Following God's Plan

08-12-2018Weekly ReflectionFr. John Granato

My Dear Friends,

As most of you heard last week, I have been reassigned. Next Monday, August 20th, I begin my new assignment as pastor at St. Katherine Drexel Parish in New Britain. It consists of the two former parishes, St. Maurice and St. Jerome. I arrived in Torrington on August 1st, 2011, as an assistant to Father Tiano. Two years later, in July 2013, I was named administrator, soon to be followed by pastor in 2014. In those five years, the cluster went through many changes, the most destabilizing change being the closing of two parishes, and the merging of the four Torrington Catholic churches into St. John Paul the Great Parish.

The Slovaks and the Polish lost their church building and ethnic parish identity, while St. Francis and St. Peter lost their parish names, and in the case of St. Peter, there was a loss of their ethnic identity as well. It was difficult work, but, as I said once before, I am very proud of the parishioners in Torrington for how well you came together as one new parish even though you lost so much. But through loss, through death, there is always new life, and you gained so much by becoming one new parish. Through this we have become what it means to be truly Catholic; we are one parish community, ethnicities aside. I am humbled to know that I was a part of this process for you, walking with you, crying with you and crying for you, praying with you and for you and being there for you as your pastor, bringing stability to a period of crisis.

One thing I have come to know about Torrington is that you love your Catholic church and you love your city. With many parishioners being 3rd and 4th generation “Torringtonians”, it’s hard for anyone to really understand the people of Torrington unless they have spent time here. It’s a special place, a true micropolis. Even though you have a mayor, Torrington is not quite a city, nor is it quite a suburban town, for you still have working farms in much of the rural land in the city. In fact, Torrington has not changed much since the days when I visited in the 1980’s when I played football for Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury.

From the moment I arrived, you have welcomed me and have been very kind to me. Your love and support and your prayers have meant so much and have helped me get through some of the tougher times that we had. The cluster was the first pastorship I had in my priesthood. I learned how to be a pastor and, as it is with any new undertaking, I know I made mistakes. I know I made decisions as well that some people questioned. I sincerely apologize if I have ever offended anyone. I hope you know that every decision I made as your pastor was made through prayer and for the greater glory of God. I have been called to the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ. I try to live my vocation of priesthood with a spirit of humility and with the love of Christ. I love you so much. It is with joy and gratitude that I can say that, for I know that in my heart you are special in God’s eyes. I am sad in leaving you, for I know we still have so much to do in Torrington, both spiritually with the continued healing of your wounds with all of the changes that have occurred as well as the physical plant of our parish with all of the  projects that needs to get done. I was hoping to begin some of that this fall, but it is not meant to be.

But with that, I am also joyful, for I truly do love being a priest, and if it is God’s plan that I bring my gifts to another parish, then maybe God knows that I have brought all I can to you here in Torrington and now it is time to allow someone else to bring you along on your journey with Jesus Christ.

God bless you.

Fr. John

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