Dear People of St. Barbara,

I would like to share with you the news that Fr. Francis Li has been assigned to be administrator of St. Therese Chinese Catholic Church in Chinatown effective July 1, 2010. St. Therese parish had been staffed for many years by the Xaverian Missionary Fathers. The religious order has made the decision that the two priests currently at St. Therese (Fr. Michael Davitti, SX, the pastor, and Fr. Aniello Salicone, SX, the associate) are needed elsewhere, so now St. Therese will staffed by Archdiocesan priests. While I am personally sad that Fr. Francis is leaving St. Barbara Parish, I happy for him in his new appointment as administrator of St. Therese. Fr. Francis has been a blessing for us, expanding the ministries at St. Barbara and sharing with us his unique sense of humor. His love for Liturgy is reflected in the prayerfulness of our liturgical celebrations. I personally enjoyed the camaraderie we shared, along with the Chinese noodle suppers he would share with me. During his four years here, we have learned from each other, challenged each other, and supported each other. Fr. Francis will still be part of the Bridgeport Cluster of parishes. My prayers are with him, and I wish him the best. (printed in March 28, 2010 bulletin)

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Dennis Ziomek

Administrator
St. Barbara Parish