Weisbeck wasn't expecting that particular reaction, but parishioners assured him that that gesture was in congratulations and definitely not celebration.

"He said, 'I don't know how to take that,'" Linda Cunha-Ricchio, a Holy Spirit parishioner for about 15 years, recalled. "It's been wonderful knowing Father Paul."

Weisbeck's new role as pastor of St. William Parish in Los Altos begins Jan. 1, 2004. Preparing for the move, especially as the Christmas season begins, is stressful, he admitted.

The upcoming transition "just magnified my workload by 10 times," said Weisbeck, adding that he had been expecting his tenure at Holy Spirit to end soon. Priests rarely stay at one parish longer than 10 years, and this is his eighth year at the Redmond Avenue church.

"I was not going to be here too much longer anyway because of the way things work," said Weisbeck. The Diocese of San Jose, which serves people all over the Santa Clara Valley, regularly rotates priests to where they're needed.

There are some Holy Spirit parishioners who are not happy about the move, though.

"Well, I'm very unhappy," said parishioner Sally Donegan about Weisbeck's upcoming departure. "I realize it's a promotion for him, but it's not going to be easy." Donegan and her husband, Jim, have been attending Holy Spirit for about seven years.

Weisbeck's replacement is the Rev. Brendan McGuire, associate pastor at St. Lawrence The Martyr Parish in Santa Clara. During the transition, Weisbeck will introduce McGuire to his staff so they know who he is and try to give him some feel for the duties he's inheriting.

About 1,500 families comprise Holy Spirit Parish, but only about 900 families are registered at St. William. Despite the smaller parish, Weisbeck will still have a full plate of duties, including trying to meet and remember so many new faces.

"The problem with moving as a priest is that your work situation moves, your living situation moves, you lose 98 percent of social contacts," Weisbeck said. "There's just not enough time to keep in touch with everyone. Everything from where you have lunch ... to where you shop changes."

Ordained in 1973, Weisbeck spent his first three years in the Northwest before he moved to the Bay Area in 1976. After 13 moves, he arrived at Holy Spirit in 1996, about the same time the parish hall was built and the church was remodeled.

Weisbeck says he has little free time while he familiarizes himself with his new position, ties up loose ends at Holy Spirit, and says good-bye to parishioners. He receives many dinner invitations, especially now that his time in Almaden is limited.

"He's been to our house for dinner," Barbara Kelly-Pedersen said. "Father Paul really shares himself with other people. He's so full of openness and warmth."

"He has a laid-back approach to people and situations and he's very straightforward," added Barbara's husband, Karl Pedersen. The Pedersens live in Willow Glen, but they attend Holy Spirit Church and send their daughter Laura to Holy Spirit School because they have been so impressed with Weisbeck.

In addition to celebrating most of the Masses at Holy Spirit, and his roles on various boards and committees, Weisbeck also leads various prayer services, and he is very active in the school.

"At the invitation of the teachers, I might get involved in things like introducing the kids to the rite of baptism," he said. "In kindergarten, I baptize dolls they bring in. Show the second graders the church itself. Say Mass for the eighth grade. I am the ultimate person responsible for the school."

The oldest of 12 children, Weisbeck frequently shares stories from his childhood to get the liturgical message across to his parishioners, many of whom said they will miss Weisbeck's heartfelt sincerity the most.

"Father Paul is so approachable by everyone, especially the kids," said Diane Jacobsen. "I'll miss his stories about growing up."

Jacobsen and her two children decided to become Catholics as a direct result of their pleasant experiences with Weisbeck. "We are who we are and where we are because of him," she added.

Weisbeck's principal accomplishment is the opening of Holy Spirit School in 2000. He was directly involved with the planning and construction of the school.

"The only thing I had no say in was the color," he said. "And to this day I don't know who picked it. I'm not a big fan of green."

Weisbeck has also led fundraising efforts for Gather in the Garden, a planned landscaping project between the church building and the church hall.

In an architect's drawings, the asphalt that currently occupies the space looks like a country garden, complete with trees, lawn and even a labyrinth in the center. Holy Spirit's founder, the late Rev. Tom Murray, visualized the space before his retirement in 1990.

Although the members of Holy Spirit already seem to miss Weisbeck, they also realize that one man does not make the church what it is.

"I'm happy for him and happy for his new parish," Kelly-Pedersen admitted.

"The pastor might change, but the community won't."

Parishioners who want to say good-bye in person can attend a luncheon reception that will follow the 11 a.m. Mass on Dec. 14.