A new pastor has come into St. Lucy’s Parish, providing spiritual guidance and directing the church in a new bold direction.
Father Nikolin Pergjini came to the United States from Albania in 1991 and was ordained a priest in 1999.
Since that time he has served in various parishes, including St. Philip Neri Church and Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
“I love the Bronx, this is one of my favorite places to be,” said Pergjini. “And this parish has a diverse community, Italian, Spanish, Irish, African, Albanian, so many cultures.”
His first time in the role of pastor, Pergjini began at St. Lucy’s on Tuesday, September 1, and plans to stay as long as he is needed.
“Everyone looks to the pastor as a leader, they look to you more for guidance and to help with their spiritual needs,” said Pergjini.
“I feel at home and very comfortable here. It’s just a matter of time to get to know the people and place. This parish needs 24 hour attention, care and love.”
Pergjini was surprised by some of the problems he is facing for the first time, such as repairs to the church roof and heating system, but was overjoyed to see the involvement and support from parishioners and the staff.
“I never though this place needed so much repair, but we are getting some help and I will continue to do my best to fix everything and fulfill all the needs of the parish and community,” said Pergjini.
Embracing the diverse community the parish serves, Pergjini plans to expand the mass schedule to include a service in Latin and Albanian, in addition to the Spanish, Italian and English masses already at the parish.
According to Pergjini, another pleasant change is working so closely with the school and the dedication of the faculty of St. Lucy’s School.
“Working with the staff here and the school is a very exciting experience. I’m very happy when I get to spend time visiting the school,” said Pergjini.
Pergjini hopes to continue with the parish’s panty and soup kitchen, which serves hot lunch every Saturday afternoon and distributes food to those in need.
He also plans to increase the amount of organized trips for the community.
“It’s going to take time for me to know everyone and for people to know me, but I hope everyone will be understand and I will try to make myself as available as possible to the people,” said Pergjini.
