Reaction was mixed to Saturday's announcement that two new priests will replace the current four priests serving the four large Catholic parishes in Chatham. The move is effective June 30 and will see Rev. Daniel Bombardier head up the clustered parishes of Blessed Sacrament and St. Agnes.
St. Joseph's and St. Ursula's parishes are also being clustered with a new priest, Rev. Richard Saldanha, replacing Father Dennis Wilhelm and Rev. Daniel Vere.
Vere, currently pastor of St. Ursula's parish, has been appointed pastor of St. Justin parish in London. Wilhelm's assignment will be announced at a later date.
Rev. Richard Saldanha, a native of India, will be in charge of the combined parishes of Blessed Sacrament and St. Agnes.
"I have a positive attitude toward the change, knowing that God is playing a role in the change," said Cindy Waddick, chairperson of the St. Agnes Parish Pastoral Council.
She said church members were already aware of the decision to cluster the four Catholic churches into two in Chatham.
"And we are very familiar with Rev. Bombadier," she said. "He served as a deacon at our church a few years ago."
She said she thinks most Catholics understand and accept the reasons for the many changes currently taking place in the church.
"It's a sign of the times," said Agnes Moon, who has attended St. Agnes Church for the past 42 years. "I don't like it, but, then again, I don't like any change."
Eva Beausejour said it doesn't do any good to complain.
She recently joined St. Agnes Church after her church in Grande Pointe was closed."We fought hard and long to keep our church open, but it didn't do any good," she said. "It seems so strange to see a for sale on the church building today."
Gloria Riberdy, who has attended St. Agnes Church for the past four years, said she isn't happy with the changes taking place in the church.
"But what are you going to do?" she asked.
Ethel Simmons, a parishioner at St. Agnes Church for the past 28 years, said "times change and we have to change with them."
Simmons said she's pleased that St. Agnes Church is being allowed to continue to operate when a number of churches in the district are being closed.
Bombardier is currently the associate pastor at St. Gregory the Great in Tecumseh.
A Windsor native, Bombardier completed a funeral service education program at Humber College in 1979 and became funeral director at Eric F. Nicholls Funeral Home in Wallaceburg.
He also volunteered and worked part-time for an organization in providing support to people with developmental disabilities.
In 1984 he entered religious life and served in Toronto, Hamilton, Miami, Kansas City and Chicago.
After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from Christ the King Seminary in Mission, B.C., he returned to the Windsor area and served briefly as the administrator of Meadows Manor Rest Home in Wheatley before entering St. Peter's Seminary.
He was ordained to the diaconate at St. Agnes in Chatham in 2003 and ordained to the priesthood in 2004.
His parish assignments have included St. Michael, Leamington; St. Joseph and St. Pius X, London and St. Gregory the Great, Tecumseh.
Saldanha is currently administrator of Our Lady Help of Christians in Watford.
He was born in Mangalore, South India. After completing studies at his local college, he entered the seminary, studying philosophy at the Papal Atheneaum in Pune and theology at Morning Star College in Calcutta.
He was ordained to the priesthood in 1979.
Over the next 25 years in India, he worked with Mother Theresa, was headmaster of a school and served in five parishes.
He came to Canada in 2003 and began serving in the Diocese of London in 2004.
His parish assignments have included All Saints, Strathroy; St. Patrick, Lucan; St. Matthew, Alvinston and Our Lady Help of Christians, Watford.
The assignments for Rev. Joseph Nevett and Rev. Francis Thekkumkatil will be announced at a later date.
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