Dear Parishioners,
Back in the late 1960s, I read an article in the Catholic Review about the declining number of priests in the country. The vocations crisis was just beginning, so I thought maybe I could help. After making a private weekend retreat at the Jesuit house of Manresa overlooking the Naval Academy, I contacted the Vocations Director for the Archdiocese, had several interviews, attended the seminary in Washington, and was ordained along with eleven other men in 1975. Back then the shortage was not being felt as we had four priests serving St. Dominic’s on Harford Road. Now there is only one priest, and he is also pastor of another previously large parish.
With this happening throughout the Archdiocese, over the years, a plan was needed. So five years ago, after extensive listening, the Archbishop issued a pastoral letter titled A Light Brightly Visible. While partly intended to enable the diocese to operate more efficient administratively, financially, and pastorally, a main objective was to improve on evangelization efforts, the primary objective of the Church. To do this, some individual parishes were needed to combine and form a pastorate with one pastor responsible for two or more parishes. Some pastorates would have an associate pastor as well.
When the pastorates were designed, it was decided to join St. Jane Frances and Our Lady of the Chesapeake. The timing will be a gradual process over a period of years. It will start when I retire as of July 1, 2022. At this time, the plan is for Father Stephen Hook to be appointed Pastor of St. Jane Frances while continuing to serve as Pastor of Our Lady of the Chesapeake.
While it will be difficult to leave St. Jane’s, I do so knowing I am leaving it in capable hands of a good, talented, holy priest.
Fr. Carl
