Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I write to you with a pastoral heart, seeking to foster greater understanding and unity within our vibrant parish family. As your shepherd, I wish to clarify our procedures for hospital visitations and sacramental care, while emphasizing a vital truth: no priest can be all things to all people. In our rapidly growing community of over 1,200 families, we rely on the collaborative ministry of our brother priests across the diocese to ensure that the sacraments reach those in need without delay.

First, please know that all hospital visitations must be initiated by a family member contacting the parish office directly. While friends and neighbors may hold deep concern—and I encourage you to keep those in need in your fervent prayers—it is the family's role to make the formal request. This ensures efficient coordination amid our many pastoral demands.

I write this message to you do to a recent situation where I was approached in the narthex with urgent concerns and was told that I was uniquely obligated in a situation simply because someone belongs to this parish. While I deeply value every parishioner, a priest’s ministry must extend to the whole flock, and pastoral care often requires balancing many needs and coordinating with neighboring priests.

A follow-up remark suggested this obligation was greater because I was considered “their priest,” a sentiment that risks fostering what the Church cautions against: a cult of personality. No priest belongs exclusively to any one person or community; all share equally in the sacred priesthood of Christ and serve as instruments of His grace for the good of the whole Church.

You may have heard discussions about hospital assignments, particularly for Manatee Memorial, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, or Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Travel times—30 minutes along SR-301 on a good day, 30-45 minutes to Lakewood Ranch, or nearly an hour to Sarasota—make it impractical for me to respond to every call personally.

As the sole priest shepherding our expanding parish, my primary duty lies here at St. Frances Cabrini: celebrating Masses, hearing confessions, and tending to those within our boundaries. In addition, my days are often filled with meetings, parish administration, and scheduled time in the office to meet personally with parishioners for spiritual guidance, pastoral counseling, and the many needs that arise in parish life.

Due to these responsibilities and the distances involved, we coordinate with nearby parishes when urgent sacramental care is needed—entrusting ministries such as the anointing of the sick or Viaticum to brother priests best positioned to arrive promptly.

This practice upholds the Church's wisdom: any validly ordained priest can administer the sacraments with the fullness of Christ's grace. Familiarity is a blessing, but it must never delay the mercy of God. In moments of crisis, receive from whichever priest God sends—his hands convey the same divine power.

I kindly ask that we avoid gossip or misunderstanding, as it wounds our community and the good name of the Church. Trust in the many moving parts working behind the scenes for your spiritual good. If I could traverse I-75, US-301, or Forthammer Road at a moment's notice, I would; yet prudence calls us to this shared brotherhood.

Encouragingly, two new hospitals will soon open near our parish, making timely care even more accessible from familiar faces. Until then—and always—let us embrace this truth: the sacraments are Christ's gift, not tied to any one priest.

Thank you for your understanding, prayers, and faithful witness. May the Lord bless our parish abundantly.



In the peace of Christ,

Fr. Joseph Gates