Santa Barbara Mission Reduces Sunday Mass Schedule Due to Drop in Friars

The Santa Barbara Mission has reduced its Sunday Mass schedule due to a drop in Friars. It comes at a time when Father Larry Gosselin from the Mission is about to embark on a journey to the Vatican for the a canonization of Mother Teresa of Kolkata.

“There is some conflict with the Mass scheduling. We can only be in one place at one time We do have some help to cover our masses but
it is problematic for us,” said Fr. Gosselin. “If one of us is gone for whatever reason we have to search high and low to be that replacement.”

The schedule for priests is very busy besides the masses at the Mission. They also do the mass at Poor Clare’s Monastary nearby daily, along with frequent weddings, religious duties throughout the community, and work with the Archdiocese.

Mission San Miguel in San Luis Obispo County is already down to one priest and there’s concern of more cuts in 2018.

Fr. Gosselin is now focused on a Pilgrimage to Italy where he will be in the Vatican when Mother Teresa becomes a saint. He leaves this week and will have with him, a new book her wrote about his time with Mother Teresa in 1994. Fr. Gosselin also attended her funeral in 1997 and gave a final blessing at the gravesite.

When he met Mother Teresa with an unscheduled visit she said to him, “I have been waiting for you.” That is also the title of his book.

After the canonization Sunday, she will be Saint Teresa of Kolkata.

For more information about St. Barbara Parish and The Santa Barbara Mission go to:

http://www.santabarbaramission.org/

For more information about the book by Fr. Gosselin “I have been waiting for you” go to:

http://www.santabarbaraparish.org/?sermons=solemnity-of-the-most-holy-trinity-3