We are blessed to have Christ the King Seminary here in the Diocese of Buffalo. Not every diocese can boast a major seminary in their midst. Christ the King Seminary is a place where seminarians study to become priests, lay people come to take classes, earn degrees, go on retreats, and have all kinds of other gatherings. Father Greg Faulhaber is currently the Vice-Rector, the Director of Formation, and Professor of Moral Theology at Christ the King Seminary. He remembers feeling called to the priesthood at an early age. He said, “It was the only vocation that I ever pursued seriously.” When asked why he wanted to be an altar server in the sixth grade, he responded that he was interested in becoming a priest and that was the path he pursued.
On October 14, 1953 Joseph and Mary Faulhaber welcomed Gregory into their family. He was the third of eight children in a family whose roots were deep in Lancaster, going back to at least 1850! After graduating from St Mary’s Elementary School, Greg entered the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary in Buffalo in an effort to continue on the road to priesthood and graduated from there in 1971. He decided not to go onto the undergraduate seminary at Wadhams Hall in Ogdensburg which would have been the next step. At the time his father was not well and he wanted to stay closer to home. Somewhere in the back of his mind he also felt that maybe he should slow down on this trek to the priesthood just in case it wasn’t really for him. Looking back on those years he spent at Canisius College, he felt they did a lot to confirm his vocation to the priesthood. Greg continued playing basketball and baseball, sports he loved in high school, sang in the folk group, worked as a janitor, dated, and taught 9th grade religious education. It was the time spent teaching religion and working with the students and other teachers outside of the classroom, coaching sports, doing retreats, going on bike hikes, etc. that most solidified his decision to become a priest. He graduated from Canisius in 1975 with a BA in Math and German and then entered Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora where he graduated in May of 1979 with a Masters in Theology.
Ordained a Transitional Deacon on October 28, 1978, Rev. Mr. Greg Faulhaber was assigned as a Deacon Intern at St. Gregory the Great Parish in Amherst from May 1978 to October 1979. When he began at St. Greg’s, there was no youth group and he was asked to help start one. There were 100 young people at his first meeting and the St. Greg’s youth group is still going strong to this day.
On October 19, 1979 Father Greg was ordained to the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Cathedral by Bishop Edward Head. He said his first Mass at his home parish of St. Mary in Lancaster two days later on October 21. His first assignment as a priest was to St. Barnabas Parish in Depew where he again hit the ground running. They were in immediate need of a Director of Religious Education for the 1500 students at the parish and Father Greg arrived just in time. He spent six years at St. Barnabas and was then re-assigned in November 1985 to St. Amelia Parish in Tonawanda. At both St. Barnabas and St. Amelia, Father Greg enjoyed sharing his love of sports as well as the Catholic Faith with the young parishioners. He moved on, once again, in August 1989 to become Campus Minister and Director of the Newman Center at the University of Buffalo, South Campus. He noticed that there were quite a few students attending Mass at St. Joseph Church near the campus and became involved in the process of merging the Newman Center and the Church. The result: St. Joseph-University Parish. Father Greg was there for one year when the bishop called because the Franciscans ended their administration of Christ the King Seminary. He asked Father Greg if he would consider going back to school to study Moral Theology so he could eventually teach at the seminary. He agreed because he felt that, “This institution is so important for the diocese and the future!” and began studies in September 1990 at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. While studying in Europe, he continued to engage in youth ministry in Germany, Holland, and Belgium. He held retreats and became involved in parishes, military bases, and campus ministry whenever he could work it out amidst his studies. He graduated in June 1994 with a PhD in Moral Theology and began teaching full time at Christ the King Seminary in August 1994. Besides teaching and directing the formation of seminarians at Christ the King, Father Greg helps out as a regular weekend associate priest at his home parish of St. Mary in Lancaster, along with assisting at a number of other local parishes. He also has given over 100 presentations to various groups, organizations, confirmation classes, etc. and has been a member of many advisory boards and committees as well as an advocate and defender of the bond on the Marriage Tribunal. He has had several pamphlets and articles published as well as a book titled Politics, Law and the Church – An Examination of the Relationship Between Catholicism and American Law.
