Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Good Shepherd Sunday is an occasion, annually, to pray for vocations to the priesthood and to encourage young men in our community to consider whether God may be calling them to offer their lives in service to the Church as priests of Jesus Christ. I want to encourage all of you to become Prayer Warriors for Vocations. When you sign up, you will receive monthly prayer intentions and commit to prayerfully supporting those whom God is calling to this special service. Contact Pam LaFleur at pamelalafleur@hotmail.com.
On this Good Shepherd Sunday, my thoughts also turn to those good shepherds with whom I have been privileged to share priestly ministry over my eleven years as pastor of St. Pius X. When I was first named pastor, I remember meeting with Msgr. Robert Crofut. At the time, Fr. Crofut was semi-retired and undergoing treatment for cancer. He was an example of courage in suffering, acceptance of limitations, and generous service in all circumstances. As an experienced pastor himself, Fr. Crofut was a live-in mentor. I believe him to be one of the finest homilists in the Diocese. Also, here at the beginning of my term as pastor was the late Msgr. Ernie Esposito. There is little doubt in my mind that he is a saint in heaven, and his priestly simplicity was inspiring. Until the day he died, Msgr. Esposito modeled humble service to the God he loved. We were blessed by the ministry of Fr. Tim Iannacone, who came to us as a newly-ordained priest. I especially admire his love for the Church’s rich tradition, and I am grateful to see the good work he continues to do at St. Edward the Confessor Parish in New Fairfield. With a busy parish, having outside help was always useful, and Fr. Bret Stockdale, SJ, and the late, great Fr. Charlie Allen, SJ both gave our parish tremendous support on Sundays. Though he was never assigned full-time to ministry at St. Pius, Fr. Eric Silva went above and beyond to help. In addition to his responsibilities as a high school chaplain, he was always willing to take an extra Mass, hear confessions, or even offer coverage so I could get away. He is now making a huge impact at St. Joseph Parish in Danbury. Fr. Colin Blatchford has been in residence here at St. Pius for the last five years, and while his ministry with Courage International often requires him to travel, his friendship and presence in the rectory is a gift. I know that connecting with parishioners here has, in turn, been a tremendous gift to him.
Which brings me to my current parochial vicar and your future pastor, Fr. Brendan Blawie. After three years with only weekend help (and here I do not mean to convey any ingratitude for the ministry of Frs. Silva and Blatchford, but simply state the fact that they never had full-time responsibilities here), the arrival of Fr. Brendan changed the game for us at St. Pius. Having two priests full time in the parish allows us to truly fire on all cylinders. He has embraced everything I have asked him to take on. Fr. Brendan is zealous and capable. During my sabbatical, he only called me once with a problem he didn’t know how to solve, and that was only because the problem was a mistake I had made! From his first day, I knew that his next stop would be as a pastor somewhere, and I am deeply grateful that he will lead this community in the years ahead.
No good shepherd is good on his own. He needs the One Good Shepherd as his guide. And he needs the community he leads to be a prayerful and practical support to him. For eleven years, you, the parishioners of St. Pius X, have made being a shepherd very easy. Your prayers and support mean the world to me, and I encourage you to keep those prayers and those supportive gestures coming for Fr. Brendan. God will always provide shepherds for His people. Please keep praying for those shepherds!
Peace,
Fr. Sam
