From the Pastor

I continue to be thankful to God for my recovery and for how well I continue to progress, and grateful to all of you for your prayers and patience. I am so thrilled to begin my return to ministry! As eager as I am to jump right back in, I am mindful of the need to start slowly as I continue to build my strength and endurance. For now, I will be celebrating one weekday Mass and one or two weekend Masses each week.

I have also started the process of resuming my pastoral and administrative responsibilities – responsibilities that Fr. Hehir generously took on after my accident, in addition to his many other responsibilities within the Archdiocese. We have been truly blessed by his wisdom, guidance, and steady hand during these trying times, and I know that you join me in deep gratitude for Fr. Hehir’s extraordinary service to our Collaborative…

I hope that you are enjoying these last beautiful weeks of summer! It seems hard to believe that it has now been twelve weeks since the accident that upended my life – and by extension, life here at the Collaborative. I am progressing well in my physical therapy, and am so happy to be back in my home environment. I am now able to walk short distances with a forearm crutch – a big step forward from wheelchairs and walkers! As I continue to get stronger you may see me walking about the property or around town as part of my therapy and healing process. After so many weeks confined to hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and then the rectory, I am still getting used to being able to go outside – but I am thoroughly enjoying it!

The other part of my recovery is working through the invisible effects that impact anyone who has been through a traumatic, life-threatening accident…

We are happy to let you know that after 7 long weeks, Fr. Jim has been cleared to continue his recovery and rehabilitation on an outpatient basis at the rectory.

As you can imagine, it is a great relief for Fr. Jim to finally be back home. It will still be quite some time before he will be able to resume his ministry, but this is a big step forward in his recovery.

Fr. Jim wanted us to share, again, how grateful he is for your prayers and support, and how much he appreciates the time and space you have given him to focus on his recovery.

We are sure that many of you will want to know how you can help Fr. Jim now. He asks only for your continued prayers, which have sustained him through this incredibly difficult time, and your patience as he transitions to this new phase of his recovery.

Please be assured that when Fr. Jim has more to share, we will share it with you!

Words cannot begin to express my profound gratitude to all of you. Your cards, letters, and expressions of support have sustained me through this most challenging period in my life! I am now deep in the work of the rehabilitation phase of my recovery. I suffered multiple fractures of my left leg and knee, requiring extensive surgery, and will not be cleared for weight bearing on that side for some time to come. Despite the frustration this brings and the patience it requires, I am encouraged by the progress I have made…

At the same time, I am acutely aware of the significant trauma caused by the accident – it has truly upended my life in every way possible. While I am very much looking forward to returning to the rectory once I am ready to continue my rehabilitation on an outpatient basis, I understand that it will still be quite some time before I will be able to resume my ministry…

We are happy to report that Fr. Jim’s recovery is continuing at a slow but steady pace. That means that there is no “new” news to report – but that truly is good news! When Fr. Jim has more to share, be assured we will share it with you!

Thank you for the warm welcome you have been giving our many guest celebrants – including Bishop Robert Reed, who celebrated the 9:00am Mass at St. Paul with us…

We’d love to provide a more detailed update, but there isn’t much to report – Fr. Jim’s recovery, as anticipated, is slow but steady. When Fr. Jim has more to share be assured we will share it with you!

He has, however, asked us to let you know how incredibly grateful he is for your prayers and support – and for all the cards and notes he has received! In fact, he noted after the last delivery that he has received so many lovely cards that he might actually run out of space to display them on the walls of his room!

He also wants everyone to know how much he appreciates the time and space he’s been afforded to focus on his recovery and rehabilitation.

Fr. Jim has asked us to let you know, once again, how incredibly grateful he is for your prayers and support, and how much all your cards and notes mean to him. 

While Fr. Jim is away from the Collaborative, the Archdiocese of Boston has given Fr. Bryan Hehir the authority to handle the administrative functions of the parishes, allowing Fr. Jim to focus on his recovery. Fr. Jim will, of course, continue to be in contact with Fr. Hehir and the Collaborative staff, providing input and guidance as we navigate through the days and weeks ahead.

Fr. Jim requests that folks continue to rely on the regular updates provided by the Collaborative, rather than texting or calling him directly, so he can focus all his energy on this important stage of his recovery.