Rochester News

Prof Jordan has kindly passed on an e-mail from Peter Jesserer Smith of the St Alban's group:

I talked with Father Timothy Perkins, our vicar general, and we have some very encouraging news coming out of his meeting on Monday with Bishop Salvatore Matano! First of all, Father Perkins wanted to express his deep gratitude for the wonderful hospitality he received from the St. Alban's. He very much enjoyed his fellowship with us, and was glad for the opportunity to know us better.

Father Perkins said the meeting with Bishop Matano was "wonderful," and very much a meeting of the mind and heart. He told me that he had high hopes for the meeting, and even those were truly surpassed. Bishop Matano expressed his admiration for the Ordinariate's English spiritual and liturgical patrimony, and told Father Perkins he found our prayers very beautiful and moving. Bishop Matano also recognized that our mind and heart as a Catholic community are right in line with his own, and he appreciates that we are both going in the same direction.

Bishop Matano also told Father Perkins that he is working on a plan to put St. Alban's in a parish setting where we would be able to thrive, do a lot of good to spread the Gospel here in Rochester. He recognized that our current situation is no where near ideal, and is trying to fix it. Right now, Bishop Matano is trying to figure out the parish setting that would allow us to have a morning Mass time, full use of their facilities for other prayer and church functions, and be a good fit for the priest the Ordinariate would send.

Father Perkins said there are still a lot of discussions that need to take place, but this first meeting covered a lot of important ground, and we should really be encouraged. Bishop Matano told him St. Alban's has an important role to play in Rochester, and he's always been enormously impressed by everyone in St. Alban's he's met. He was also going to look into whether a diocesan priest could offer us the sacraments in our Ordinariate form.

In sum, Father Perkins said he's very hopeful that we shall have a new pastor by the summer or fall of 2017, so please pray for him!

With the end finally in sight, Father Perkins also said the months leading up to our new priest also provides St. Alban's an opportunity to look for creative ways to build our community and evangelize.

So please pray Bishop Matano and Bishop Steven Lopes as they continue to work together to find a priest and a parish setting for St. Alban's!

I've recently seen Bp Matano characterized elsewhere as a "good bishop". It does look like his vision for an Ordinariate parish follows a different model from the usual BDW mass between the Spanish and Korean ones on Sunday afternoon or whatever, which would certainly be a step forward. We'll have to see what develops, but I agree that this looks like good news.