A parish, whose rector died in December after being struck by a car while riding his bike, ponders the connections between their loss and the death of Tom Palermo in Baltimore.
The connections are even more poignant because many of these parishioners knew Bishop Heather Cook when she served a neighboring parish.
The Rev. Elizabeth Evans writes in Lancaster OnLine:
“It’s still hard to believe” said St. Thomas priest-in-charge Regina Barrett of Currier. “One day he’s here and preaching, the next suffering traumatic brain injury and on life support. People just loved him, he was a wonderful leader. There’s shock and grief and anger and all of the emotions that come with that….”
…the congregation at St. Thomas is pondering ways in which to honor their late rector, “to do Fr. Jonathan proud” as Barrett said. “Our whole position has been that when a crisis comes, you step up and do what you need to do.”
Last Sunday, Miron said, the congregation decided to change the name of the retreat center headquartered in their church. Soon it will be renamed the Rev. Jonathan Currier Spiritual Center, she said as a way to honor the memory of a vital and caring shepherd many congregants struggle to believe is really gone.