Message From Fr. Marty

                              Dear Parishioners, 

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                              We are about to enter into a new chapter in the history of both of our parish communities.  Beginning Monday,                                  August 1, Fr. Craig Irwin, OSFS, will join us as our new parochial vicar (that’s the new name for an associate Pastor).

As most of you know, Fr. Craig was ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, June 25.  For the first two weeks of July he has been spending his time ministering and sharing his priesthood with the teens at the Catholic Youth Camps run by the Oblates at our lake property, the 

De Sales Center, in Brooklyn Michigan.  Last week he helped direct the Catholic Youth Elect Service (the YES!)  Program here in Toledo.  Throughout those weeks he has been in and out of the rectory/parish office at Gesu and the Parish Center at St. Pius, meeting staff, seeing where his office will be and scrounging furniture to put his “personality” on his new “digs”.  His offices in both locations have received badly needed painting and new flooring.  By next Monday they should be ready to go, or nearly ready! He’ll still need to hang a few things on the walls, but that’s up to him!  These new additions and updating of his offices mark a newness and freshness to the respective office space, but adds something new and fresh to our parish communities as well.

I cannot be happier and more excited that Fr. Craig will be joining us. I know that you will have similar feelings as you get to know him now and into the future.  He’s here for the “long haul” and in time I’m sure he will feel as much a part of our parish families as I do.

We, both the Oblates and our parishes of St. Pius and Gesu are blessed and truly fortunate to have a man like Fr. Craig, wanting to serve us, God’s people, as a priest.  Please pray for him that his ministry will be fruitful, as I know it will be.  I know he will be praying for all of us as we build the Kingdom of God together.

An old Oblate greeting to another Oblate when he was arriving or departing for the first or final time is “ad multos annos”  translated “for many years”.  And so we say, “ad multos annos, Fr. Craig, ad multos annos”.  May we be blessed by your presence with us for many years, and may we in turn be a blessing to you.

WELCOME FR. CRAIG!   WELCOME!

May God be Blessed!

Both Now and Forever!

Fr. Marty