Between the Old and the New

Well, it has been almost a month now since I received the phone call from Bishop Clark appointing me as the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca on June 26th.  The response expressed from my current assignment at Our Lady of the Lakes has been offering congratulations to me but sadness that I am leaving.  I take the sadness at my leaving to be a good sign that they like me and the ministry I do.  Of course, there may be people who are looking forward to a new priest.  That’s fine.  We each have our likes and dislikes.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you probably have seen the comments from a few parishioners of Immaculate Conception welcoming me.  I have also received a couple of emails welcoming me.

I continue to be excited about becoming the pastor there.  I hope it is because it is what God asks of me and not pride.  When people ask if I am excited or nervous, I respond that I am excited 95% of the time and the remaining 5% I wonder if I am up to the task before me.  As long as it is God’s will, God will give me the gifts to do what he asks of me.  Of course, it will be essential for me to listen to the staff, Parish Council, Finance Council, and other committees, and the parishioners in general to discern what the needs of the parish are and how God calls me to lead.  Listening to others and working in a collaborative way with staff and parishioners will be essential but I take the responsibility and authority as pastor very seriously.  In the end, when difficult decisions need to be made, it will be my responsibility, with God’s grace.

Of course, the transfer date is still just over two months away.  For now, I still have ministry to do at Our Lady of the Lakes while preparing to transition to Immaculate.  I intend to remain faithful to my commitments here.

Change isn’t always easy but when the change is God’s will and we open ourselves to God’s will, we are in good hands.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff