This is what I looked like as a newly ordained in 1980 and what I look like today. Fortunately, no change! But big changes are coming! Effective July 1st, I assume “senior priest” status, meaning I will be retired from obligatory administrative ministry and living full time on Hilton Head Island, SC, which is in the Charleston Diocese. There is no such thing as a “retired” priest though. I will still be active helping in various parishes on Hilton Head and in Savannah. 42 years a priest and soon to be 69 years old were indications to me that it is time to relax a bit from the challenges of administrative and managerial aspects of being a pastor and simply chilling out and being a priest without administrative headaches. I’m still lucid enough to know when it is time to let go before I am told to let go! Looking forward to forging a new identity as a “senior” priest! Stay tuned...
18 comments:
Congratulations, Father McDonald! It is wise, indeed, to retire before you are retired by others!
Enjoy! Come visit! Can you take the morning masses here in the week of October 9th?
*|;->
Wow, a great moment for you. St Anne's is in good hands too, as you pass the torch! Whether you realize it or not, your arrival in Macon as our Pastor and the example you set for us Makin's, has born great fruit for our family and the church. God's timing was/is good. HHI is my favorite place and perhaps we'll run into each other at some point. God go with you. Stay healthy, relax, rest, and continue to do what you do for others.
Tom, Elizabeth, Tommy, Laura and Patrick
Wow, a great moment for you. St Anne's is in good hands too, as you pass the torch! Whether you realize it or not, your arrival in Macon as our Pastor and the example you set for us Makin's, has born great fruit for our family and the church. God's timing was/is good. HHI is my favorite place and perhaps we'll run into each other at some point. God go with you. Stay healthy, relax, rest, and continue to do what you do for others.
Tom, Elizabeth, Tommy, Laura and Patrick
Congratulations! So well deserved. I hope you continue your blog and service to the folks on Hilton Head by helping guide their consciences. And check out Edisto Island. Even more laid back, great fishing, walk for miles without seeing anyone, but real locals in the village and great food and beer.
And I hope Fr Dawid gets a CrossFit class started.
Enjoy what looks to be a very luxurious retirement. I envy you, I really do.
But "BOMBSHELL"?
You've been dropping hints about this for quite some time. Bombshells are unexpected.
Congratulations, and best wishes, Fr. AJM! Thank you for devoting your life to the service of the people of your diocese. S'Bohom! Go with God!
I neglected to provide prayerful best wishes to your successor, Fr. Dawid. I hope he takes that which you established at St. Anne's and builds upon it further enchanting the liturgical experience provided there. May God grant to his servant, Fr. Dawid, peace, health and happiness for many blessed years!
Congratulations - and although we usually attend the Latin Mass at the Savannah Cathedral, we are officially members of Holy Family parish on Hilton Head...not only would we welcome a Latin Mass there, we would be willing to help get a schola organized to support it.
Dan & Kristen McGuire
Nice that Father Kwiatkowski is able to celebrate the EF!!!
Did I miss the date?
Officially July 1 but my departure day is Sunday June 26!
It just occurred to me that you can finally start wearing Birkenstocks and grow a ponytail.
Sophia here: Congratulations Father! Way to go! I am so happy for you! Besides you have made it abundantly clear that you as a good shepherd know that your priestly vow is a lifetime commitment to serve the people of God so you are retiring only from the administrative burdens! At this stage of your life you have certainly earned the right to use the time you would be spending on administrative duties, relaxing and doing more of the things you enjoy doing! I do hope one of those things is this blog!
And how fitting that Fr. Dawid should be following in your footsteps there! You and he made such a wonderful team at St. Joseph! Your parishioners will continue to be in wonderful hands because he too is a good, orthodox ( vs heterodox ) shepherd ! And Savannah can even continue to have it’s Latin Mass!
May God continue to bless you with good health as you continue your vital work on behalf of the Church while also pursuing activities you enjoy!
Congratulations, I guess. I'm sad. I hated to see you leave St. Jospeh's and hate to see you retire. You are a good priest and I have learned a lot from you. You made sense of the Church when everything seemed ambiguous. Thank you.
Father who’s taking over as the Bishop’s Delegate for TLM in the diocese now that you are retiring. And please God don’t say Father K, 🤣
I remain the delegate.
Father McDonald,
As you should!!! I was so sad the day I was at the Cathedral for the TLM and you were not the celebrant. When I plan to be in Savannah again, I will contact you in advance!
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