08/23/2026
If you were unable to come to the picnic today, the following is the message read to Father Jerome M. "Good day everyone. First of all, on behalf of the Pastoral Council and our parish, many thanks to the Knights of Columbus and the CWL for preparing this farewell luncheon. Today is a tender moment for our parish family, because we gather to say goodbye to someone who has quietly shaped the heart of St. Patrick's for the past seven years. In case you have not yet heard, Father Jerome has been transferred to St. Patrick's in Burlington, and today is his final Sunday with us. Growing up in India, Father Jerome felt the call early, and he followed it with a depth of obedience and trust that most of us can only admire. Eventually, he was sent here to Canada. He left his family, his home, his culture -everything familiar- because of the Canadian priest shortage, so that he could serve Catholic Canadians. That sacrifice alone deserves more gratitude than we could ever express. Seven years ago, Father Jerome arrived here, at St. Patrick's, and over time we came to know him -always gentle, prayerful, humble and steady... always a Carmelite. To be clear: Father Jerome didn't serve this parish solely out of obligation; he lived it as a vocation, deeply rooted in priestly love. He loved us in the quiet ways that priests do -the ways most people never see or appreciate. He offered Mass every single day. He prepared homilies. He visited our three parish schools. He listened to our worries. He baptized our children. He celebrated our marriages. He visited our sick and dying. He buried our loved ones. He sat with us in the confessional with patience and compassion. He prayed with us. Father Jerome was always gentle, always present, always selfless, always helping... always a priest. And then there is the part many people never think about: the repairs, the maintenance, the endless list of things that break, leak, crack, or fall apart in a decades-old building. Father Jerome took care of all of it. He worried about the roof, the furnace, the lights, the parking lot, the rectory, the hall, the insurance -things most of us never even knew were problems because he quietly fixed them. He carried the weight of this parish on his shoulders in ways that went far beyond the spiritual. Imagine a world without priests: no Mass, no sacraments, no spiritual shepherds. We should think more often of Jesus' gift to us, and be more grateful for priests like Father Jerome. We could not have a parish without a priest. Our parish would not be what it is today without, in particular, Father Jerome's steady, faithful presence. One day, he will hear Jesus perfecly say to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Father will have to wait for that perfect moment in eternity.
Father Jerome, thank you for serving us. thank you for every sacrifice -seen and unseen. Thank you for loving us. We send you with our prayers, our gratitude, and our affection. May God continue to guide your priestly heart wherever He leads you next. Father Jerome... please pray for us. We will pray for you. And -well done, good and faithful servant.
