He's Fr. "Tony"
I announced two weeks ago that our Bishop has appointed, as my successor here at Christ the King, Rev. Anthony Man-Son-Hing, who is presently serving him and our diocese as Chancellor and the Bishop's Personal Secretary. Many of you already know him from the time he spent here in residence, a few years ago, and those times he has presided at Sunday and weekday liturgies. Or you may have met him over the years that he has lived and ministered in areas of our diocese.
Fr. Tony was born in Georgetown Guyana, the eldest child of Anthony and Barbara (Lopes) Man-Son-Hing. He has two brothers.
Fr. 'Tony' attended elementary school in Guyana, and when the family moved to Canada in 1974 and settled in Sault Ste. Marie, he completed his secondary education at St. Mary's College in that city. He holds the following university degrees:
Bachelor of Arts (Wilfrid Laurier 1988), Master of Divinity (St. Augustine Seminary, the Toronto School of Theology and Toronto University 1993), and a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (St. Paul University 1993).
He was ordained to the ministerial priesthood, for the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, by the Most Reverend Jean-Louis, Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie, on May 14, 1993, at the Pro-Cathedral in North Bay. Since that time he has served across our diocese and our Church in Canada, both in pastoral and administrative positions. From North Bay (1993-95) to Manitouwadge (1995) and a number of communities in between, he has had pastoral experience. From 2000-2002 he was the English-language Secretary at the Apostolic Nunciature in Canada (Ottawa, ON). Now he comes as pastor of Christ the King from his diocesan assignments of the past four years.
As all of us have come to learn over the years, priests are no different than any other human being. Each have their own gifts and talents; their own strengths and weaknesses. They bring to their assigned ministries all of these, and try to serve to the best of their abilities. Fr. Tony, as the pastor of this parish, will not be me, as I was not like Msgr. Dave Cresswell. Though we share in the same priestly vocation, to serve, usually that is where the similarity ends.
I hope everyone will remember that on Saturday July 1 quite a change for him, as well as for you, will begin. Any time a priest assumes a new assignment, and new responsibil- ities, especially in a parish, there is an extended period of adjustment both for him and the people he has come to serve. That is one reason why many of us feel that clergy appointments are better made in the Spring rather than the Fall of a year. It will take Fr. Man-Son-Hing, and all of your mutual cooperation and support to make this transition as smooth and pain-free as possible. I pray it will be blessed by Christ the Universal King, our parish patron, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the saints who have graced these church pews for 77 years.
Let us all pray for each other during this time of change.
fr. john c.
