As I prepare to move to my new assignment at St. Michael’s in Newark next week, I have thought about the various places I have served. \u00a0Next Thursday, June 30th, I will celebrate my ninth anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. \u00a0In those nine years, I have served in three different parishes that included four (Chemung, Yates, Ontario, and Tompkins) of the twelve countries in our diocese. \u00a0During my first assignment as a priest, I also did coverage in other churches (that adds the counties of Tioga, Steuben, and Schuyler Counties as well as a special Mass at a conference in Livingston County and a Mass in Fairport (Monroe County) where I did my pastoral year). \u00a0All total I have presided at Mass in twenty-six different churches including a monastery in nine different counties. \u00a0If you add in my first parish summer assignment in the seminary at St. Mary’s in Auburn that adds Cayuga County. \u00a0You could also include Seneca County where I served as a chaplain at a boy scout camp while doing my pre-theology studies. \u00a0This was not an assignment from the diocese but I did minster there.<\/p>\n
That leaves one county I have not ministered in the Diocese of Rochester – Wayne County.<\/p>\n
Would you like to guess what county Newark is in?<\/p>\n
Since I will arrive at St. Michael’s on June 28th, this means that by the time I celebrate my ninth anniversary on Thursday, June 30th, I would have ministered in some way (albeit some of them a single Mass) in all twelve counties of our diocese. \u00a0I would have never expected this.<\/p>\n