Dear Parish Family of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
With a grateful heart and a deep sense of affection for this parish community, I write to share that Bishop Mark Beckman has asked me to take on a new assignment as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in South
Pittsburg, Tennessee, and Shepherd of the Valley in Dunlap, Tennessee. These are growing communities within our diocese, and the Bishop has asked me to assist them in this important time of growth.
On June 12th, we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus with a special Mass at noon, where we will re-consecrate our Parish and ourselves to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. My final weekend at the Cathedral will be June 13–14. I will celebrate all of the Masses that weekend, and following each Mass, there will be a reception in the Cathedral Hall so that I may have the opportunity to personally thank you and say goodbye. I hope many of you will be able to join me.
As I reflect on these years, I am filled with deep gratitude. I first came to the Cathedral in August of 1997 as an associate pastor. Those three years introduced me to this remarkable community of faith, and you became part of my family. I was overjoyed to return in 2009, and it has been one of the greatest honors of my priesthood to serve as your pastor since February of 2010.
You have shaped me as a priest and as a pastor in ways I will carry with me always. Together, we have shared so many moments, celebrating the sacraments, walking through times of joy and sorrow, and growing together as a community rooted in faith. Building our Cathedral stands as one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life, and I will always be grateful to have undertaken that journey with you.
What gives me particular joy and confidence as I prepare to leave is the strength of who you are as a parish. You have truly embraced your mission to be an evangelizing community that makes disciples through worship, formation, and service. I have seen that mission lived out in your love for the Eucharist, your commitment to learning and growing in the faith, and your generous service to one another and to those in need. That mission will continue to guide and strengthen you in the years ahead.
Spanish Farewell Letter
I am also happy to share that your new pastor will be Father Michael Cummins. Please welcome him with the same faith, generosity, and love that you have so generously shown to me. I am confident he will be a 
great blessing to this parish. Please know that you will remain in my heart and in my prayers. I thank God for each of you and for the privilege of walking with you over these past sixteen and a half years.
I would also like to share that Father Martin Gladysz has been asked by Bishop Beckman to take on a new assignment as pastor of Saint Thérèse in Clinton, Tennessee. His final weekend at the Cathedral will be June 20–21. Receptions will be held after the Masses that weekend as well, giving all of us the opportunity to thank him and wish him well. A letter from Fr. Martin is included with this email. Please take time to read it.
As we look ahead, I do so with confidence that God will continue to bless this Cathedral parish abundantly. The faith, generosity, and love that define this community will continue to bear great fruit.
Be assured of my prayers for you, and I humbly ask for yours as I begin this new chapter in ministry.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. David Boettner