D
Detroit_Sue
Guest
We became a clustered parish last July. Our pastor left, and we got a pastor from the other parish to pastor both. He’s a great priest, and a great guy, but very, very ill. He suffers from (I believe) diabetes and severe leg ulcers. He is also about 500 lbs. overweight (yes - that was correct).
Last Saturday, he was 20 minutes late for Mass, and when he did start the Liturgy, it took him about 5 minutes to get from the sacristy, reverence the altar, and reach the presider’s chair. He always celebrates every part of the Mass, with the exception of the Consecration and Communion, seated, and it hasn’t been a problem. There were very long pauses in his homily, and halfway thru the Consecration he had to sit. Then he distributed Communion from a chair. He was unable to get back to the ambo/presider’s area for the closing rite, so he stayed in his chair after Mass.
I walked up to him to shake his hand and let him know that he was always in our prayers, and he was very candid with me. He told me that he felt absolutely rotten, but he thought it was allergies with the mild weather. His legs were so swollen that he told me it took him two hours to put his socks on. He doesn’t have a housekeeper, but several of the parish women cook for him. On Wednesday, he did Mass for the kids at the school, then it took him an hour to get home (he parks his van by the door & drives across the street). At 4:30, he was still in bed when somene brought him supper, and he was having tremendous difficulty breathing. He kicked about it, but the woman called 911.
He’s currently in the ICU, with a diagnosis of pneumonia, but I’m hoping that his other medical issues will be addressed also.
Today, we got word that we are under the administration of another pastor in the area. I don’t see a long future for our parish - I’m pretty sure we’ll be absorbed by the parish/pastor who is the “temporary” administrator.
Last Saturday, he was 20 minutes late for Mass, and when he did start the Liturgy, it took him about 5 minutes to get from the sacristy, reverence the altar, and reach the presider’s chair. He always celebrates every part of the Mass, with the exception of the Consecration and Communion, seated, and it hasn’t been a problem. There were very long pauses in his homily, and halfway thru the Consecration he had to sit. Then he distributed Communion from a chair. He was unable to get back to the ambo/presider’s area for the closing rite, so he stayed in his chair after Mass.
I walked up to him to shake his hand and let him know that he was always in our prayers, and he was very candid with me. He told me that he felt absolutely rotten, but he thought it was allergies with the mild weather. His legs were so swollen that he told me it took him two hours to put his socks on. He doesn’t have a housekeeper, but several of the parish women cook for him. On Wednesday, he did Mass for the kids at the school, then it took him an hour to get home (he parks his van by the door & drives across the street). At 4:30, he was still in bed when somene brought him supper, and he was having tremendous difficulty breathing. He kicked about it, but the woman called 911.
He’s currently in the ICU, with a diagnosis of pneumonia, but I’m hoping that his other medical issues will be addressed also.
Today, we got word that we are under the administration of another pastor in the area. I don’t see a long future for our parish - I’m pretty sure we’ll be absorbed by the parish/pastor who is the “temporary” administrator.