Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: May 09, 2021
My dear Parishioners and Friends,
Oftentimes I’ve been at a loss as to what to write about in my column for The Carpenter, our Parish bulletin. Not this week. As a matter of fact, it’s been something I’ve been sitting on for months, but unable to share with you until now.
First a little background: here in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, since the first months of Bishop Ott’s administration in 1983, the standard practice has been to appoint diocesan pastors to a six-year term. If everyone (I guess that means bishop, priest and people!) is happy, the pastor ordinarily stays up to another six years, up to twelve in all. Now while occasional exceptions have always been made for various reasons, it is a general policy that has served everyone well. I have been a supporter of this for many years. So when I arrived back at the Cathedral as pastor in July of 2009, I already figured that I’d likely move on in July of 2021.
But now there’s another, more important factor to consider. I often joke that getting older is no fun, and while I’m not exactly at death’s door yet – I hope! – over the past five or six years my health has progressively declined. I honestly am not able to maintain the same pace I used to be able to handle. If you’ve seen me gradually become slower and less steady on my feet, with other increasingly bothersome grimaces and hints at problems – or suffer such things yourself! – you know what I’m talking about.
This is why some months ago Bishop Duca and I began to dialogue about my moving on from here on July 1. From the start, he made it clear that were my health not an issue he’d simply overrule my positive view of the “twelve year rule”! And I do want to state emphatically that I very much appreciate his kind care and concern for me. But we both know that effective parish ministry demands a lot of a pastor, and that I’m less able to give this than I want to. And we both wish our beloved St. Joseph Cathedral Parish to have effective leadership moving forward.
Let me be quick to say: I am NOT retiring! I will transition back into full-time diocesan ministry with our Tribunal office. It’s a particularly critical work, and an understaffed one at this time. It’s vital to the entire Catholic community, in every Parish. I have the unique training and still a willingness to continue to serve in this capacity for a while yet, so I’ll try to help move the Tribunal into the future, while helping out as a substitute priest at other parishes – and perhaps also here from time to time – as I am able.
I’m proud of what’s been accomplished here at St. Joseph’s. Some has been more tangible, such as the renovation and expansion of our Parish Hall, and the complete church waterproofing and office/rectory re-roofing, as well as many other smaller building-and-maintenance projects down through the years. We are a younger congregation than we were just a few years ago. More important have been the often unseen spiritual benefits to parishioners and visitors, during their participation at Mass, confessions, baptisms, weddings, anointings and funerals; in the stewardship and other charitable giving of our community; and in the glory given to God by steadfastness and sincerity in prayer, worship, music, service and fellowship. And I know that Bishop Duca, like Bishop Muench before him, have appreciated having a place among all of their other Parishes offering a special home and pulpit. I shall very much miss this place and all of you: having lived here for 21 of my 42 years of priestly ministry, it’s a special place and community for me.
Now it will be the task of someone else to take over here as pastor. I’m not at liberty to make that announcement to you yet, but I anticipate the bishop will do this very soon, within a week or so. Your new pastor of course will have new perspectives and insights, different priorities and emphases, and fresh interests and energy levels. Yet he’ll be able to draw inspiration from the storied 229-year history of St. Joseph Parish as the spiritual heart of Baton Rouge, and build upon the effective ministries and witness that always characterize our Parish family. I am already praying for him, and know you will do so as well.
Always in Christ,
Father Paul Counce
