Hello Everyone!
It is good to finally be here at our parish and to begin meeting some of you! I am very grateful that my move here from St. Peter’s in Mansfield went very smoothly. I am confident that your prayers played a major part in everything going as well as it did. Special thanks to Fr. Poggemeyer and the parish leadership team for all of their work in getting things prepared for my arrival. Also, special thanks to my dad and to the crew of guys that helped unload my boxes- THANK YOU! I look forward to meeting everyone as the opportunities arise. Please be patient with me as I get acclimated and learn how we do things in our parish. Based on the kindness I have already received from so many people, I am confident that things will continue to go very smoothly!
It is strange for me, as I am sure it is strange for everyone else, to be meeting and getting to know you during these times of masks and social distancing. I am sure that many would agree with me in saying that, among everything going on, it feels as though the world is currently upside-down. Continue to ask Jesus in your prayers to guide those working on a solution to bring an end to the pandemic! We often find ourselves saying that we want things to “go back to normal” (whatever normal is anymore). But we know that Christ can always bring a greater good out of any suffering. After all, that is the reality of the Cross, which we were baptized into.
I recently had a conversation with a parishioner who can see the Lord’s grace at work amidst all of the COVID-19 restrictions. This parishioner mentioned that being away from the sacraments for the two months helped her to appreciate and love them all the more. The sacraments truly are a great gift, especially because their purpose is to give us all the help we need to bring about our salvation!
A few weeks ago, Bishop Thomas sent a memorandum to the priests of our diocese stating, “Kindly remind the faithful that they continue to be dispensed from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass until further notice.” So, stay tuned for further updates; when we receive more information, I will be sure to pass it on to you.
Be assured that I lift up the parish in prayer every day; please do the same for me and for the pastoral leadership team!
Blessings to you all! I look forward to meeting you if I have not already!
Fr. Ammanniti
