My heart continues to have mixed feelings after I spoke at all the Masses on the weekend of April 8-9 (Palm Sunday) and announced that at the end of June 2017, I would be a retired Pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Church Parish.  I would however continue to be an active Priest.  That decision was made over the past months after much prayer, reflection and discussion with many people, especially Bishop Douglas Deshotel.

This note in the bulletin today is to help you and me understand better how I came to that decision.  A Bible passage that came to mind often during the process was Ecclesiastes 3:1-11.  “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. The Lord has made everything appropriate to its time.” By the grace and the blessings of the Lord, I will be 75 years of age on July 28, 2017.  Also by his grace I will be a Priest 48 years on June 7, 2017.  My first six years I was an Assistant Pastor at St. Peter Church in New Iberia. I also was Pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul in Scott for four years; Pastor at St. Landry Church in Opelousas for ten years; Pastor at St. Edmond in Lafayette for thirteen years; Pastor at St. Michael Church in Crowley for ten years.  I have been so blessed since July 1, 2012 to be your Pastor here at St. Elizabeth Seton Church.  My years with you have been good, enjoyable, blessed, busy and fulfilling.

During the past months, I often thought of retiring now as a Pastor or possibly asking the Bishop to stay one more year here at St. Elizabeth Seton.  Each of the two choices had some pros and cons. I often wavered between the two.  Finally I came to decide that now was the time for me to request from Bishop Deshotel my retirement as a Pastor and to request that I continue to be an active Priest.  The Bishop was kind, gracious and understanding.  And I am very grateful to him.

At this time, my health is excellent, my energy is plentiful, my mind is clear and my motivation as a Priest is strong.  I have interest in many ministries and as an active Priest I will do weddings, funerals, baptisms as well as helping other Priests in the area. In my time of retirement, I want to pray, read, study and reflect at least two to three hours a day. I will say Mass at Nursing Homes several times a month and I will visit the sick and say Mass at Catholic Schools. In many ways my life as a retired Pastor will be the same as before.  The biggest difference will be that now I will not be the Pastor of a parish.  I will continue to do many, many of the same priestly ministries that I enjoy as a ‘floton’ Priest. As a retired Pastor, I will visit more now with family and with friends.  My intention is also to see more Astros and Cardinals baseball games. With more quiet time, I also will be able to do more regular exercise and take better care of my body.  Surely, the early months of retirement will be a time of change, of adjustment and transition.  I ask your prayers, your support and your understanding.

Any number of people have said ‘Father Gary, you are too young at heart and too healthy to retire.’  And in a way they are right and that is also why I am retiring as a Pastor.  I am healthy enough to do many of the things that are important to me and continue to serve as a Priest in many ways. My health and my energy are excellent.  I have many personal interests that I will be able to pursue and to enjoy more than in the past. The Lord has been so good and so gracious to me all through my life and I am grateful each and every day.

I am also very thankful to all of you the devoted and faithful parishioners of St. Elizabeth Seton Church Family.  You have been so accepting, so generous, so kind, so loving, so understanding and so supportive to me during the five years I have been your Pastor. You have blessed my life so much since I came here in July 2012.  The years have been great and I appreciate all of you and I will miss being with you, especially at the weekend Masses as well as in the many other ways we have served the Lord and grown in our Catholic faith.  My heart will cherish and value the memory of all we have shared.

My love, best wishes, prayers and gratitude to you and to your loved ones, for who you are, for all you do for the Lord and for all you do for the good of St. Elizabeth Seton Church Parish.  May Jesus Christ be the Shepherd of our lives and the guardian and healer of our souls. (1 Peter 2:25)

SHALOM!

Fr. Gary

Homework for the week of May 7 – May 13
John 14:1-6