Father Greg enjoys sharing who God is with people at important moments in their lives. He loves participating in all the things he does as a priest at the seminary and at various parishes throughout the diocese whenever they ask for help. He enjoys several sports and has a real knack for tinkering with all types of machinery. He still gets together with his ordination classmates once a month for lunch or dinner and they always celebrate the anniversary of their ordination with a Mass and dinner with their parents. The big anniversaries are celebrated with a larger group of family and friends.
Father Greg’s family had a great deal of influence on his decision to answer “yes” to the call to priesthood. When he was growing up his family lived next door to his cousins. He remembers playing with a favorite cousin who was the same age as he. This cousin died very young and Father Greg remembers the wake being in the family home. He also remembers feeling very strongly that death is not an end. The opportunity to encourage others beyond their grief was a strong motivation on his journey to the priesthood. His family prayed the rosary together and their faith was strong. They had a baseball diamond in the back yard and Father Greg recalls that their house was where the neighborhood convened to play baseball almost every day during the summer and football under the lights at night in the fall. Father Greg’s brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and other relatives still get together just about every Sunday. “They are an important part of who I am,” states Father Greg. Even in high school and college he babysat, changed diapers, coached their sports teams, attended events they were involved in, and much more. He was the celebrant at his younger sibling’s weddings and has always been closely connected to all of them. They worked, played, and prayed together. During the 1990s he was on a town league fast-pitch softball team with his four brothers and oldest nephew with most of the team being made up of relatives.
Because of his unique position at the seminary, one of Father Greg’s greatest challenges involves evaluating the seminarians. He feels it is difficult to confront people about unpleasant issues. However, difficult as it is, it has to be done. Father Greg observed that sometimes one bad priest can do more damage than three or four good priests making a positive contribution. Ultimately though, he realizes that he is never alone in his work. In observing the importance of working with God and following in His ways, Father Greg mentioned his favorite Psalm, Psalm 127, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build.”
When Father Greg finds himself speaking to seminarians or future seminarians, he advises them to pursue their hearts and desires and to find what energizes them. Not everything is always exciting in the priesthood. There are hard times as well but if a man is not interested in the things a priest does, priesthood is probably not for him. It is not a place to run from life, rather, a priest has to embrace life maybe even more than others.
Sometimes what looks like a detour in a person’s life actually ends up being part of God’s plan all along. Fr. Ron Sajdak’s road to the priesthood seemed to take a detour away from a religious order vocation to a secular life of serving the poor, only to end up back on a different road to a diocesan priesthood vocation.
Born and raised in Sloan, NY near Cheektowaga, Ronald Sajdak was the youngest of four children. He attended St. Andrew Grade School and credits his experience there as having influenced him greatly in his desire to become a priest. As early as the second grade he felt called to the priesthood. After graduating from John F. Kennedy High School, he entered Wadhams Hall Seminary College in Ogdensburg, NY eager to continue on that road to the priesthood. During his junior year of college he attended a retreat at a Carmelite Monastery. At that retreat he felt a strong sense of belonging even though he had no knowledge of what they were all about. He attended another retreat a year later and came to the conclusion after hearing a talk about the “Thirst for God” that he needed to spend more time developing a better relationship with Jesus Christ before moving forward towards ordination. He really wanted to slow down and get to know the Lord better so instead of going to Christ the King Seminary to continue his studies for diocesan priesthood, he applied to the Carmelite Monastery with the intention of becoming a religious order priest.
