WELLINGTON | There were multiple reasons to celebrate Oct. 4, 2025, at St. Therese de Lisieux Parish in Wellington. As the community was marking its 25th anniversary as a parish, Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito was in attendance to install Father Peter Truong as pastor, just three days after the feast of St. Therese, their patroness.
In his homily, the bishop spoke briefly about Father Truong’s character — his “deep spiritual heart,” love for priestly ministry and care for his flock — before focusing on St. Therese, the French Carmelite nun who died from tuberculosis at age 24 after enduring years of intense physical pain. St. John Paul II named her a doctor of the church for her love of God and spiritual insights.
St. Therese taught that human life is to be centered on love, and she lived with pure and simple love, the bishop said. “God created us in his image and in his likeness. God created us to love him and to love one another. And he’s given us the wonderful gift of the family in which that love is manifest in such an intimate way that life is brought into the world, and from that family love is carried forth to all other parts of life,” he said.
Congratulating the parish on its silver jubilee, Bishop Barbarito urged the faithful to work together under the patronage of St. Therese and come to know and manifest the joy that she possessed.
The pastor installation ceremony included Deacon Pete Del Valle, pastoral associate, reading the bishop’s letter of appointment and Father Truong renewing his priestly promises. After leading the congregation in the profession of faith, Father Truong agreed to submit himself to God’s word and the bishop’s authority, follow the church’s teaching on faith and morals, and adhere to the wisdom of the pope and the church’s magisterium.
At the end of Mass, Father Truong expressed gratitude to Bishop Barbarito, Father Brian King, visiting priests at the Mass, and Msgr. David Benz, who has served the parish for 12 years after retiring from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Oct. 4 marked the monsignor’s 50th anniversary of priestly ordination.
Father Truong also thanked the deacons, staff, parish ministries and organizations, the extraordinary ministers of holy Communion and hospitality ministers, along with members of the Daughters of Our Lady of Visitation, visiting from Lauderhill.
“With the spirit of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, let us be humble to build a happy church, let us be simple to build a joyful community, and let us be forgiving to build a faith-filled congregation,” he said. “And let us be courageous to stand up for the truths of the Gospel we proclaim.”
Copies of an anniversary book were handed out as parishioners left the church, with many headed to a special jubilee dinner. For information on St. Therese de Lisieux Parish, visit https://sttherese-church.org/, call 561-784-0689, and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
