Holy Rosary Church – Stuttgart issued the following announcement on May 12.
(español abajo)
I hope everyone is having a blessed week. In my homily this past Sunday, Mother’s Day, I spoke a bit about mothers and also about other vocations of service to the Church. My central point was that, since God calls all of us to holiness, every vocation is a help to every other. For example, in my service as a priest, I find inspiration from the love and faithfulness that you show in your families, and conversely, I hope that what I do provides you spiritual strength and support in the ways that you need it.
I wrote that homily with the expectation that, in the course of it, I would be making the following announcement, but it had to be delayed last minute. (I’m sorry for that; I wish I could have shared this news with you in person.) I learned last week that my priestly assignment will be changing and, by the middle of June, Holy Rosary will have a new pastor. Since I came here three years ago, I have also had an assignment as a judge on the diocesan tribunal. Bishop Taylor has asked me to relocate to Little Rock to begin serving in that capacity full time.
Your new pastor will be Fr. Babu Battula, a priest of the Diocese of Nellore, India, who has broad experience of being a pastor here in Arkansas and, before that, in Oklahoma. When I was first ordained and stationed in Fort Smith, I came to know Fr. Babu because he was the pastor of a large, vibrant, multicultural church across town. He was well-liked by everyone who knew him; he has a joyful personality, is an able pastor to both English and Spanish-speaking communities, and was well-loved by the children of the parish school. Fr. Babu is coming back from India to serve our parish, and I have no doubt that his kindness and years of pastoral experience in different settings will be a blessing to the Holy Rosary community.
I know this news is surprising; it was for me, too. For some of you, it may also be a disappointment, and it certainly is that for me. However, I am hopeful that this change will benefit our community in the long run. Together, we have weathered the worst of the pandemic, and now the future is full of opportunities on many different fronts. As sad as I am to be leaving, I am glad for you that Fr. Babu will be able to dedicate all of his time and energy to the needs of our parish and school in a way that I could not.
In my homily on Sunday, I said that every vocation has its joys and its challenges; by means of both, God conforms us ever more to the image of his Son Jesus. The hardest challenge about the priesthood that I have found is saying farewell to the communities I have served. It has been a privilege to have been a part of this community these last three years, and I am grateful to all of you for how you’ve helped me to be a better, more Christlike priest.
Please reach out if you have questions or concerns, and let’s keep each other in prayer, including Fr. Babu as he returns to the USA. And let’s keep our eyes on Jesus the Good Shepherd, because in the end, as the psalmist said on Sunday, all of us – priests and parishioners – are “His people, the sheep of His flock.” I look forward to seeing you all over these next several weeks.
In Christ,
Fr. Andrew Hart
Original source can be found here.
Source: Holy Rosary Church – Stuttgart
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