Fr Healey will retire next week after nearly 50 years service as a Catholic priest, including 17 years in North Otago. But he says his retirement does not mean he will stop serving.
He might be retiring as a parish priest but he looks forward to still doing the work of a priest — helping various committees, visiting rest-homes and performing weddings, funerals and baptisms.
"All care and no responsibility," Fr Healey said.
He would fondly remember many events from his time as a parish priest, Fr Healey said.
One of the most notable was performing the first baptism of the millennium, in Alexandra, shortly after 12am on January 1, 2000.
A highlight from his time in Oamaru was being chaplain to St Joseph’s School and St Kevin’s College.
Although originally apprehensive about becoming a school chaplain, he said he was inspired by the young adults he worked with.
Fr Healey felt "ambivalent" about his coming retirement. The people he met through his work as a priest inspired him and his time was "richly blessed", he said.
Despite the mixed emotions, he said he would rather be asked "Why did you resign?" rather than "When are you going to resign?"
Fr Healey thanked his parishioners for their kindness and goodwill towards him.
"I have been richly blessed and inspired by young and old and hopefully that will continue into the future.
"We’re all on a journey together, no matter who we are. And if we can give a little support to each other, then our lives are not in vain."
Fr Healey retires on March 12.
The new parish priest will be Fr Fredy Permentilla.
A younger priest would be "refreshing", Fr Healey said.
Written by Arrow Koehler
