Hosting Aita Antton

Fr-AntonioBCONTEXT. The Bishop of the Diocese of Fresno, Most Reverend Joseph Vincent Brennan, has appointed Aita Antton Egiguren OFM parochial vicar at St. Patrick / Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Merced, California.  Nevertheless, and as his schedule allows, Aita is happy to assist all Basque in the American West in every liturgical service they may need – picnics, Masses, weddings, baptisms, and funerals.  Please keep Aita informed about any particular need, such as sickness or any other special circumstances where someone may need Aita’s presence.

OFFICIAL PROTOCOL.  Aita Antton can minister to all Basques, but if he goes outside the Diocese of Fresno, he must beforehand secure the permission of the Bishop of the other diocese(s).  This requires some time to secure the certificate of good standing that must be furnished to the parish where Aita is celebrating mass.  Please allow time to make the necessary arrangements when scheduling.

FINANCES.  Aita Antton’s stipend does not cover his Basque travel expenses, so the aim is to make this facet of his ministry self-supporting; i.e., host communities are asked to consider providing some financial support for travel, lodging, and $50 to cover the cost of his substitute at St. Patrick’s. If available and feasible, Aita will always make the necessary arrangements to lodge at the local parish to defray expenses. If Aita says Mass in an outside parish, the matter of the collection will be discussed with the host parish priest. If the Mass is celebrated as an outdoor event, with the permission of the parish priest, the collection will be deposited into a separate diocesan fund that will allow our committee of Artzai Ona the discretion of supporting future seminarians and deacons.

Artzai Ona Export (website)CONTACT. If you would like to see about having Aita Antton be a part of your Basque community gathering, contact us here at info@basquecatholic.org