In 1977 he left Buffalo and moved to Boston, MA where he entered the community and spent two years as a novice. After professing his simple vows, he relocated to a monastery in Washington, DC where he began graduate studies at the Catholic University of America. In 1983 Ron felt that his need for contemplation and time spent seeking a deeper relationship with God had been met and what he needed now was a little “reality therapy.” He decided to leave the religious community but continued to live in Washington for the next ten years. He worked with the homeless poor at S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat) and also as the Director of Religious Education and Worship at the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Tacoma Park, MD. While at Our Lady of Sorrows, he began a vibrant Youth Ministry Program reaching out to immigrant African, Haitian, and Island Youth. He also promoted Multi-Cultural/Multi-Lingual Events and Celebrations. In May of 1989 he attained a Masters in Theological Studies from Washington Theological Union Seminary. In 1990, while listening to an African American priest preach during Mass one Sunday at a “Rejoice” Conference for African American Catholic Gospel Musicians held at Howard University, Ron felt God asking him why he was sitting there in the congregation when God needed him up front doing what the priest was doing. At first he thought, “Been there, done that!” but in time he continued to feel God calling and decided to give the priesthood another look.
The thought of returning to Buffalo, after being away so long, made him a bit uneasy. He had grown so much in the time he had been away. He felt that if he returned, he might not be welcomed back and some may treat him as if he were still the boy who left so long ago. In a dream he saw his deceased father with his arms opened telling him, “Never be afraid to come home.” It was a difficult decision to make as Ron loved the work he was doing and the friends he had made but he remembers thinking, “God, if you haven’t already given away what you wanted me to do, I’m ready now.” He applied to Christ the King Seminary and upon being accepted decided to return home. In May of 1995 he earned a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry degree from Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY. He was ordained a Transitional Deacon on June 24th, 1995 by Bishop Henry Mansell and ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Mansell on May 4th, 1996. He spent time as a deacon and also his first year of priesthood at St. John the Evangelist in Buffalo. He was then assigned to St. Bernadette in Orchard Park from August 1997 to July 2002. Fr. Ron became pastor of St. Martin de Porres in the city of Buffalo in July 2002 and that is where he currently resides.
Fr. Ron has held several positions throughout the diocese in conjunction with his desire for peaceful relationships among all God’s people. He was Programs Director of the South Buffalo Ecumenical Association from 1995 to 1997, a member of the Hamburg Association of Churches and the Hamburg Ministerium from 1997-2001, reorganized the Justice and Peace Committee at St. Bernadette Parish in 1998, was a board member of the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Buffalo (IHN) 1998-2002 and has been chaplain for the Buffalo Catholic Worker from 1997 to the present. While he was serving as parochial vicar at St. Bernadette, he was led by the Spirit to minister to African refugees arriving in Buffalo and formed what now is known as ROTA: Reaching Out 2 Africa. Over the years this ministry has helped African refugees from Sudan locally with humanitarian assistance, welcomed and assisted African clergy and has worked internationally. Through his years as Pastor of St. Martin de Porres, the church community has welcomed three African Bishops to visit Buffalo, participated in digging a clean-water well and the building of a young women’s dormitory at the St. Charles Lwanga Butende Technical Institute in Uganda. In April of 2009 Fr. Ron returned from a mission trip to Sudan Africa where he and “Lost Boy of Sudan,” Fidele Diing Dhan broke ground for a new medical clinic in the Village of Koiyom, Aweil State, Southern Sudan. Bishop Edward Kmiec has also appointed Fr. Ron Chairman of the Justice & Peace Commission of the Diocese of Buffalo in 2004, the Clergy Personnel Board in January, 2010 and most recently, Director of the Pontifical Mission Society/Buffalo in March 2010. Had it not been for the “detour” he took on his road to the priesthood serving the poor in Washington, Fr. Ron might not have been inspired to “reach out” as he has to such a vast global community.
