Saturday, January 1, 2011

A New Year

My dear brothers and sisters:


If there's one lesson I've come to learn more and more it's that life is always changing around us. The seasons remind us of this, both the seasons of nature and the seasons of the Church's year. The one thing that remains constant is Gods infinite love for us and the sure footed shepherding of his Holy Church. But so much else changes.


Three years ago I was given the grace of being made your rector. It has been an honor and a joy. The perduring faith of the folks who gather around the Cathedral with the help of Saint Paul is one of the things that from generation to generation never seems to change.


But, as I'm sure you have noticed, the Cathedral has not been the only ministry to which the Church has called me. For these past several years I have also taught all of the Liturgy courses to the seminarians at Saint Johns Seminary and served as Executive Secretary of the Vox Clara Committee and responded to the calls of Bishops all over the United States and Canada to teach their priests about the new Roman Missal. It's been a lot.


It is for this reason that I began discussions with Bishop McManus several months ago in order to figure out how best this aging cleric can balance these multiple responsibilities. I am deeply grateful to Bishop McManus, to Bishop Kennedy, and Cardinal Pell for their kind support and guidance in this discernment process.


I am therefore happy to let you know that Bishop McManus will announce this week that, effective January 24th, that he is appointing me to the faculty of Saint John’s Seminary and to service as Executive Secretary of the Vox Clara Committee. While I will dearly miss the wonderful folks who go to make up the Cathedral Parish, my heart will never leave the Cathedral. This is the place I was ordained and the Church of my Bishop, and the Church of you, who will always remain close to my heart.


I am also delighted that Bishop McManus will be appointing Monsignor Johnson as Administrator of the Cathedral. You will be in very good hands, indeed.


Over the next several weeks there will be much more to say and many more opportunities for us both to prepare for this transition. In the meantime, as always, let us keep each other in prayer.


In the Lord,


Monsignor James P. Moroney

Rector