On May 1, 2021, the Monitor will publish the new priest assignments for the upcoming year for the Diocese of Trenton. Unfortunately, when they are published, you will read that both Fr. Al and Fr. Marcin will be transferring away from St. Gregory’s at the end of June. Fr. Al will be going St. Benedict’s Church in Holmdel as the parochial vicar, a parish very similar to this one, with a school. Fr. Marcin will be taking on multiple assignments as a parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Trenton, one of the priest chaplains for the Capital Health system, and additional ministerial duties at Divine Mercy Parish in Trenton. Fr. Al and Fr. Marcin have been with us for 5 and 3 years respectively which makes this a sad time for our parish, although we have learned over the years that the tenures of parochial vicars tend to be relatively short, as they gain multiple pastoral experiences, so as to better serve the Church and the diocese. We will take the time to say farewell to them at the end of June before they move to their new assignments, so we won’t say goodbye just yet. Hopefully when that time does come, the pandemic will have eased enough that we can say a true farewell and celebrate their time with us. I thank them for their help as I transitioned back to my home parish this year, and I am sure that they know that all of our prayers and well-wishes will go with them as they prepare to depart St. Gregory the Great.
On the other side of the sad announcement, is the exciting news that, as long as everything goes according to plan, we will be receiving a new parochial vicar Rjoy Ballacillo, who is currently a transitional Deacon serving at St. Theresa in Little Egg Harbor. God-willing he will be ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral in Trenton on Saturday June 5, 2021. The assignment of a newly ordained priest shows that the bishop believes that the experience that a newly ordained priest will receive at St. Gregory’s will help form them as they begin their priesthood. So, we will make sure he gets a lot of experience. Additional clergy help as we move forward will be provided by some of the retired priests of the Diocese who have graciously agreed to assist us in Sacramental ministry. So this is both a sad and happy announcement. Please pray for our priests, and remember we still have two months with Fr. AL and Fr. Marcin…and as always, pray for vocations to the priesthood in the Diocese of Trenton and throughout the entire Church.