Holy Rosary Parish Celebrates Father Adongo's Incardination
Evansville’s Holy Rosary Parish invited newly incardinated diocesan priest Father Crispine Adongo to celebrate the 4:30 p.m. Anticipatory Mass on Aug. 12, and the parish family threw a reception for him to celebrate his new status as a priest of the diocese.
Father Adongo served Holy Rosary from September 2014 to June 2016 in his first assignment as a missionary priest in the diocese. A native of Kenya, he came to the U.S. to serve Glenmary Home Missioners, and he was ordained a priest in May 2012. He became incardinated in the Diocese of Evansville on July 26 of this year.
“God bless you. We’re glad to have you,” said Father Bernie Etienne, pastor of Holy Rosary and diocesan administrator. Father Etienne served as homilist for the Mass (see sidebar on page 5 of this issue), and he explained that Father Adongo was a seminary classmate of Diocese of Evansville priest Father Jeff Read.
“He has been a blessing to us in the diocese on many levels,” Father Etienne said. “The depth of the faith of the men who have joined us (as missionary priests) has provided a true blessing to our presbyterate.”
Father Etienne said he and Father Adongo exchanged text messages on July 26, the date of his formal incardination as a diocesan priest. “He sent me a text that said, ‘This is good; we have to celebrate,’” Father Etienne recalled. “Translated,” he joked, “that means, ‘You better throw a party for me.’”
“Three years ago, I was greeted by so many nice people here (at Holy Rosary),” Father Adongo told the congregation just before the Mass’ final blessing. “Every one of you in your own way have made an impact on me. It is so great to see so many wonderful people here.”
He admitted a bit of anxiety in 2016 when Bishop Charles C. Thompson appointed him as associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Jasper. “I did not know anyone there,” he said. “But the people have been so wonderful.
“From the bottom of my heart, I am grateful to all of you,” he added. “I am looking forward to serving our diocese.”
In June of this year, Bishop Thompson appointed him as administrator pro tempore of Precious Blood Parish in Jasper.
Most of the hundreds who attended the Aug. 12 Mass filled the Holy Rosary parish hall for Father Adongo’s reception.
