PROVIDENCE — St. Sebastian Parish welcomed its new pastor, Father Edward Sousa on Sunday, Oct. 16. Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans celebrated Holy Mass at the church and officially installed Father Sousa as pastor.
“Today, we gather in worship to witness the solemn installation of a new pastor, and we pray in thanksgiving to God that He has given us yet another new shepherd after the Heart of His Son,”
Bishop Evans said in his opening remarks. In his homily, Bishop Evans emphasized how good pastors are gifts from God to His Church.
“Today is, of course, a great day for this parish dedicated to St. Sebastian. And it’s not so much because of what we think we are doing, but what we allow God to do in our lives. By solemnly installing a new pastor, we acknowledge the continual protection and guidance of the Good Shepherd, who promised us that he would not leave us orphans but give us shepherds after his own heart. Your new pastor, Fr. Sousa, has been entrusted with a position of authority in guiding you, the People of God, to the Kingdom of God,” going on to note that the pastor serves a role of service to his congregation, preaching them the Gospel and guiding them in the Christian way of life in the midst of a world that is frequently out of touch with Catholic values.
After Mass, Father Sousa expressed his thankfulness to Bishop Evans and to those who assisted in the Mass, especially the altar servers and the musicians. He noted the highly personal nature of the day’s events, pointing out how Bishop Evans was also the one who previously installed Father Sousa when he was appointed the pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish, Providence.
