Assumption Grotto: Two priests; two sisters reassigned

The cancellation of the 6:30am weekday low Mass caused much speculation that we were losing one of our associate priests.  It turns out that Fr. Paul Ward is being reassigned.  Coincidentally, reassignments have also come through at the same time for three members of the Order of the Holy Cross:  Fr. John de Britto (who will be replaced by another priest), the ever cheerful Sr. Gemma and the equally smiling Sr. Epiphania (I have not learned yet if there will be any other sisters joining those here in Detroit with their departure).  Fr. Perrone explains in his weekly column:

A Pastor’s Descant

The new year is bringing in its wake
some changes for our parish. I had
said in my homily on new year eve’s
night that sometimes it takes a
measure of courage to face a new
year in view of anxiousness over
what may lie ahead. While I myself
have known for sometime the things
I’m announcing to you now, it’s only
at this time that I’m free to make
these announcements public.

They have to do with the transfer of
two of our priests and two of our
sisters from our parish to other
assignments. It’s strictly coincidental
that all four should happen at this
time. There’s no common reason for
them. It’s just how things happen.
Regarding the priests, both Fathers
Ward and Britto have received new
assignments. Fr. Ward came to us in
an interim assignment for a two-year
stay. He will be remembered
especially for helping firm up our
home school program. He has been
sent by the Archbishop to assist a
priest friend of his who has pastoral
charge of no less than three parishes.
It’s understandable that his help
would be more needed in such a
circumstance.

Father de Britto is being recalled to
return to his native country, India,
where he will work in a house of the
Canons Regular of the Holy Cross.
He greatly enjoyed his stay with us
and I have appreciated his warm,
affable personality. Father de Britto
will be leaving us around the end of
January.

Both of these priests will be missed,
especially by their penitents who
have come to rely on them for their
Confessions. It is expected that in
due time another priest from the
Order of the Holy Cross will arrive
and offer his pastoral help to us. Our
devoted Fr. Bustamante remains
with us–for which we are grateful–
serving us faithfully with his
invaluable pastoral talents.

The third change concerns the move
of two of our Sisters. Sister Gemma
has been at the Grotto for a long
stretch and so has become known by
many of you. Her outgoing
personality endeared her to our
children especially. Sister will be
going to Braga, Portugal.
The latest arrival at the convent was
Sister Ephiphania. Sister will now
be going to Brazil, where the Order
of the Holy Cross is well established.
She, as with all our nuns, has shown
us the happy face of a soul consecrated
to God.

These are not exactly the glad tidings
we’d like to be getting at the top of the
year 2010. The proverbial January
doldrums need no help in lowering our
already deflated spirits over the ending
of the Lord’s nativity. In all things,
however, we rely on the divine
providence to assist us to
accommodate ourselves to the new
circumstances.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!