Dear Folks,

As you some of you may have heard by now, last Friday I announced to Holy Cross staff and families that the Oblate Sisters will not be returning to Holy Cross Academy next year. I held off announcing it to the parish at large to give school families some time to tell their children, but for 21 years the Oblate Sisters have been a member of our parish family and I know this will come as difficult news for many of you.

I wish the very best of the Oblate Sisters, and I’m grateful for their ministry the past 21 years to our parish and our school. There’s been a lot of sadness and confusion about my decision not to renew their contracts at the school for next year, and I’d like to assure you that my reasons have nothing to do with anything scandalous. The simple fact is that priests and sisters have to move on as part of their ministry, and someone has to be the person to decide when that happens. In this case, as pastor, that falls to me. I know many of you have questions or would simply like to express your opinion to me. There’s not much more I’m able to say on personnel decisions, but please know I’m here for you, and am happy to listen.

Moving forward, everyone in the parish is invited to a meeting with me on Monday, March 25, at 7pm in the church about the steps moving forward at Holy Cross. Holy Cross is our parish school and the many blessings and graces that flow out of HCA are a huge benefit to the parish family at large, and I want to involve all of you in the next steps. So far, a lot of the feedback has understandably been asking if another religious order will be taking over HCA or, if not, what steps will be made to maintain the strong Catholic identity and high standard of education. My answer is that I’m currently doing everything in my power to make sure a religious order serves you at Holy Cross Academy. That’s my main priority, but because of the nature of the process I cannot guarantee it. But what I can guarantee is that Holy Cross will remain a school where the children of our parish are given a solid, faithful Catholic education of the highest quality. I hope to see many of you on Monday.

pax et bonum,

Fr. John Mosimann