On Sunday, June 25, Holy Family Parish in Vancouver bade farewell to Fr. David Franco, FSSP, its parochial vicar for the past two years. Fr. Franco celebrated the High Mass for the Third Sunday after Pentecost, and it was a particularly poignant moment when he sang “Ite missa est” for the last time at Holy Family. The Mass was followed by a reception in the church hall. During a program emceed by Una Voce Canada board member Kenneth Lieblich, Father was presented with a spiritual bouquet from the altar servers’ Archconfraternity of St. Stephen and bested two of the archconfraternity’s members in a Star Wars trivia contest. Mr. Lieblich thanked Father on behalf of the parishioners, while pastor Fr. Daniel Geddes, FSSP, spoke of Fr. Franco’s contributions to the parish, including “many known only to God, such as the advice that he gave in the Sacrament of Confession.”
Fr. Franco begins his new assignment at the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter’s apostolate in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Mater Dei FSSP Latin Mass Community) on July 1. We are grateful for his presence at Holy Family during the past two years, and will miss his sense of humour and his joyful communication of the truths of the Faith.
(Photos courtesy of Claire Phillips)
