Greetings of peace. We pray in a spirit of profound thanksgiving for all of our mothers, living and deceased. We love you! We also pray for all of those people who, for one reason or another, find Mother’s Day to be difficult: May you know of God’s love and consolation.
Here at the Shrine, Fr. Ron Stark, OFM (photographed here), has decided to retire from ministry. He will soon be moving to the Franciscan Friary in St. Petersburg, Florida. His final Mass at the Shrine will be the regularly scheduled Mass on Sunday, May 19, 2019, at 10:30 am. Per his request, it will be a low-key affair. He will be happy to greet people after Mass as usual, but there will be no post-Mass reception. It goes without saying that this is a big loss for the Shrine, but no one has earned retirement more. Thank you for all you have done for us, Fr. Ron!
Fr. Thomas Conway, OFM
Executive Director