HUDSON (WI)
St. Paul Pioneer Press
BY STEVE SCOTT
Pioneer Press
HUDSON, Wis. — The Rev. John Parr of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Hudson acknowledged the pained hearts and souls of his congregation Saturday as they came to Mass for the first time since one of their former associate pastors was found responsible for two murders in the city three years ago.
Parr, who was not a priest at St. Patrick's at the time of the tragedy, did not make specific reference to the late Rev. Ryan Erickson, who a judge said Monday most certainly shot and killed Dan O'Connell, who was a St. Patrick's parishioner, and intern James Ellison at O'Connell's funeral home in February 2002.
Speaking from the assigned Gospel reading of the day, Parr likened the congregation to guests coming to a wedding feast with tattered garments that must be mended.
"This past week and for many more weeks to come, the people of St. Patrick's must weave this garment … not out of whole cloth, but from the tatters of our hearts and souls,'' he said during his homily.