Dear Parishioners of Saint Patrick Catholic Church,
Most of you have heard the letter from our archbishop which was read at all Masses on the weekend of May 16 and 17, and you may have some questions about its meaning. We would like to try to explain what it means.
First of all, Archbishop Sartain, who joined us recently for Confirmation, has been working hard to care for our needs. As our local shepherd, he respects Fr. Seamus’ decision to retire, knows our sacramental needs, and has given us a great gift in those chosen to lead us at this time.
Kevin Lovejoy, who has been serving our parish for the past 4 years as our administrator, is being tasked with a new leadership role as Pastoral Coordinator. This role has been very successful in other parishes throughout the archdiocese. He will run the day to day administrative duties of our very active parish community. He will be responsible for the staff, the budget, and making sure that the buildings are maintained and our ministries are supported.
Our staff and the Vicar of Clergy’s Office at the archdiocese will work with Kevin to ensure a smooth transition. A transition team has been formed to facilitate this process. This team will work with Kevin to provide timely and accurate information, answer your concerns and questions, and work to help our new sacramental leaders as they formally join our parish community.
Our sacramental needs will be handled by three members of the Jesuit community in Tacoma: Fr. Tom Lamanna, the superior, Fr. John Fuchs, a very familiar face for us, along with Fr. Jerry Graham. They will care for us at Mass, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick and so forth. They have decades of experience and hearts dedicated to the faithful service of the Church.
It’s true that we won’t have a pastor at this time, which is true of many parishes throughout the world. But we have a wonderful situation thanks to the wisdom of the Archbishop and the generosity of the Jesuit community of Tacoma. In some ways it feels like my experience as a young Catholic when we had a number of priests in our parish. We’ll experience a wonderful variety of styles in presiding and preaching.
I’ll still be here as well, so that’s one more familiar face. I have to say that I’m pretty excited about this new model. I pray that we can be open and welcoming to all involved.
Yours in Christ,
Deacon Bill Eckert
