My major assignment in the Diocese of Ogdensburg has been Rector-President of Wadhams Hall Seminary College. In February, we announced that the seminary would close at the end of this school year. We recently held our final graduation. In its 78-year history, Wadhams Hall has helped men discern a vocation to priesthood. I am very happy and proud to have been a part of that history.

Wadhams Hall will continue to operate but with a revised mission. We are going to operate a retreat/conference center for the benefit of the people in the North Country of New York State and Southern Ontario. Church related groups and organizations will be able to use this facility for their gatherings. In addition, Wadhams Hall will organize, design, and promote various pastoral programs. For example, during this summer we will have a priests’ retreat, a directed retreat, two weeks of SportsCamp for young people and two weeks of pastoral institute.

My new assignment in the diocese is to administer Wadhams Hall in this period of transition. In addition, Bishop Barbarito has asked me to be his Vicar for Catholic Education. In this position, I will oversee the Departments of Christian Formation and Catholic Schools and our Formation for Ministry program, and I will continue to direct the Permanent Diaconate Formation Program. Needless to say, these responsibilities will keep me busy. During most of my priesthood, I have been directly involved in education and look forward to continuing in this ministry.

Needless to say, in adjusting to these new responsibilities, some things will have to give way including these weekly articles. Writing these articles has been a real joy as well as an opportunity for me to discover the power and depth as well as the potential harm that the Internet can bring. Also, I have greatly enjoyed working with the newspapers that publish these articles. Above all, I always appreciated hearing from readers their many comments and valued their thoughts and suggestions. You have all been terrific.

I was often asked when I would run out of places to write about. The creativity and ingenuity of Catholics throughout the world tell me that there will be Web sites for many years to come.

Each week I have tried to find a site that would promote and enhance the faith lives of readers. If the web designers were not in conformity with the Church of if they were intent on saving the Church from herself, I would simply look for another place to write about. A clear goal was to avoid polemics in writing and to look for what builds up the Church rather than break it down.

Certainly, some people make mistakes, commit sins, deviate from the truth, or inadvertently stray from true Church teaching. Preaching and teaching the truth are much more valuable than looking for the weaknesses and faults of others. Truth will always prevail over whatever is less than truth.

Thank you for your kind support of these articles. I pray that they have helped you understand that value and power of the Internet in faith development. May God continue to bless all of you!