Saying good bye and starting a new.

Yesterday, I said my good byes to the parishioners at Nativity of Our Savior Parish. It was harder than I thought it would be. Seeing all the people coming to my farewell celebration after each mass. There were people I have never talked to before and if we met on the street I would not know who they were. These people were so kind in the way they thanked me for the way I celebrated mass and for my inspiring and short homilies.

The next group were the active parishioners. These are the people I know and see working and helping out around the parish. They kept saying how sad they were that I was going. They commented that they would miss my smile and especially my laugh. Sometimes their was a tear and sometimes a hug. If you knew me you would know I am not a hugger, but on this day I hugged many people. This group by far was the largest to come over to the hall after mass and I will miss them also.

There are many other catergories I can put the others, but the group of people that touched me the most were those that I buried in the three years I have been here. This is the group that choked me up the most. I almost broke down a couple of times. They were so appreciative of what I did for them and their loved one. The outpouring of love from them was tremendous and even writing this tears me up a little.

I want to thank those who put together this celebration and spent so much time making it a memorable celebration for me. This includes the pranksters who put together the parish bulletin cover with pictures of me from my ordination, my time at Nativity Parish, and the announcement of becoming pastor of St. Matthias. 

Now it is time to pack up and start a new. I am excited and nervous about becoming the pastor of St. Matthias in Crown Point, Indiana. I hope that God gives me the strength, the courage, the piety, and the wisdom to be a good shepard for these deserving people.