With only four weeks remaining in my present assignment as the Parochial Vicar of St. Anthony of Padua parish here in Effingham, the time has come to begin saying my farewells.
This evening the mission parish attached to St. Anthony's will host a dinner and reception in my honor. The parishioners there wanted to hold it on a day convenient for me and for them, and early enough so as not to interfere with celebrations here or with my packing and moving. They really are a very thoughtful lot.
Though I have never enjoyed any canonical attachment to the parishioners of Annunciation Parish in Shumway, I have very much enjoyed ministering among them these past four years. I will miss them.
This evening will be somewhat strange, because even as I will, using the words of Bilbo Baggins, bid them all a very fond farewell, I will still be with them for two more weekends.
I do think it best this way, though, because such a celebration (?) will afford more time to visit with individual parishioners. After Masses there simply isn't time - or space, really - to visit one on one with parishioners beyond a simple - even if heartfelt - greeting.
The next four weeks I expect to be a bit of a blurr and a whirl of emotions.
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