The Rev. Guy Blair, a high-profile advocate for homeless and hearing-impaired people in Green Bay, has been called to serve a parish in South Dakota, the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay announced this morning.Background 1 and 2
Blair is the pastor of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in downtown Green Bay, but will leave on Sept. 14 for St. James Parish in Chamberlain, S.D.
He was called to his new assignment by his order, the Priests of the Sacred Heart. He was to have transferred within the Green Bay diocese to St. Paul Catholic Church in Combined Locks.
The Hales Corners-based order also runs St. Joseph Indian School, an elementary school for Native American children, in Chamberlain.
Green Bay Bishop David Ricken received a letter from the Provincial Superior of Blair's order alerting him of the move, the diocese said.
Blair, a Connecticut native, came to Green Bay from San Antonio, Texas, in September 2005.
Ricken previously said it was a difficult decision to transfer Blair to Combined Locks. The bishop said a shortage of priests prompted the move, which was unpopular with St. John parishioners, the hearing-impaired community and advocates for the homeless.
Blair's weekly Mass for the deaf is the only one of its kind in the Green Bay diocese, which covers 16 counties: Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Forest, Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago.
The seasonal homeless shelter at St. John's will continue operating without Blair.
The Rev. John Girotti will still become pastor of St. John’s the Evangelist on Sept. 15, while continuing as pastor of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Parish, also in downtown Green Bay. Girotti doesn't know sign language, he said, but he'll do his best to reach out to hearing-impaired parishioners at St. John.
The Rev. James Lucas, the pastor of St. Paul Parish in Combined Locks, will leave for a new assignment on Sept. 15. The Priest Personnel Board will meet this week to discuss his successor.
Green Bay priest Blair sent to South Dakota
Very interesting to say the least. From the outside looking in, it sounds like Fr. Blair had a lot of people hero worshiping him. I did not realize he was not a diocesan priest, but a member of the Priest of the Sacred Heart. That makes it even more odd that folks wanted the bishop to do something about it even though he's not the bishop's priest.
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6 comments:
I am sure Fr. Blair is being sent where he is needed the most and can do the most good for the people who need him the most. He will probably start a well needed homeless shelter and a deaf ministry in SD. The workings of God are mysterious to us but this is the right direction for Fr. Blair. This parish he is going to is probably one run by his Order and they have need for him there. As a religious priest his Community's needs come first.
Well put Anon. I think although there was quite a bit of bruhah(and still begs the question why Bp Ricken had to get involved at all), at the end of the day he must go where his order find him the best fit.
Sacra Corda, miserere nobis!
Fr. Blair was a blessing to the Green Bay Diocese and he should be shared. Why can't he be a blessing for SD?
We can't be greedy and want to keep him here when God has determined SD needs him and he will be as much a blessing there as he was here. Let's wish him the best of luck and happiness in his new assignment, instead of selfishly wanting him to remain here. As Catholics we have to have faith in the will of God. Fr. Blair will be as happy in SD as he was in Green Bay. We may some day read that he has become the Man Of The Year in SD for the good he will do there.
The transfer of Fr. Blair may seem like a terrible loss for Green Bay right now but God's ways are not our ways. We must accept his going and send him to South Dakota with cheerful hearts, all the while thanking God that we had him in the first place.
He will be a great addition to our area. St. Joseph's will be blessed to have him, as will the Native American children the school serves. The town will also be blessed, and hopefully Fr. Blair will be able to move the hearts of people in further outreach directions.
Soozi Weisflock, Kimball, SD
Father Blair will be a blessing to South Dakota. Having followed his work while living in Wisconsin, I am looking forward to seeing how we will be blessed by Father Blair's presence in our area.
Maria Birch, Kimball, SD
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