Lyons parish will honor retiring Father Barrett

Parishioners of St. Michael's Church in Lyons will honor their pastor, the Rev. William M. Barrett, on Sunday, June 23, on the occasion of his retirement.

An informal farewell reception in the church hall will follow a prayer service in the church at 2:30 p.m. The public is invited.

At the time of his retirement, he will have served in Lyons for nine years. Previously, he served at St. Mary's in Elmira, St. Joseph's in Wayland, St. Monica's in Rochester, St. Alphonsus in Auburn, and was also resident chaplain at Newark Developmental Center in the 1970's. Before coming to Lyons, Fr. Barrett was pastor of Holy Cross Church in Dryden.

In Lyons he was active in the community, serving as chaplain of the Lyons Fire Department, as Board Member of Legal Aid Services for Wayne County, as vice-president of the Lyons Inter-Church Council, and as a member of the Lyons Rotary Club. Father Barrett was honored a few years ago for his 40 years as a priest.

Members of his congregation have stated that he brought new life to this church and was noted for his kindness and good humor. He showed special consideration for the poor, they said, insuring that a portion of each Sunday collection was marked for charitable purposes.

Fr. Barrett will be moving to live with family members in Mayville, Chautauqua County, and has indicated that he will be enjoying golfing and fishing and will be on call for parishes in the Mayville region.

Bishop Matthew Clark has appointed Deborah Housel as Pastoral Administrator of St. Michael's and the Rev. Felicjan Sierotowicz, from Krakow, Poland, as Sacramental Minister. The Rev. Sierotowicz is chaplain at Mercy Rehabilitation Center in Auburn and will continue in that capacity.

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