Dear Parishioners of St. Pius X,
By way of introducing myself as your new pastor, I
thought it would be beneficial to share some of my personal history with you. I
am the seventh of nine children, six boys and three girls. I grew up in the old
textile village of Manville, Rhode Island.
The local parish community of Saint James Manville played
an important role in my family’s life. As a teenager, the Church, just up the
street, was my second home. I attended the local catholic grammar school and
public middle and high School. After high school I attended Rittner’s School
for Floral Design and worked as a cook in a nursing home for ten years.
I joined the Capuchins at the age of twenty-five. While
in my formational years as a Capuchin, I lived in several places: Garrison, NY;
Manchester, NH; Calvary Station, WI; Orange, NJ; and Talofofo, Guam. I received
both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Seton Hall University. My first assignment, after ordination, was to
serve as parochial associate for the yoked parishes of St. Ann and St.
Augustine, in Manchester, NH. Ten months after ordination, I was asked to take
on the pastorship of Saint Joseph’s in New Paltz, NY. The University of New
Paltz, tourism and the local apple orchards were the main employment
opportunities for parishioners of the large rural parish with its enrollment of
five hundred children in the religious education program.
After serving in New Paltz for nine years, it was the
provincial’s desire that I take on the responsibility of being the pastor of
The Monastery Church of the Sacred Heart in Yonkers, New York. The complex
consisted of a large Romanesque style church, grade school, high school, and
monastery. This church and monastery are the central meeting places for the
Capuchin Province of Saint Mary. Most of the religious professions, ordinations
and funerals for the friars take place at Sacred Heart. Also, visitors frequent
Sacred Heart seeking Blessed Solanus Casey’s intercession, as he lived in the
monestary and served on the parish staff.
After reaching my term limit as pastor in Yonkers, at the
desire of the provincial, I relocated to Rutland, Vermont, where I have lived
for the past nine years. While living in Rutland at St. Peter’s Friary, I
served as Pastor of two small rural parishes, north of Rutland: Saint
Alphonsus’ Church in Pittsford and Our Lady of Good Help Church in Brandon. A
year and a half ago, after the
retirement of one of the friars, I took on the role of administrator of St.
Peter’s in Rutland. I enjoyed my time
living and ministering in Vermont. The
faithful of Vermont are a very generous people.
I look forward to
this new adventure serving the people of Middletown as Pastor of Saint Pius X.
This is a very active parish. It has a strong religious education component for
both youth and adults. The Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation and Eucharist
are celebrated frequently and with great dignity. And there are many devotional
practices that nurture people’s faith. My desire is to continue what has been
established and to move forward together on this journey of faith.
Pax et bonum,
Fr. Moe