Having been ordained for 14 years, Fr. Ron feels that there are many aspects of the priesthood he enjoys. At the top of the list of his Sacramental joys is the Eucharist. He also very much appreciates the beauty of “Laying on of Hands.” Fr. Ron loves to watch God work in healing ministry. On Sunday morning, the 9:30am Mass at St. Martin de Porres is vibrant and spiritual as is the congregation. There are no missals in the pews; instead you’ll see bibles. The chapter and verse of each reading is announced and the congregation is encouraged to go directly to the bible to find it. The challenges in Fr. Ron’s life include the re-visioning of priesthood in light of the shortage of priests. Because of the way the world has changed, priests are now being challenged to pastor in new and creative ways to more people. His experiences have led Fr. Ron to look at the way he pastors from a more “missionary” point of view. Lay people are becoming more involved in parish life out of pure necessity. They have a deep respect for the Sacrament of Priesthood in that they recognize that the priest is the only one who can bring us the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Everyone has a role to play in sustaining parish life and now, parishioners are being called upon to do their part. Fr. Ron feels that people need to take ownership of their Faith and participating in parish life is the best way to do that. Ultimately, God is in charge!
When he gets time for himself, Fr. Ron likes to read and enjoys seeing movies. He has a real love for live Jazz music. He and his brothers and sister take turns caring for their mother who is in a nursing home. He has an incredible love for the Lord and he feels anyone considering priesthood should share this feeling as well. “You can’t be a priest because of what a priest does, you have to want to be a priest because of who a priest is,” asserts Fr. Ron. Men considering priesthood should have a deep prayer life and should constantly be praying for a better prayer life. They should pray to know God better, pray for Him to reveal Himself more clearly and to let them know what He wants of them. Fr. Ron thinks the best way to weather the sacrifices you are called to make as a priest is to have a personal relationship with God. It’s about making the distinction between doing the things we want to do and doing the things we are called to do. If you’re only doing the things you want to do, you’ll be doing them alone. If you do the things you feel called to do, you will surely be doing them with God.
While there is no typical "road to the priesthood" story; some involve more miles than others. The journey of Fr. Mark Noonan is both extraordinary and inspiring and the road he followed was filled with twists and turns winding through Belize in Latin America and Rome, Italy before returning back to the Western New York area.
One of eight children, Mark Noonan grew up with five sisters and two brothers in Cheektowaga, NY. His family belonged to St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish and he attended school there for grades K-8. He went to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute for high school and graduated in 1994. In 1998 he graduated from the University of Buffalo with a dual degree in Political Science and Philosophy.
As a child, he thought of becoming a priest. This, he believes, was a consideration of many young Catholic boys at the time. Around the age of 14 or 15 years, young Mark’s thoughts tended away from the priesthood and towards girls. During those years he played music and sang at church on Sunday with a group of guys he grew up with, which he credits with keeping him close to God. In high school and college he dated a lot but never quite found the girl he was looking for. After graduating from UB, Mark decided to try law school. He entered Cleveland-Marshall Law School right after college but would end up spending only one year there. Although he was quite successful as a student, God had other plans. When one opens himself up to the will of God, one must be ready to change course mid-stream.
While living in Cleveland, Mark joined a Catholic young adult group and found himself attracted to one of the girls in that group - a beautiful, happy, and deeply committed Catholic; just the type of person he thought could be the one for him. Some people mentioned that she attended Perpetual Adoration at the church they belonged to. They advised Mark that she usually showed up later in the evening to pray. Thinking he would run into her there, he began to go to that chapel late in the evening in hopes of meeting her, even though he did not yet believe that Christ was truly present in the Eucharist. However, every time he went there with hope of meeting her, she was not there. As time passed, and he spent many late nights praying in that chapel, he really began to grow in faith. The more time he spent in that Adoration Chapel, the less he came in hope of finding the girl and the more he began to believe that Christ was truly present before him in the Eucharist. Just after Easter, during his second semester at law school, he went before the Blessed Sacrament late one evening and felt that it was truly God who was calling him to be a priest. For a moment he thought, “What about law school?” but when the moment passed, he thought, “I’m done with law school; it is over.” Mark commented that, “It was really my belief in the Eucharist that led to my vocation. Once I started to believe what the Church professes, namely that Christ is truly and substantially present in the Eucharist, I knew I could do whatever he was calling me to do. And it was clear at that point that God was blessing me with the call to the priesthood.”
