PHILIPSBURG--“He was a simple person and we will miss him,” said one parishioner during Father Thomas Krosnicki’s final church service in St. Maarten on Sunday.
A large number of persons turned out to listen to Krosnicki’s last service at St. Martin of Tours Roman Catholic Church on Front Street. The crowd spilled onto the stairs.
Also in attendance were Leader of Government Commissioner William Marlin (National Alliance) and Democratic Party (DP) leader Island Councilwoman Sarah Wescot-Williams.
Krosnicki, who has ministered to the Catholic community in St. Maarten since 2005, will be leaving.
One parishioner who showered Krosnicki with praise, described him as a simple person whose “yes” was “yes” and whose “no” was “no.” She said he would be missed.
Krosnicki told the congregation he was thankful for the kindness he had received from the people of St. Maarten. He singled out the Government of St. Maarten for its assistance in his operating here and said Wescot-Williams had been one of the first persons to visit him when he first came to St. Maarten.
The new parish pastor is Father Robert “Bob” Johnson, who started ministering here January 15. He came directly from Antigua and Barbuda, where he had been serving for the last 20 years. His appointment is for three years. He told The Daily Herald on Sunday that he hoped to continue the enthusiasm and spirit he had found in the Catholic community in St. Maarten.
