Messages From Father Alan

(07/15/05)

Dear Friends,

Welcome! It may seem strange for me to welcome you, after all it is I who am the new arrival, but I feel that as your Pastor, I have a duty to welcome you. I do not welcome you to a physical place but a spiritual one. As your new Shepherd, it is my responsibility to keep you next to my heart, in my thoughts and in my prayers. It is to this place that I welcome you. I hope you will find it a place of encouragement and refreshment as you strive to follow Christ.

I want to thank all of you who have welcomed me to the community. People have helped me unload boxes, cooked me dinner, and shown me around. In the days to come I will be meeting with more of you. I ask for your patience as I attempt to come to grips with all the many aspects of such a large and vibrant parish. I will need the benefit of your prayers, your experience and your advice as we begin a new chapter in the histories of Ss. Peter and Paul and St Joseph's/Shrine of St Katharine Drexel parishes.