My Dear Friends:
As we gather to celebrate the Ascension of the Lord this weekend, I wanted to share some news that we as a parish have been accustomed to receiving every two years. Next month, our parochial vicar, Fr. David Zallocco, will be transferred to St. Bonaventure Parish in Davie. This change will take place on June 15th. Fr. David arrived at Little Flower as a newly ordained priest, and you welcomed him with open arms, you hosted him in your homes for dinner, and more importantly, received from him the Bread of Eternal Life at the altar. We are grateful to Father for beginning the Mass in Italian here in our parish on First Sundays which will continue. As his brother priest and pastor, I am indebted to him for his hard work doing things that go unseen, especially caring for the sick of the parish. I mentioned this in Mass this past Monday which providentially was the anniversary of ordination that Father David and I share: “el sacerdote se gasta por su pueblo” which roughly translates to “the priest expends himself for his people.” And Father David has done just that for the good people of Little Flower. We are going to miss him and his dedication to our parish and school, and pray for his new ministry as the parochial vicar at St. Bonaventure. His last weekend of Masses will be Father’s Day weekend.
So, your next question is probably, “who is succeeding Father David?” We are getting another young, dynamic priest in Father Andrew Vitrano who is currently ministering in St. Louis Parish in Pinecrest. He was ordained 3 years ago and is a product of our local Catholic schools. He attended St. Mark’s Catholic School and graduated from Archbishop McCarthy High School in Broward County. I ask you to please pray for both Father David and Father Andrew as they embark on their new pastoral assignments.
Since this is a time of transition for many priests throughout the Archdiocese, I ask you to please say the following prayer for your priests from our patroness. We need your prayers. We feel your prayers. And we thank you for your constant prayers.
O Jesus, eternal Priest,
-St. Therese of Lisieux’s Prayer for Priests
keep your priests within the shelter
of Your Sacred Heart,
where none may touch them.
Keep unstained their anointed hands,
which daily touch Your Sacred Body.
Keep unsullied their lips,
daily purpled with your Precious Blood.
Keep pure and unearthly their hearts,
sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.
Let Your holy love surround them and
shield them from the world’s contagion.
Bless their labors with abundant fruit and
may the souls to whom they minister
be their joy and consolation here
and in heaven their
beautiful and everlasting crown.
God bless you all,
