Dear Friends,
By now, most of you have heard that Father Sam John, who has served as parochial vicar (what was once called a curate or assistant pastor) since June of 2017, will be leaving us this week. He has been reassigned by Archbishop Blair to serve as parochial vicar at both St. Timothy Parish and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in West Hartford. He will be working under the direction of and in collaboration with Father Alvin LeBlanc, the pastor, who I know to be a kind and gentle man and a very effective pastor. He leaves us this Monday, November 1.
Without question, we will all miss Father Sam. His ministry and his presence among us have been blessings for us all. I thank him for all of the good work that he did here at Precious Blood, the selfless and complete cooperation that he showed to me from the day of his arrival. Our loss here is most certainly West Hartford’s gain.
The Archbishop has assigned Father Lee Hellwig, like me a member of the ordination class of 1986, to serve on a temporary basis as parochial vicar for the next few months until a more permanent replacement for Father Sam can be assigned. Father Lee is a quiet, kind, and gentle man, actually a native of Milford and a graduate of the old Milford High School. Among his assignments, Father Lee spent a number of years as a military chaplain. We welcome him warmly.
We will be hosting a reception for Father Sam on Sunday, November 21. Father Sam will celebrate the 10:30 AM Mass at St. Agnes and then be available in Father Callahan Hall until 2:00 PM. Please plan to stop by, thank him, and wish him well.
A reminder that this Tuesday, November 2, is Election Day. It is the serious duty of every citizen to vote. This year we vote for local officials, including the mayor, members of the Board of Aldermen and the Board of Education, among other positions. While local elections do not garner the attention that state and national elections do, they are no less important. Our vote on Tuesday will have significant ramifications for tax rates, zoning issues, and the education of the students in public schools. Please make the time to go to the polls on Tuesday.
Have a good week!