Letter from the Pastor
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October 5, 2025
It was exactly 10 years ago today, that I arrived at St. Margaret’s. Where has the time gone? I look back on these past ten years and reflect on how God has been so good to me. I am grateful to God for sending me here. You have always inspired me by your devoutness and your generosity to St. Margaret’s, your love of family, tradition, and culture.
The first babies I baptized are now in the fifth grade, ten years of First Communions, marriages, funerals, sharing joyful and sorrowful family moments. Celebrating Christmas and Easter, renewing and enhancing the beauty of our parish Church, adding to the treasury of our parish, new boilers, and other physical improvements. Ten years of classes, budgets, and roof repairs. Ten years of welcoming new members, watching some members move away, watching the kids grow up, go off to college and coming back home young men and women.
Over these ten years, I have been awed by the powerful, deep action of God’s presence in prayer at Mass and devotions, the number of people going to confession. I have been humbled by people’s generosity, by their honesty and openness, and by their love of neighbor expressed in their service and charity. I have been supported by your prayers and inspired by your journey with God.
It has been a privilege to share these years together. Thank you for your patience with me, for your willingness to try new ideas. Thank you for shouldering one another’s burdens and sharing one another’s joys. Thank you for opening your hearts and homes and for being an immeasurable blessing to me.
If it is God’s will, I pray that I’m here for another 10 years.
The first Sunday in October is Respect Life Sunday. It is a Sunday set aside by our bishops since 1972 to emphasize that we as a country are called to respect all human life, especially the unborn.
Once again this year from 2:00 - 3:30PM on the corner of Rte. 59 and Middletown Road, the 33rd Annual Rockland County Life Chain will take place. It is a silent witness to the sanctity of human life, most particularly the life of the unborn. I encourage you and your family to participate by simply standing there and being a living witness to Life.
The Sacrament of ConfirmationOver the next three weeks, Bishop Whalen will be visiting our parish to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on 70 of our young men and women. Congratulations to them, as we thank you, Mom and Dad for fulfilling your promises, and to their Sponsors who are standing with our young people. Our prayers are with you as you are now full members of our Catholic Church, and called to live out your vocation as Catholic-Christians.