On behalf of His Excellency, Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, Apostolic Administrator, please see below his letter regarding the Appointment of the tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton.

Last Thursday we celebrated our last Mass with Fr. Piotr (Peter) Jurzyk and we offered the Mass in thanksgiving for Fr. Peter’s 7 years of service and ministry to St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish. The Mass was attended by well over 100 parishioners from not only St. Lawrence, but also Our Lady of Mercy and Charles Garnier parishes.

A reception was held after the Mass with the Knights of Columbus providing a hot meal and deserts and coffee provided by the Catholic Women’s League.

We are thankful for the time we had with Fr. Peter and we wish him an abundance of God’s blessings in his ministry at St. Joseph’s in Brantford.

Please be aware that there has been a rise in distraction thefts targeting seniors – specifically in our neighbourhood. These are thefts where the culprit uses distractions such as seeming to provide a gift, or asking for a favour to take your attention away from your belongings. In one case someone asked someone to take some jewelry as a donation to the church, while the thief stole real jewelry from the person heading into the church.

These thieves often work in pairs / couples with one person driving a car and the other person (often a woman) who approaches the targeted individual.

We encourage everyone to maintain their distance from individuals trying to approach you. Be wary anyone offering a gift or donation, and if necessary be direct and abrupt with someone who approaches you, to maintain your distance.

• Be cautious when approached by strangers offering gifts, jewelry, or other items.
• Keep a safe distance and avoid allowing strangers to place items on your body.
• Trust your instincts — if something feels unusual, remove yourself from the situation.
• Report suspicious activity to police immediately.