Sunday, April 7, 2013

Pastor's Notes for April 7

Dear Parishioners,
Happy Easter! We continue our Easter rejoicing on this second Sunday of Easter weekend, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. It is a season to remember the overwhelming mercy of God, more powerful than our sin! We rejoice in that.
Our sympathy to the family of Jerry Frericks. May his soul and the soul of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
Congratulations to our first Communicants this weekend. May their reception of Jesus fill them with His grace and love.
Please keep our priests in prayer as most of us will be on retreat this week.
This week, I received formal word that I am being reassigned, effective June 26. It is with sadness I go, but as I have so often prayed, may I never get in the way of the Gospel. I will be serving in St. Peter and Nicollet. There are two priests being assigned to our AFC: Fr. Paul van de Crommert as Parochial Administrator and Fr. John Ekwoanya as Parochial Vicar. Please welcome them graciously. They come with unique gifts and talents that I lack, and between the two of them will be able to do things that I am unable to do, such as regular visits to the sick and homebound, and perhaps even additional Masses and devotions. You will notice that Fr. van de Crommert has a different title than pastor as this is a temporary assignment for him.
These next weeks will be filled with lasts for me with you. I have loved it here, and consider the time we have had together a tremendous blessing. I know that I am a better priest and pastor by having been here these last years - and I hope that every priest that follows me has that same experience. Too often, we focus only on the formative role that the pastor has on his parish, but the truth is that the parish plays a major formative role on the priest as well! Thank you (with many more to follow)!
In Christ,
Fr. Todd

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