Oxford Pastor Gives Recovery Update

OXFORD, CT — St. Thomas the Apostle Parish marked its 60th anniversary Sunday by reopening and rededicating its church building after a summer of renovations.

Archbishop Emeritus Leonard P. Blair celebrated the Sept. 13 Mass, which the parish had announced as a reopening and rededication following upgrades to the building. The parish said the service would be followed by a reception and the opening of a time capsule found in the rectory garage.

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The parish was founded Sept. 17, 1966, according to a post from Oxford's First Selectman's Office, which said Monsignor Ferrari also helped celebrate the Mass and rededication.

Father Joshua Wilbur, St. Thomas' pastor, shared an update with parishioners as he continues recovering from a liver transplant.

"Welcome home," Wilbur wrote, describing the refreshed worship space and thanking parishioners for their financial support, prayers and volunteer work on the project. He said additional repairs and improvements across the campus were also completed.

Wilbur said he is recovering well but will need to rest for the next several months under doctors' orders. He said he hopes to carefully return to the parish in the coming months.

The Archdiocese of Hartford reported that Wilbur received a liver transplant Aug. 7 at Yale New Haven Hospital after facing a life-threatening autoimmune liver condition. The organ came from a distant family member who had died, according to the Archdiocese.

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