Over the next year, as he worked to pay off his student loans, Mark became familiar with a religious order called the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (S.O.L.T.) and decided to join them. In May 2001 he entered SOLT, a missionary community made up of Priests, Sisters and Brothers. He spent his first year with SOLT teaching in Belize at the mission of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel High School. In 2002, SOLT sent him to their seminary in Rome. He and the other SOLT seminarians studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (The Angelicum), which is run by the Dominican Fathers. While there he had many incredible experiences including the opportunity to sing in one of the Papal Choirs, to meet Pope John Paul II, and to attend the canonization and beatification of many Saints and Blesseds; including Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. He was there when the Pope passed away, and following his death, Mark waited in line for seven hours to view his body. Upon finally approaching the casket, he spent an hour praying there in the middle of the night. A week later he and his brother seminarians slept on the street in order to attend the Pope’s funeral. Fr. Mark was also present in St. Peter’s square on April 19, 2005 when the white smoke blew from the Sistine Chapel and Pope Benedict XVI was elected and introduced as our Holy Father. During those years Fr. Mark explained that he received countless blessings through the help and guidance of many saintly priests. In June of 2005, he graduated from the Angelicum.
During his time in Rome, Fr. Mark discerned that he was being called to serve as a parish priest. Although he loved the missions and missionary work, he did not feel at that time that he was being called to religious life. He decided to return to Buffalo in order to become a priest for our Diocese. Because of all the training he had already received during his years with SOLT, he only spent three semesters at our diocesan seminary, Christ the King, in East Aurora. During his time there he was inspired yet again by the priests he encountered in our diocese, particularly Fr. Paul Seil as well as the current rector of the seminary, Fr. Peter Drilling – whom Fr. Mark credits with helping him transition to the diocesan life, and into the priesthood. Fr. Mark loved the great fraternity he found amongst the Buffalo seminarians, particularly his friendship with his only classmate, Fr. David Baker. He describes the relationship amongst priests and seminarians as one where “iron sharpens iron.”
He spent the summer of 2006 at St. Joseph’s Parish in Albion and beginning in January 2007 he spent a year at Queen of Heaven in West Seneca. He was ordained a Transitional Deacon on April 20, 2007 and ordained to the priesthood on December 1, 2007 by Bishop Edward Kmiec. Fr. Mark was assigned first to Nativity of our Lord, Orchard Park and then to St. Amelia in Tonawanda where he currently resides.
In thinking about the priesthood, Fr. Mark mentions that being a priest is far better than he thought it would be; yet more challenging as well. He relates, “The day I was ordained a priest I just meant every promise I made so profoundly. I thought of all the great priest-saints who have inspired me, like St. John Vianney, St. Louis de Montfort, St. Edmund Campion and others on their ordination day, and resolved to follow their example and give myself completely to our Eternal Father. As the Second Vatican Council taught, ‘A man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself’, so I strive to give everything in myself to God, and in service to his children on earth as a spiritual father. As priests, we belong to Christ so deeply. I just cannot imagine myself not having that depth of relationship with God. My heart is His forever!” Fr. Mark particularly loves celebrating the Sacraments as they pour out God’s graces on His people. When he says Mass at a nursing home, he sometimes just anoints all the participants when it is over. “They are all so elderly, sick and frail, it just means so much to them. They really love it!” he exclaims. Whenever he preaches on the benefits and importance of going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, he inevitably finds that people thank him in the weeks that follow, telling him outside of the confessional that they had not been to confession in years, but feel their life has been restored to grace and peace through that Sacrament. Above all, Fr. Mark is thankful for the opportunity to be a conduit of God’s grace.
The priesthood is a challenging life as well, one that involves trying to juggle many responsibilities. Fr. Mark feels that there are so many demands placed upon priests today and most people cannot imagine how much they are. He prays daily, and encourages others to pray that more and more young men in our diocese will answer “Yes!” to the call to serve as a priest.
