Father Gary Young’s Golden Jubilee at Nazareth Marks 50 Years of Priesthood
Fr. Eric,
Thank you for being here today for this wonderful celebration. We are deeply grateful to you and to your congregation for sharing Fr. Gary with us and for entrusting him to our community. We are truly indebted to you.
Dear Fr. Gary,
First of all, congratulations as you celebrate your Golden Jubilee as a priest. It is truly a blessing and a privilege for us to be part of this sacred celebration of your faithful priestly ministry.
With hearts full of gratitude, we give thanks to God for more than 30 years of devoted spiritual service you have generously offered to the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
Your priesthood has been for us a living witness to Christ the Good Shepherd, always present, compassionate, prayerful and attentive to the needs of God’s people.
Through the daily celebration of the Eucharist, healing prayer, and your tender presence beside Sisters in need of the Sacrament of the Sick, you have revealed the joyful, healing and merciful face of Christ among us.
You have generously shared your spiritual gifts with all who came into your presence. Many Sisters, collaborators and dear friends whose lives you touched have now entered eternal life, yet the grace of your pastoral care continues to live in the hearts of those you accompanied on their journey of faith.
Your ministry reached far beyond Nazareth Campus and the SCN Congregation. Sisters who came from different parts of the world always felt recognized, welcomed and valued by you. The simple yet profound way you remembered each Sister and each person by name while celebrating the Eucharist reflected the deep communion and reverence you carried for every person as a member of the Body of Christ.
You walked faithfully with us beyond the daily Eucharistic celebration through Western Province gatherings, Assemblies, Associate programs, Jubilee celebrations, community events, celebrations of life and the General Assembly of the Congregation, to name a few.
God truly gifted you to us. You have been not only our priest, but also our brother, companion, mentor and friend, accompanying us with humility, wisdom and faithful love.
Your deep respect for the dignity of every human person, especially women, has reflected the inclusive and compassionate love of Christ. You have always been open, supportive and collaborative as we prepared Community celebrations.
May God, who called you, continue to strengthen and sustain you with abundant grace. May you be renewed each day with joy, peace and hope as you continue your journey in faithful service to God’s people.
From every Sister of Charity of Nazareth, our Associates, friends and colleagues, we extend our sincere thanks.
With gratitude, love and prayerful blessings,
From all present here today, from those who could not be present, and from your Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
Now, I invite everyone to stand and raise your hands toward Fr. Gary as we ask God’s blessing upon him while we sing the blessing song.