FRONT ROYAL, Virginia, April 27, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) — Human Life International’s Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro will take his lionhearted work of defending life and family and apply it to full-time parish ministry. The director of HLI’s office in Rome for 18 years has accepted an invitation to serve as parochial vicar of St. Mary Church in Norwalk in the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut.
“Though Monsignor is stepping down from full time service with HLI, his commitment to the defense of faith, life, and family is not diminished. He will continue to preach the Gospel of Life and integrate Church teaching on life and family into his new pastoral duties, and will publish articles with HLI when his new duties allow,” Father Shenan J. Boquet, president of Human Life International, said in a press release.
“On behalf of the entire Human Life International family, I want to say: Thank you, Monsignor Barreiro!”
Fr. Boquet praised the Monsignor for faithfully serving the cause of life, faith, and family, especially through the medium of the written word.
“His wisdom on canon law, theology, and Church protocol has been invaluable to me and to all of HLI, and his insights and presence will be sorely missed,” he said.
Monsignor Barreiro’s articles on crucial life and family issues appeared numerous times on LifeSiteNews, including:
- Why believing Genesis’ creation account is essential to defending life
- The question of embryo adoption is closed
- Finding comfort in the sacred heart: Dealing with same-sex attraction
- The 8 threats to marriage and what we can do about it
- Why homosexual adoption is not a right
Fr. Boquet said that the Monsignor had been experiencing for some time the desire to work directly with individual people in a parish setting.
“One of his concerns is that for the better part of his priestly life he has served more from behind a computer than at the Altar of Sacrifice. For years he has had the strong desire to serve the Lord, offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, conferring the Sacraments, and teaching the unchanging doctrine of the Church in a parish setting,” he said.
The change might also help him recover his health after battling with cancer over the last four years.
“Though Monsignor's battle with cancer has taken a toll, he has courageously kept a busy schedule and a very high level of output, writing articles, giving advice to HLI's partners and affiliates, and keeping up vital correspondence with colleagues in Rome, the United States, and around the world,” Fr. Boquet said.
Fr. Boquet asked for prayers for Msgr. Barreiro as he makes the switch.
“Please join me in praying for Monsignor's health and peace as he enters this new phase of his service to the Church,” he said, adding that supporters are welcome to send the Monsignor a note of thanks.
Editor’s note: Click here to send Monsignor Barreiro a note through HLI’s website.