A Note From Our Pastor
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This past Monday I received word from the Clergy Personnel Director that Cardinal Seán O’Malley has reappointed me to another six-year term as your pastor. Since I did request the opportunity to continue here as pastor, for the reappointment process I had to do a written self-evaluation of my first six years here and mention both my strengths and weaknesses. This letter went to the Clergy Personnel Director and then on to the Cardinal. Since the South Region of the Archdiocese does not have a bishop overseeing this region, the Episcopal Vicar of this Region, Father Robert Connors, interviewed either in person or by phone the priests and permanent deacons assigned here, the Principal of our School, members of our Parish Staff, and representatives from our Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Council. Fr. Connors then met with me to share the observations he received from those interviews. Cardinal Seán received from Fr. Connors his report and assessment of my ministry here and his own recommendation about my continuance here. I am very grateful to all those who were interviewed during this process, and appreciate their candor and kindness in their evaluation of me and my ministry. Ever since I began to serve as pastor in 2016 I have felt blessed and honored to lead such a large, vibrant, and faith-filled community of disciples of Jesus. Since that time, we have faced the COVID-19 pandemic together, and have begun our celebration of our Parish’s Centennial together. There is still plenty of work to be done to draw many more brothers and sisters to join with us in worship of God, service to those in need, and in bearing witness to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, while relying throughout on the prayerful intercession and heroic example of our Patroness Saint Agatha. As we pray in our Centennial Prayer, may St. Agatha intercede for our parish so that we may “grow as a community strong in faith, hope, and love.” Through her prayers and the power of the Holy Spirit, may we all take full advantage of our parish’s 100-year anniversary to attract and welcome others to faithful, loving, and active discipleship of Jesus our Savior.
In the two communities in which I’ve had a leadership position, previously as rector of Pope St. John XXIII Seminary and currently as pastor at St. Agatha’s, I have often said and firmly believe that the staff with whom I serve was and is better than I deserve. I have found the priests and deacons, and the lay staff members with whom I serve here to be faith-filled followers of Christ, very competent and professional in the way they conduct their ministries here, and extremely willing to go beyond their job descriptions when need be, and very generous in sharing their time and talents by collaborating and assisting one another.
We are also very blessed to have such a strong and vibrant Catholic School under the leadership of Mrs. Nancy Carr and her faculty and staff, with great engagement and support from the parents who serve on the Board of the Family-School Association.
I am very grateful to Almighty God, to the Cardinal, to those who serve on our parish staff and our school faculty and staff, to the school students and their parents, and to you the parishioners of St. Agatha Parish without whose generosity, engagement, commitment, faith, and support, I would not be able to fulfill my responsibilities as pastor nor be given the opportunity to serve another 6-year term here. May the Lord continue to shower His blessings upon us all!
Have a blessed week!
Fr. Palardy