Seventh Sunday of Easter
Configuration and Staff Changes

This past week both Fr. Tyman and Fr. Hart received letters from our new Bishop, John Bonnici. The first letter thanked Fr. Tyman for his many years of service: “Allow me to express my profound gratitude for the very dedicated priestly service that you have rendered to many of the faithful in our beloved Diocese.” Acting on Fr. Tyman’s petition, the Bishop allowed him to become a parochial vicar in a newly created Rochester-Brighton four-church cluster, effective June 30, 2026. “At the same time,” he wrote, “your assignment as Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Anne’s Church will be completed”.

To Father Hart he wrote: “By virtue of this letter, I wish to give you official notification that effective June 30, 2026, you are appointed as Pastor of St. Anne and Our Lady of Lourdes, Brighton, in addition to your current assignment as Pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace and St. Thomas More, Brighton. It is my fervent hope and expectation that these assignments will be spiritually beneficial for the faithful of these communities, and you. As you continue your pastoral ministries, keep before your eyes the person of Jesus Christ, who gave His life totally for our salvation. Strive always to imitate His virtues of fidelity, commitment to the truth, love and compassion.”

Concretely, this means that we will now have four parishes gathered under one pastor. Realizing that this will be difficult in some ways for both priest and people, the Bishop suggested “In announcing this pastoral appointment, I ask that you share with the faithful that this assignment is being made with genuine concern for the parochial, diocesan and clergy needs of our Diocese.” In short, the Bishop is saying loud and clear: “We do not have enough priests to properly staff our parishes!”

Nevertheless, God is good! For the foreseeable future, we will have enough priests in our large cluster to carry on our many and varied ministries and traditions. Fr. Tyman, as associate pastor, will continue to teach, preach and celebrate Mass and the Sacraments but without the burden of administration. Fr. Jim Lawlor, though long retired, is still willing to assist with Mass and Sacraments as needed. Fr. Peter Clifford, recently retired pastor of St. John of Rochester, Fairport, is moving to the Queen of Peace Rectory and will help with Masses and the care of the homebound and the elderly in our several nursing homes. Finally, in addition to the finances and administration, Fr. Hart will continue to assist with Mass and the Sacraments and take his part in our ongoing ministries.

One last thing the Bishop has asked of us: “I respectfully ask that you make it a priority to promote and pray for priestly vocations… The prayers, support and encouragement offered by parish priests and the faithful are vitally important for young people discerning a vocation. It is from among the faithful whom we serve that young men will respond to the call to ordained ministry and young women will prayerfully consider the possibility of religious life, which has richly blessed the history of our Diocese and is so needed now and into the future.”