Ordained 50 years ago this past April 25 (in St. Edward’s Parish, Westport) and having celebrated my 75th birthday in June, I will now continue priestly life and ministry in a more relaxed manner and setting. I will live on our 1831 family farm along the Upper Rideau Lake between Westport and Newboro, and help out on weekends in various parishes as needed. I look forward to a daily schedule that includes Mass, more time for prayer, as well as more opportunities to play hockey and golf. I also plan on writing a book telling the story of our family and farm.
Father Jan Kusyk, parish priest of Lanark, Stanleyville & DeWitt’s Corners (summer months) will leave this area on November 26 to become pastor of Lansdowne and Rockport Parish along the St Lawrence River, while living in St. Francis Xavier Rectory in Brockville. I want to congratulate Father Jan for his fruitful parish and vocations ministries, as well as for his role at SJC High School and with St John’s Parish trueLIGHT youth group.
Father Charles Enyinnia will be the new pastor of parishes currently ministered to by Father Jan and myself, with Father Brian Russell as associate pastor. Both are good and holy priests, considerably younger than myself and eager to take on the joys and challenges of pastoral care in these wonderful parishes and schools.
I want to express my gratitude to the good Lord and to all of you for the blessings I have received during my most recent ten years in the parish and schools. I was stationed here as a newly ordained priest from 1970-73 and have family living here, and so have been connected with Perth and with many of you for the past 50 years.
I will always look back fondly on my time here and continue to pray for the needs and intentions of all of you, especially as it becomes clearer day by day that only by turning to the Lord and His Church can we receive the help we need to find our way through these increasingly turbulent times.
With love & prayers,
Father Brian McNally