These are some of the reasons behind the departure of Father Joe Adriano from St Nicholas Catholic Church after his final mass there yesterday morning.

Father Joe, who has been serving the Armidale diocese since 1995, said it was time for him “to work in a place that is less active”.

He will take on the role of administrator of St Mary’s parish in Walgett, also part of the same diocese, after almost three years in Tamworth.

“I’ve been very happy here,” he said.

“The people are good and I inherited from my predecessors a very good, strong, active leadership base here.

“The parishioners of St Nicholas are always very eager to get involved in many of our activities like their favourite celebrations ... Australia Day, Anzac Day, Migrant and Refugee Sunday.”

Father Joe has also worked in Inverell, Gunnedah and Warialda during his time in the diocese, and has previously worked in Alaska, among other locations.

He said he was “tired; it is time to take on a lighter load”.

“The ministry here in Tamworth is intense and very demanding, and I am alone,” he said.

“There’s a lot of weddings and baptisms – almost 100 in one year … and when I do baptisms, I have to meet with families and talk with them.

“Father Tom Shanahan does a lot of funerals and it’s a very big, big help to me. He’s essentially my assistant priest, even though he is retired.”

Father Joe said he would be replaced with two new priests: Fathers Christopher Onuekwusi and Raj Gorantla.

The job is, in fact, usually done by two people, but Father Joe said “one of my evil ways is that I cannot live with another person … I’m difficult to live with.”

“The bishop ... asked me to have an assistant so I can function very well and happily, but I refused,” he said.

“It took a toll on me and my health, so rather than be a cranky priest and half-functioning priest, I’d rather go to Walgett where there was an opening, and the bishop happily acquiesced to that request.”