When I was a teenager, our associate pastor moved to another parish. It was really sad to see him go, and we had a party for him. I asked why he needed a moving van; couldn’t he fit everything in his SUV? He responded with laughter.

I just moved for the fourth time in 11 years. Some of my peers have moved more frequently in less time, with some moving at irregular times like the fall or winter. And no, I can’t fit all my things into one SUV either.

Moving is a part of our ministry. We go where we’re needed, where the archbishop needs a priest or needs a particular skill set. There’s a priest personnel board of representatives from each age cohort — the newly ordained up to the retirees have someone familiar with them to speak in reassignment meetings as to what might be a good fit for a next assignment.

Leaving a parish is an odd feeling. There’s the initial phone call or conversation, followed by confirmation of the move. Then there’s the weekend when the departure is announced and sometimes the Massgoers groan.

Then come the “lame duck” weeks. This is the toughest part — tying up loose ends, saying goodbyes, making notes for the next priest and taking care of address changes. And boxes, boxes, boxes.

Many parishioners have moved several times, too, so priests aren’t unique in that. When priests move, however, we leave our family behind and go meet a whole new family with particular cultures, experiences and needs. It’s a whole other kind of unpacking: How am I called to serve this community with my strengths and limitations?

This is why departures and arrivals must be rooted in prayer and in the love of God the Father.

In my estimation, there are two types of priest-movers: those who unpack and settle in first before they can get to the work of the parish; and others who will live out of boxes, preferring to know the community better first.

I’m in the first group. I want to feel like I’ve lived there for many years already, settled so I can be more attentive to the newness all around me. But God wants me to acknowledge it isn’t that simple. What new things does He want to provide for this move? What are old ways that need to be purged or left behind? Have I taken the time to mourn the old parish and give gratitude for the many blessings of that assignment?

This year brings greater difficulty to priest reassignments as All Things New is changing many parish communities in the archdiocese. Some parishioners are losing their priest, but some are also losing their parish as they’ve known it. I hope all of us can take the time to grieve in this time of change and also trust in the good things to come from God.

There’s a passage in Acts where St. Paul says farewell to the people at Ephesus, one of his priest assignments. In his final homily, Paul prays that he “may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).

Please pray that we all might do the same.

Father Brian Fallon is the chaplain to the Catholic Student Center at Washington University and the director of vocations for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.