Monday August 30, 2010
Fr. Euteneuer Departs HLI, Will Return to Diocese
FRONT ROYAL, VA, August 30, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – After nearly 10 years of service to Human Life International (HLI) as its president, Rev. Thomas J Euteneuer has suddenly and very unexpectedly stepped down from his position after being asked by his bishop to return to his diocese in West Palm Beach, Florida.
In a press release announcing Euteneuer’s departure, the board of HLI thanked the priest for his “leadership, hard work and dedication in carrying on the legacy of Fr. Paul Marx.” During his tenure Fr. Euteneuer traveled more than one million miles as a pro-life missionary to the world.
Fr. Euteneuer wrote in a letter to supporters last week after the shock announcement that, “A priest is a soldier of Christ and the Church, and obedience is the primary virtue of his state in life, but for my part, my discernment about this decision tells me that this is the right thing for me to do and at the right time.”
He continued, “I do not have a parish assignment in my diocese as of yet, but I hope to take some time out before I go back into full-time parish work. I expect that some time of rest and renewal will help me to make the transition. It has been 15 years since I last had any significant time for renewal, and after traveling more than 1.1 million miles, authoring two books, visiting 58 countries and making thousands of public appearances, I am ready for a break!”
In their press release the board added, “While Fr. Euteneuer’s leadership at HLI and his influence on the pro-life movement around the world will be greatly missed, we are blessed to have gifted staff who will continue to carry out our mission while a search for a new president is undertaken.”
Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro Carámbula, director of HLI’s office in Rome, will assume Fr. Euteneuer’s responsibilities until such time as a permanent replacement is named.