As January draws to a close, Deacon Anton, who has been stationed here at St. Thomas since last Ash Wednesday, transfers to St. Joseph Parish in New Britain for the final months before his ordination to the Priesthood on May 14. Deacon Anton has become part of the fabric of our Parish, and will be missed.
I can certainly understand his desire for another parish experience before ordination. I served in several parishes throughout my seminary formation, and found it beneficial to see different styles of pastoring, different parish dynamics, different 'cultures' that exist within the diverse communities in our Archdiocese.
St. Thomas was Deacon Anton's first and only parish experience, not only in our Archdiocese, but in our country. That has to be a difficult thing, to learn a new culture, a new way of life, and communicate in a language other than your native tongue. Deacon Anton accomplished that admirably, in addition to juggling the demands of his studies at Holy Apostles and the ever-present requests to assist the Archbishop at various diocesan functions. His new experience in New Britain will be alot different from what he experienced here, but that is a good thing. And I am happy for him.
However, I will miss him and his presence around the rectory. I will miss his eagerness to be of help, his quick laugh, his insightful thoughts, his willingness to learn. I will NOT miss his love of curry and other spicy foods! But I am happy to have made him a devoted UConn Women's basketball fan (he knows all the players by name) and a welcome addition to Red Sox Nation (his first trip to Fenway last year yielded a win)!
Please join me in praying daily for him and his classmates as their preparations for ordination enter the final months. He will make a wonderful priest and will be a fine addition to the Archdiocese of Hartford. I am honored and proud to have been a part of his journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment