My dear St Elizabeth Seton parishioners,

Greetings in the Lord! I am deeply humbled and grateful that the Bishop has entrusted you, my beloved home parish, to my pastoral care beginning on July 1. This is an exciting time of promise! While there are no doubt many questions, hopes, and even some anxieties as I take on this new role for you, it is who I am  - and have been - alongside you that is the greatest source of my joy, namely, a disciple of Jesus, who is always our one true Good Shepherd.

Before beginning this new chapter together, we do well to take stock of the past, and I would like here to offer my profound thanks to Fr. David Hebert for his nine years of pastoral care. Father, it has done my heart good to see my home parish served by your priestly solicitude. Thank you for your diligence, your love for our people, and your faithfulness to Christ. May God abundantly reward you as you enter into your next chapter.

I also cannot help but think of Fr. Hebert‘s predecessor, Fr. Gary Schexnayder, our pastor at the time of my ordination, and the native son of Arnaudville for whom I had the privilege of seeing to his place of burial. I am praying for his intercession now as Arnaudville prepares to send you another pastor. I owe the churches of St Francis Regis and St Catherine’s a tremendous debt of gratitude, as my time here has done more to form me into the priest I am today even than my years in seminary - years which you know very well.

I come to you with a few more white hairs than I had at my first Mass with you 11 years ago, but with no less love and excitement over the things which our Good Shepherd has in store for us in the years to come. I am, as I have ever been,

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Travis Abadie