Fr Robert Hendrickson

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today we mark the Feast of All Saints. It’s a time when the Church recognizes the lives of faith and virtue lived by those whose steadfast faith is known to us by their heroism and those whose lives are unknown to us because of their humility.

We are also, today, saying goodbye to Father Peter. We chose this weekend for two reasons. First, with the marking of All Souls last week, we prayed for so many who Fr Peter cared for during his time here. Many of you will know of the countless hours of prayer and devotion that have marked his care for those we love—and for those we love but see no longer.

Second, with the marking of All Saints, we recognize that so much of his work has been the patient building up and equipping of so many here for the life of faith. Whether in formation, baptism and confirmation preparation, marriage preparation, confessions, and more, Peter’s ministry has been the work that has formed and fed saints across the ages.

Many priests want to preach on their last day in a parish—some have stuff to get off their chests! Others just want a last chance to say what matters. Peter preached last week and focused on the virtue of love. He wanted his last Sunday to be that which stands at the heart of our life together—Communion.

He wanted to be at the Altar one more time with you doing the one thing priests are called to do with faith and love: to share Christ’s Body and Blood with us. He has done that in so many ways and for so many people. He has modeled what it means to be a “walking sacrament”—an outward and visible sign of the grace and love of Christ in this place.

He goes on to equip the saints in a new mission field and will see, by your lives of loving devotion, the work he started here bear fruit for generations to come. In the Church a goodbye is never truly a goodbye. It is always an “until next time”—though it is in God’s knowing when that shall be. The nature of life is that we are together for a time and can only pray that our time makes others richer. Peter leaves us richer for his witness and for that I am deeply thankful.

Yours in Christ,

—Fr Robert