Dear Friends:
As you read these words, our Archdiocese is celebrating the ordination of two new priests. Yesterday, June 24, at the Cathedral in Hartford, Archbishop Blair ordained Sean Yates and Andres Galeano for service as priests. You may remember Sean, as he was with us in the summer of 2019, just a few months before the pandemic turned the world upside down. He completed his studies for the priesthood at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and has been assigned as a parochial vicar, assistant to the pastor, at St. Bridget of Sweden Parish in Cheshire. Father Galeano has been assigned as parochial vicar at Todos Los Santos (All Saints) Parish in Waterbury. We wish both Fr. Yates and Fr. Galeano well as they begin their ministry.
It is a matter of ongoing concern that the number of priestly vocations has fallen off. Gone are the days when fifteen or twenty men or more would be ordained priests in a single year. We are fortunate to have received the vocations we have by the grace of God. It is imperative for us to pray fervently for more men to respond to the call to the priesthood. I am convinced that God is calling good candidates to serve as his priests, but his call is not being heard or even considered. We can also do our part to invite any young man we may know who shows signs of a priestly vocation to consider the possibility. I have heard of more than one priest who said that he considered the priesthood only after being asked or encouraged to do so. While I am at it, we should also pray that more men and women may consider the call to the consecrated religious life as brothers, religious priests, sisters and nuns. The decline in numbers among consecrated religious has also been a great loss to the Church, posing a significant challenge to her mission of preaching Christ to the nations.
You probably have read the story about the combining all of the parishes in New Haven into one parish, effective July 1. This is a part of the ongoing pastoral plan for the Archdiocese of Hartford, a response to the declining numbers of priests and the equally concerning declining numbers of people who are going to church. It is envisioned that, for many communities within the Archdiocese, there will be eventually one parish with a pastor assisted by one or more parochial vicars. I write this just to keep you informed. The pastoral planning process continues to unfold and more developments will come as the years ahead unfold. We should not think that Milford in any way will be exempt.
For now, I will say that I am grateful to the Archbishop for appointing me to a second six-year term as pastor here at Precious Blood. This is a wonderful parish, a complex parish, a parish with great strengths and much potential. Looking forward to the next six years, God willing, it is my hope that we will undertake some kind of parish renewal process. We will also be taking a long, hard look at our religious education program. That will include the hiring of a full time director of religious education as well as the hiring of a full time pastoral associate to oversee youth and young adult ministry. The children and young people are the future of our church. We must do all that we can to invite them to participate in the life of our parish, and most importantly, help them develop a solid living relationship with God, something that will really help them and strengthen them as they face life in this increasingly unnerving and uncertain world.
Have a good week!