St. Therese’s new pastor seeks to be spiritual shepherd in the way of Christ

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Father Michael Grady was installed as pastor of St. Therese Parish, Southgate, through the Rite of Pastor Installation, Aug. 23, during Mass celebrated by Bishop John Iffert. Father Grady has served St. Therese Parish since 2022 in the capacity of pastoral administrator, and was elevated to the status of pastor, July 14. The new role offers Father Grady and the parishioners of St. Therese Parish a renewed sense of stability and confidence, said Father Grady.

“My job hasn’t really changed that much,” he said. “I think it’s the way the parishioners see me now has a different role. I think the parishioners see it more as a permanent role in the parish, they’ve been very excited about the whole thing.”

During his homily, Bishop Iffert likened the difference between a pastoral administrator and pastor to that of a hired hand and a shepherd.

“A person who is a pastor participates in the shepherding of the flock in a very personal, and in a stable way,” said Bishop Iffert. “From my perspective, from a bishop’s perspective, once a person becomes a pastor one of their rights is to serve in stability and wellness.”

Father Grady is now imbued with certain canonical rights as pastor, such as the right to baptize all babies of the parish, the right to marry all who wish to marry at the parish, and the responsibility to form religious vocations and invigorate the youth of the parish.

“It’s very heartening knowing that I can continue to minister to them [parishioners],” said Father Grady. “One important thing for me, for them to know, about the role of pastor is I’m just trying to walk in the shoes of the Good Shepherd, Jesus. I’m just trying to pastor the way he would pastor.”

The role of pastor is to shepherd his spiritual flock, fashioned in the way of Jesus.

“Not that Father Grady is Jesus,” said Bishop Iffert, clarifying to a chuckling congregation of St. Therese parishioners, “but that Jesus uses Father Grady to make himself known and present. If that role were missing, if that role were absent, if that role were unfilled, we would be like … sheep without a shepherd.”

“The good shepherd is working through me,” said Father Grady. “I just want to do what he wants me to do.”