SALT LAKE CITY — The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales of the Toledo-Detroit Province have announced that Oblate presence in Salt Lake City will come to an end at the close of this coming summer. At that time the three remaining Oblates in Salt Lake City, Fathers James McHugh, James Sanford, and Brother John Ventresca will leave the area for other assignments. "This has not been an easy decision to make," said Father David M. Whalen, provincial superior of the Oblates and a former principal of Judge Memorial Catholic High School. "But we have to face the fact that two-thirds of our men are now over the age of 60, and 45 percent are over the age of 70. Although God seems to be blessing us again with vocations, it is certainly not enough to keep all our ministries at the same level of personnel." The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales came to Salt Lake City in 1961, at the invitation of the late Bishop Joseph Lennox Federal (1960-1980). Bishop Federal asked the Oblates to take over the administration of Judge Memorial. The Oblates provided administrators and teachers for Judge from that point up to the present day. They also served weekend ministry in various parishes in the diocese and even served as pastors at various times in Bountiful, Price, Moab, Park City, Copperton, and Helper. "We will always be grateful for the many wonderful people we have had the privilege of serving through our ministry in Salt Lake City," said Fr. Whalen. "We have been enriched by the friendships forged over the years, especially with other priests of the diocese, sisters, and lay faculty with whom we taught at Judge or in the parishes. We can only pray that the good that has been accomplished over these years will continue to enrich the people of the Diocese of Salt Lake City after our departure."
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