The Lord be with you. I have some important news: effective June 30th I will be the administrator of St. Ignatius of Antioch and pastor of St. Thomas More. Rev. Kevin Estabrook, who is currently pastor of St. Ignatius, will become the pastor of St. Claire in Lynnhurst and Sacred Heart of Jesus in South Euclid.
Before going into more detail, we should acknowledge the overall situation of our diocese. In 2006 when Rev. Bill Bouhall was your pastor, the Diocese of Cleveland had well over 250 active priests. Today we have approximately 170. As priests retire the Bishop has to make difficult decisions. He must decide which parishes have a full time pastor, which parishes must share a pastor, and which parishes will not have a priest assigned to them. Not all of the priests can serve as pastors. Some priests simply lack the skills and abilities to be pastors while others discover that the demands of this role are too stressful. In any case the bishop must make the best prudential decisions without perfect knowledge.
Moving onto details, what is the difference between an administrator and pastor? As pastor of St. Thomas More, I have the right to stability. In other words, pastors are meant to remain at a parish all other considerations being the same. An administrator, however, is meant to fulfill the work of a pastor for a time. Both administrators and pastors enjoy the same rights and responsibilities. Accordingly I cannot privilege one parish over another. I may not end up spending the same amount of time at each parish, but I am expected to ensure that both receive the pastoral care owed them.
At some point in the not so distant future, Bishop Malesic will decide whether I become pastor of St. Ignatius or not. It is my intent to have a conversation with the people of St. Ignatius about their needs and what they can support. Likewise, I will be discerning whether one priest can reasonably be expected to pastor St. Ignatius and St. Thomas More.
I was able to be pastor of two parishes in Garfield for eight years because I had the support of the people. I will need your support and your understanding in the months ahead. I will be as present to both parishes as I am able, but I know that sharing a priest - even for a short time - can be difficult.
Your concerns and input about this change should come to me first because I want to hear them. Transparency and clear communication help us to avoid a great deal of problems. I acknowledge that this news will be difficult for some. When I was ordained a priest fourteen years ago, I promised obedience. Doing what the bishop asks is how I obey God. May the Lord give us all the graces we need.
In His Sacred Heart,
Fr. John
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