One of the joys of being in a church community is celebrating the joys of the congregation. This Sunday we celebrate the joy of Father Ryan’s ordination to the priesthood. After years of prayer and discernment, Father Ryan is living out God’s call to him. I am delighted that we are able to celebrate this long awaited occasion.
So, what’s next? Father Ryan has been serving at Three Pillars to cover for Pastor Terese since she broke her leg in the Strawberry Fest Dunk Tank. He is there Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. until she is able to return to work. This means that while you will continue to see him at 8 a.m., you likely won’t see him at 10 a.m. until September.
In the meantime, Canon Scott has a number of churches looking for priests. He and Father Ryan will continue to talk and, when Father Ryan finds the right call, he will likely take it, to the glory of God and for the benefit of the church. While I personally hope that he’s very picky and stays with us for quite some time, I also know that his talents, skills and gifts will help build up the body of Christ and I won’t stand in the way of that.
So, what all that means is that Father Ryan will be here for an indeterminate amount of time. When we have more details about where and when he will leave, we will inform the parish and we will send him off in style. In the meantime, we will be delighted to have him at St. Mary’s.
Thank you to everyone who has signed up to help with selling root beer floats for Derby Days. We have a couple more spots on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. Please consider signing up to help for an hour. Also, I would appreciate it if everyone prays for good weather.
Prayers and Blessings,
Mother Pippa