Pastor’s Column: OUR CATHOLIC SCHOOL

One of the several reasons I am excited to be the pastor of Our Lady of the Angels is our parish school, which I attended as a boy thanks to the generous sacrifices of my parents. I would not be who I am today without my Catholic education. I am indebted to the many teachers, staff, and volunteers who labored so well in the Lord’s vineyard at OLA (and then at Saint Peter-Marian.) Many of them are still members of this community, for which I am very grateful. Bishop McManus has asked me to make our parish school a priority of my priestly ministry, and I accept this responsibility most happily. I will be very present in the school, because I believe that the work that happens there day after day is most important for the future of our parish, our diocese, our city, and frankly, the whole world. To that end, Bishop asked me to attend the School Pastors’ Institute at the University of Notre Dame this past week. I was blessed to attend the conference with 89 pastors representing 44 (arch)dioceses from across the United States and Brazil. As God’s Providence provided for me, one of the other attendees was Fr. Jonathan Reardon, a priest of the Diocese of Springfield, whose priestly ministry when I was a graduate student at UMass Amherst was pivotal in convincing me to pray about becoming a priest myself. Please God, we will do our best for our parish school in the months and years to come. The school is a ministry of our parish. I humbly ask you, dear parishioners, please pray every day for the success of our school, especially in the Most Holy Rosary of Our Lady. — Father Mobilio