Calling all pray-ers!
     I need your prayers again. You may have read in last week’s bulletin a copy of a letter from Archbishop Myers to Fr. John McCrone, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Mountainside. Fr. John is going on sabbatical. The bottom line is that I have been appointed the temporary administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes from the end of January to sometime in May. I will oversee that parish while remaining here as the pastor of our parish. I’m not leaving Little Flower.
     I was asked to do this by the Archbishop. I thought and prayed about it and said “yes”. The Archbishop has been good to us and to me. He freed us from $160,000.00 in past debt as long as we keep a balanced budget and pay all of our diocesan bills like employee health insurance and our monthly assessment (tax) of $6709.00. (Every parish in the archdiocese is supposed to pay an assessment each month.)
     When I asked for a six month sabbatical at the conclusion of my pastorate at Sacred Heart Church in the Vailsburg section of Newark, he agreed. He agreed to give me an extension to my sabbatical when I requested one. When I applied to become pastor of the Church of the Little Flower, he granted that request.
     Too often in our culture, life can be about: “What do I get?”
It’s out of gratitude to God and to the Archbishop that I gave my “yes”. I believe strongly that I must give back to God (and the Archbishop) for all the blessings I have received in life. But my “yes” is also about helping out a friend. Fr. John and I have known each other since we were kids growing up in Newark. He has been here for me and here is another opportunity for me to be here for him. I have faith that God will give me all that I need in being generous.
     As temporary administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes, I will be dealing with the day-to-day administration of the parish. I won’t be celebrating Masses there. Most of my time will be here at Little Flower. My intention is to spend Monday afternoons and possibly evenings at OLL.
     But to be honest with you, I don’t know all that will be involved. When I asked the Priest Personnel Office for a job description, well, uh, there isn’t one.
     So, I need your prayers and your patience and your generosity to kick in big time. In this season of giving thanks and gift-giving, thanks in advance for your goodness, your generosity and love for me.