ritual of the Ordination of a Priest that Bishop Bernard Flanagan spoke to me and my classmates on June 20, 1981 as we were ordained at St. Paul’s Cathedral.  It has been both a gift and a joy to serve God and his people these past twenty-five years.  I cannot believe how quickly these years have gone by.  As if it were yesterday, I remember arriving at my first assignment at Christ the King Parish where a new pastor had just begun his first pastorate – Fr. Paul O’Connell.  He was such a good teacher and mentor and friend.  Then it was off to St. Joseph’s in Auburn where I learned a great deal from another former pastor of St. Mary’s – Fr. Jack Cahill.  Little did I know then that all I learned about ministry from these two fine priests would serve as preparation for the day when I would succeed them as pastor of this parish. 

In my first two assignments I spent a great deal of time with religious education and youth ministry, which would eventually lead me to St. Peter-Marian High School where I served as Campus Minister for five years.  For the next twelve years, almost half of my priesthood, I served as pastor of St. James Parish in South Grafton.  I watched children as they grew from first grade through high school.  I saw the parish grow as new families moved into the Grafton area and added new life to the parish and its ministries.  I grieved with families as they laid their loved ones to rest.  Such an extended time in one parish allowed me to sink deep roots there, roots which have now been planted anew at St. Mary’s. 

I began my 25^th year of priesthood here at St. Mary’s, and it has been an honor and special blessing to serve as your pastor during this jubilee year.  I am grateful to God for the opportunity to lead this community of faith, and I pray that I will be with you for many years to come.  I already have wonderful memories of events and people I have met this past year.  Pray with me that I may continue to be shaped and formed by the Word I am privileged to preach, and that through the dying and rising of Christ which we celebrate in the Eucharist, I may better imitate the life of Christ, the Good Shepherd.

St. Mary’s will continue to pray for and support the people of St. Michel’s parish.  With the recent election of a new president in Haiti and the assignment of Deacon Peter and Linda Faford  as directors of our diocesan mission house in Les Cayes, we look for opportunities to deepen our twinning relationship and even travel to visit St. Michel’s.

Fr. Mike

Copyright © 2006, St. Mary's Parish, Shrewsbury MA.
This page last updated on 9/16/2006.