ELIZABETH (NJ)
The Star-Ledger
By Ryan Hutchins and Mike Frassinelli/The Star-Ledger
on December 24, 2012
ELIZABETH — It was not the usual kind of Christmas message.
When parishioners from St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Elizabeth arrived for Mass on Sunday, they had no idea they would be saying goodbye to three priests and a monsignor who have served the parish for decades.
“This is all a mystery to me,” Msgr. Robert Harrington, the pastor of St. Mary’s, the oldest church in Union County, wrote in a letter to parishioners. “… We regret leaving, and so suddenly, and at this time of year.”
Jim Goodness, a spokesman for Archbishop John J. Myers said the changes were necessary for the parish’s success, and that they should not come as a surprise.
He cited Harrington’s medical problems, which led him to take a leave of absence about 10 years ago, and the parish’s financial difficulties in recent years.
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