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Saint Francis of Assisi |
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REPORT TO THE PARISH ON THE TWO IMPORTANT On Monday, April 11, 2016, the leadership of the Franciscans along with two members of the diocesan priest personnel board met with parishioners to provide information and answer questions about the upcoming transition. About 200 parishioners were in attendance. We heard the Franciscans explain why they are simply not able to continue pastoral ministry in this parish. It was clear that this was a very difficult decision for them. The two priests from the diocese expressed their appreciation of what St Francis Parish is to the Diocese of Sacramento, and their hopes of filling the position of pastor with a priest who will be able to continue the ministry of St Francis as a parish imbued with the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. Several parishioners spoke and expressed their concerns for the future of the parish, and the diocesan priests, along with the Franciscans, listened attentively. Monsignor Kidder was also given copies of the parish surveys that have been received to date, and knows more are coming. On Tuesday evening, the Transition Team, Parish Council and Finance Council had a very friendly and informative meeting with Bishop Soto. He was very open and understanding, and actively listened to our concerns, our hopes and our fears. He is very aware of the sadness and the fear that we are experiencing right now, and is committed to helping us through this transition. Bishop Soto expressed his sorrow that the Franciscans are no longer able to provide pastoral care to St. Francis, and his gratitude for all that they have done through the years. The Bishop was very supportive of our desire to maintain a Franciscan charism, and said that our new pastor would be instructed to honor our Franciscan legacy. The new pastor will also be asked to not make any major changes during the first year. It was clear that the Bishop understands how important our parish is to us; but it was also clear that he believes our parish is important to the Diocese. He values our presence here, and spoke warmly of St. Francis being an inclusive community where all are welcome. He also spoke positively about our reaching out to include the homeless through ministries like our Step Ministry. Bishop Soto expressed his hope that our St. Francis family would: The Bishop hopes to have our new pastor in place by July 1. Based on our meeting with the Bishop, I feel very hopeful that he will do everything he can to send us a pastor that will be a good fit for our parish. Pace e Bene,
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