Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I wish everyone a very Happy Feast Day of Our Lady’s Assumption into Heaven, which we have anticipated this year so as to celebrate it on Sunday.
Some changes among the Diocesan Clergy have been announced this weekend. They will happen for the last weekend in October – October 30th/31st 2022. They are as follows:
Fr Brian Lamb, at present Parish Priest of St Joseph’s, Blantyre, will succeed Fr Gerry Chromy as Administrator of Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell;
Fr Chromy will be become Assistant Priest at St Joseph’s, Blantyre, where the new PP will be Fr Martin Delaney, at present PP of St Aloysius’, Chapelhall. St John Ogilvie’s is now part of St Joseph’s Parish, which Fr Delaney will be responsibility for and will also be School Chaplain of St John Ogilvie’s High School.
Also with regard to St Joseph’s I have agreed that Deacon Joe Dowds will retire as Parish Deacon on 1st February 2023.
After discussions with the Syro-Malabar Community I have decided that they will move from St Cuthbert’s, Burnbank, to St John Ogilvie’s, High Blantyre, at the end of October also. As well as providing Mass for his own community and residing at St John Ogilvie’s, Fr Johny Abraham with assist Frs Delaney and Chromy in St Joseph’s Parish. I recognise there will be sadness that the Syro-Malabar Community will be moving from St Cuthbert’s and I thank the parishioners there for all they have given and shared with them during their time there.
Fr Mark O’Donnell, at present Assistant Priest in the Cathedral Parish, will become Parish Priest of St Aloysius, Chapelhall, which includes Sacred Heart, Salsburgh, and will be Chaplain to St Margaret’s High School in Airdrie. Fr Mark will continue as Chaplain of the Diocesan Youth Ministry.
Deacon Mario Vannini will return to minister as a Deacon in the Diocese at Our Lady and St Anne’s, Cadzow, in October, after his time at Dalbeattie in Galloway Diocese. We welcome him back.
I thank all the priests and deacons involved in these moves and ask your continued prayers and support for all our clergy.
Having mentioned a couple of our Permanent Deacons, I wish to it make clear that they are Ordained Ministers of the Church, and their ministry very much includes the Celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism and the Distribution of Holy Communion at Mass. No member of the faithful has any right to ask that a priest should baptise or give them Holy Communion rather than a Deacon.
With my prayers and good wishes,
Yours in Christ,
+ Joseph Toal
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