Photo courtesy/Clergy Trust
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I have had the joy of being a priest for more than 30 years, serving in parishes throughout the archdiocese. During those years, I have had the privilege of sharing in so many graced moments with the people I was sent to serve. It has been through their example of faith lived out in the ordinary circumstances of everyday life that I have experienced the loving presence of God. It has been that example of faith that has given me hope, joy, and comfort and has sustained me in my ministry and my own journey of faith. As we approach another Easter, we are reminded, once again, that we are a resurrection people. We are all called to bring the light and joy of the Risen Christ to one another and to the world.
Each Easter is also a time for the faithful in our archdiocese to support their priests through the Clergy Trust collection. Clergy Trust is an independently managed trust that provides ongoing care and support for the health, well-being, and retirement needs of all active and senior diocesan priests in good standing across the Archdiocese of Boston.
I was honored to serve as a member of the Clergy Trust Board of Trustees for many years, and I now serve as a Trustee Emeritus. In these roles, I have witnessed the hard work of the Clergy Trust team to serve both active and senior priests. Their efforts have had an incredible impact on my own life and ministry and the lives of my brother priests. In recent times, I have experienced firsthand and been a beneficiary of the good care they provide.
Along with our ordinary healthcare, Clergy Trust provides three main programs that offer priests access to many different resources. These programs ensure our health and well-being so that we can continue carrying out our vocation to care for others.
The Intentional Living Program includes a 360-degree approach to healthy living with a focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I can speak from my own experience that it is easy for priests to neglect our own health when we are so focused on serving Christ and his people. This program serves as a support system and reminder that good health is imperative to continuing our ministry and building stronger communities.
The Dedicated Care Team offers one-on-one support to priests with health concerns, particularly as they navigate the healthcare system. This team is on the leading edge of care for priests in the United States, committed to addressing the specific holistic health and wellness needs of all priests while offering a wealth of talent and expertise in expanding and integrating important services.
The third component of care provided by Clergy Trust is the Regina Cleri Residence for senior priests. This recently renovated and updated retirement home currently houses 58 priests who average 85 years in age and have amassed more than 3,500 years of collective ministry. There are also two respite care rooms located at the facility for any priest recovering from recent surgery or illness. Located in downtown Boston, Regina Cleri supports the physical and emotional health of our senior priests so they can continue their lifelong vocation while also allowing them to live together in community before they are called home to God.
Your support of the Easter collection is critical to funding the healthcare and these three supportive programs that serve your priests so they, in turn, can serve you. Being a priest is a joyful and rewarding vocation, one that allows me and my brother priests to bring the presence of Christ to a world that so desperately needs it. I am so very grateful for the Clergy Trust team and the services they provide to help us stay healthy, and I am especially grateful for your support.
FATHER PETRINGA CURRENTLY SERVES AS PASTOR OF ST. TIMOTHY PARISH IN NORWOOD AND IS A TRUSTEE EMERITUS OF THE CLERGY TRUST BOARD OF TRUSTEES.