I have to respond to Fr. Lou Fiorelli’s article in last week’s De Sales Weekly. Fr. Lou informed us that his article would be his last. This week, the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province is electing new leadership and Fr. Lou has determined he is ready to step back from this position. It’s perfectly understandable that he would choose to do so.
Fr. Lou served the Oblates internationally as our Superior General for twelve years. He served as a member of the team forming our seminarians for many years, and, as you know, most recently, served as the Provincial for the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province. My years working with him, as a fellow Provincial of the Toledo-Detroit Province, have been wonderful. Lou has been welcoming, supportive, collaborative and a gentle soul to work with. I will miss him as my cohort in this position. Thank you Lou for your faithful and generous service, and many blessings on the next chapter in your Oblate life.
On another topic, this past Sunday the Oblates of the Toledo-Detroit Province celebrated the Double Salesian Jubilee with the people we have served for over 70 years in Toledo, OH, and Southeast Michigan. We began appropriately, with a mass on the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ at Gesu Church, one of the Oblate parishes in Toledo. During the mass, after the homily, the Oblates gathered at the front of the sanctuary and renewed our vows publicly for the congregation. Following the mass, we moved to the Sullivan Center, the parish hall, for a reception.
It was a wonderful celebration. Between 600 and 700 people attended the liturgy and over 400 joined the Oblates at the reception. The comments from those attending were complimentary and filled with gratitude for the presence of the Oblates in their schools and parishes.
We Oblates invited the people from the area as an expression of our gratitude for their support, encouragement, and collaboration in our ministry. I began the liturgy by telling the congregation, “This celebration is for you. We Oblates are grateful for all you have done with and for us to assist us in our ministry and help make our efforts to serve the people of God in Ohio and Michigan a success.”
I’m sure the Oblates, wherever we have ministered and served God’s people, will share the same sentiment. So, thank you too!
Fr. Jack Loughran, OSFS
Provincial
Toledo-Detroit Province
