Next steps in Fr. Mike's ministry
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Sent by email to the parish
Friday, July 14, 2023
+JMJ+Dear St. Gabriel parishioners,
I hope this email finds you all well and able to rest a bit during these summer months.
We have been immensely blessed to have Fr. Mike Mitchell with us the past three years. He has touched countless lives with his priestly ministry, and we are grateful to God for him. My friendship with him began in 1999, and it has been a privilege to serve alongside him here at St. Gabriel Catholic Church.
Please see the letter below, with news of Fr. Mike's next steps in his ministry. Let us lift him up in prayer as he enters a period of preparation prior to his next assignment in our Charlotte Diocese.
Peace and joy in Christ,
Fr. Richard Sutter
Pastor
St. Gabriel Catholic Church
Romans 5:5
NEWS FROM FR. MIKE MITCHELL
Dear St. Gabriel parishioners,
The last three years at St. Gabriel have been some of the happiest of my life. I thank each one of you, our parish staff, our deacons, and Fr. Richard for being part of that. With gratitude, I share news of my next steps.
The role of Parochial Vicar—my role here at St. Gabriel—typically lasts several years, and we have anticipated that I would be reassigned. I have been in conversation with Bishop Jugis about this since February. Many of you know that I came to St. Gabriel from Detroit as a visiting priest, at Fr. Richard’s invitation, and recently became a priest of the Diocese of Charlotte.
While a role in another parish is a natural next step, Bishop Jugis has graciously accepted my request for a time of rest—a leave of absence—from active ministry before my next assignment. I know that our retired pastor, Fr. Frank O’Rourke, took a similar time of rest during his years of active ministry.
I began preparing for the priesthood in my senior year of high school and have been serving continuously since my ordination in 2011. I have been involved in many types of priestly ministry, much of which was spent in serving highly impoverished areas of Latin America and Haiti. This leave of absence will be a prayerful time of rest and a time to attend to some family matters that need my attention. When I return, I will be assigned to ministry in another parish in our diocese. My leave of absence begins July 23.
While I know that formal farewell events are often part of a transition like this, I have asked
Fr. Richard—and I thank each of you—for the opportunity to leave quietly for this time of rest. I won’t be able to speak to each of you individually, but I feel assured of your care and your prayers for me. You are, likewise, in my prayers. I would be happy to receive an email from anyone who wishes at [email protected].
Although we do not anticipate the assignment of a new parochial vicar at St. Gabriel for some time, Fr. Richard and I are grateful to share that Fr. Jonathan Torres will be assisting with our Masses during the interim. Fr. Jonathan was ordained in 2020 and was recently appointed as the head chaplain at Charlotte Catholic High School. For the last 3 years, he has been a Parochial Vicar at St. Matthew.
The Holy Spirit is at work here at St. Gabriel. This is a parish on mission, alive and energized by your living, growing relationship with Jesus. It has been a privilege to worship with you and to serve alongside Fr. Richard.
These last 3 years have been a wonderful experience of parish life. Thank you, again.
God bless!
Fr. Mike Mitchell
