Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,
I’m excited to announce that newly-ordained Fr. Joe Heisey has been assigned to St. Martin’s. He’ll be joining us in the first week of July. Fr. Joe was with us as a seminarian four years ago when COVID shut down the seminary. He helped us get up and running with the live-streamed Masses and our outdoor Eucharistic adoration and confessions. He is excited to join us, and I know you’ll give him a warm welcome.
A son of our parish, Fr. Dylan Prentice, who was just ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Washington, is celebrating the 9:00am and 10:30am Masses this Sunday. Afterwards we’ll have a reception to congratulate Fr. Dylan by the Sisters’ convent. Hopefully, many of you are able to attend the Mass and/or the reception.
Next Sunday, June 30th, we say farewell to Fr. Patrick and thank him for his fruitful priestly ministry at St. Martin’s. Please join us in the school gymnasium after the 1:30pm Mass for our going-away party. Fr. Patrick’s last day at the parish is Monday, July 1. I am grateful for his ministry over the last three years. Notably, he recruited and trained the altar servers, led the effort to start our Ministry Fair, was active in the school and with our religious education program and started our burgeoning Vocation’s Ministry. Above all Fr. Patrick made a great effort to get to know everyone by name. When he ministered to anyone, whether in the most mundane of circumstances or the most profound, he did so with a personal touch that is a special gift of his. Godspeed Fr. Patrick, and we can’t wait for your invitation to join you for a southern Maryland crab feast!
In Christ,
Fr. Dave
