Dear Beloved Parishioners,

With a heart filled with gratitude, deep humility, and fond memories, I wish to express my sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you for the beautiful and fruitful years we have shared at St. Ambrose Parish in Parchment.

For nearly seven years, I have been blessed to serve this wonderful parish community alongside Msgr. Mike Hazard. These years have been among the most enriching of my priestly ministry, filled with countless blessings, meaningful relationships, and treasured opportunities to witness God's goodness at work in the lives of His people. This is the longest assignment I have held as a priest, making St. Ambrose especially dear to my heart.

As I prepare to move to my new assignment, I do so with profound gratitude for your love, generosity, support, cooperation, and collaboration. Like every journey of faith, our time together had its challenges, but your steadfast commitment to our parish mission helped us overcome obstacles and accomplish so much together.

Looking back, I am deeply grateful for all that we have shared and experienced as a parish family. By God’s grace and through your generosity, prayers, and hard work, we have been able to refresh our church, create our beautiful Marian and prayer garden, improve our Parish Activity Center, renew the church’s main entrance, and make improvements to the rectory and parish office. We have also been blessed by your generous support of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, the continued growth of our faith formation programs, and the vitality of our youth ministry, among many other blessings.

More than the projects completed or the improvements made, what I cherish most is the spirit of faith, generosity, unity, and collaboration that has made these efforts possible. Each contribution, every prayer, every act of kindness, and every sacrifice has helped strengthen our parish community and build up the Body of Christ. Whatever good we have accomplished has been the fruit of our shared commitment and, above all, the grace of God working among us.

For the privilege of sharing this journey with you, I offer my heartfelt gratitude. May the Lord continue to bless you and your families abundantly, and may He keep our parish united in faith, hope, and love.

I am also especially grateful for the privilege of working alongside the late Fr. Jim O'Leary before his retirement in 2020. It was a blessing to learn from his priestly wisdom and to witness his deep love and faithful dedication to the St. Ambrose community. His ministry remains an important part of this parish's story, and I am thankful to have shared in that legacy of service.

As I move forward to my new assignment at St. Joseph Catholic Church and St. Jerome Catholic Church in Battle Creek, Michigan, I carry with me many beautiful memories, cherished friendships, and a deep appreciation for the people of St. Ambrose. Although my ministry will continue in a new place, the bonds we have formed in faith and love will remain close to my heart.

I humbly ask you to keep me in your prayers as I embrace this new chapter of my priestly journey. Please know that you will always have a special place in my heart and in my prayers. I will dearly miss you all and the parish I have come to regard as my home. I also look forward to welcoming your visits whenever the opportunity arises.

As we say farewell for now, I pray that St. Ambrose Parish will continue to flourish as a vibrant community of faith, a welcoming home for all, and a place where every person feels loved, valued, and encouraged to grow in holiness. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide you, may our Blessed Mother watch over you, and may the Lord bless the good work He has begun among you.

As I prepare to begin my new assignment, I warmly invite all parishioners to a farewell dinner in the Parish Activity Center on Saturday, November 7, immediately following the 5:00 p.m. Mass, and to coffee and refreshments following the 9:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday, November 8.

I look forward to sharing these moments of fellowship and thanksgiving with you as we celebrate the blessings of our journey together as a parish family.

Thank you for the privilege of serving you, for the kindness you have shown me, and for allowing me to be part of your lives. It has been a blessing to walk with you in faith, to serve alongside you in love, and to grow together as a family in Christ.

Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you always. And may we continue, wherever He sends us, to serve the Lord with gladness!
With heartfelt gratitude, affection, and prayers,

Very Rev. Albert Kemboi V.F
Pastor