An avid sports fan, Fr. Mark enjoys keeping up with his favorite professional teams including the Sabres, Bills, and Red Sox as well as playing a few sports himself. He likes to golf and he became a pretty solid soccer player during his years in the Seminary in Italy. He enjoys hiking and driving to places that are secluded so he can pray. In Italy he used to enjoy praying in the beautiful churches when no one else was there. He would often pray by the tomb of the patron saint of his home parish, St. Aloysius Gonzaga. He truly believes that prayer is the fuel that keeps him going. He prays a Holy Hour every day and is happy to live the promises of his ordination by praying the full Liturgy of the Hours each day. He commented that “if your prayer life is neglected, your identity will soon disappear and for a priest, nothing could be worse.”
“Guys have no idea how glorious a life it is to be a priest; to be so close to God!” exclaims Fr. Mark. He explained that if a man feels called to the priesthood, he can be assured that it will be the pathway to the greatest happiness. “God’s will always coincides with the deepest desires of our heart, even if we do not initially recognize it. So if you want to be truly happy in life, then seek out God’s will and do it!” However, Fr. Mark is clear to relate that, “men should only make the decision to start out on the path to the priesthood in freedom and without pressure or coercion. Indeed, all of us are free to choose and follow God’s call wherever it leads. Our task is to seek it with a sincere and generous heart. In order to discover God’s plan, you must really look into your heart, and ask the deepest questions. God will not fail to answer.”
Fr. Mark invites all to join him each day offering the following centuries old prayer for vocations that more young men in our diocese will respond to the call:
O God, who wills not the death of a sinner, but rather that he be converted and live. Grant, we beseech you, through the intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, and all the saints, an increase of laborers for your Church, fellow laborers with Christ to spend and consume themselves for souls through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
Edward F. Jost, Jr. was born in Kansas City, Kansas on February 15, 1961. Only one short year later he would be hospitalized for "osteomyelitis," a disease of the bone, and would spend the next several years in and out of the hospital. At three years old, Ted's family moved to Buffalo in the winter of 1964 and thankfully his condition was corrected. Since his father was an English professor at Canisius College, Ted's family moved nearby. He grew up playing baseball in Delaware Park and in high school he served as a waiter at the priests' residence at Canisius. At the age of eight, Ted began talking about a vocation to the priesthood. Most people did not seem very supportive of the idea and it took a "back seat" to a new love; the arts. Because of his bone condition, he had to be careful about contact sports. He began drawing and painting and found that he had artistic talent. When his brothers joined a local drama club, Ted discovered that, after the initial shock of standing in front of people, he really liked drama and he participated in several high school productions. Still, the idea of being a priest continued to present itself in his thoughts and prayers. He tried to put it out of his mind and after graduation from high school was determined to attend Niagara University which feature wonderful Theatre and Religious Education Departments.
During college, Ted worked as a carpenter for his first three years and helped to build the sets on which he performed many memorable roles, from Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" to Don Quixote in "The Man of La Mancha" to Hamlet in "Hamlet." After his third year at NU, he earned his membership in the Actors Equity Association (the stage actors' union) while performing as St. Peter in the 1982 Artpark production of "Jesus Christ Superstar." At the start of his final year at NU, Ted took a work study job as a Sacristan at the chapel and attended daily Mass, retreats and missionary trips to the inner city of Philadelphia with his priestly mentor, Rev. Stephen Macher. Even though thoughts of the priesthood were still with him he decided to pursue a scholarship at USC in Los Angeles. He would spend four years there and four more in New York City, attending discernment retreats with the Vincentian priests and others while pursuing his acting career.
Finally, in the spring of 1990, he decided that the lifestyle of an actor was simply not what he was looking for. As much as he loved the "art," his life became a "business" and one that was not always in keeping with his values as a Catholic person. So he returned home to Buffalo and entered Christ the King Seminary in an effort to join the priests of the diocese and hopefully help others find their vocation in life. As he likes to put it, his experience "playing heroes" on stage helped him to actually want to become one in reality!
Fr. Ted was ordained a priest in 1996 and served his first few months of priesthood at St. Vincent DePaul in Springbrook. The Vincent de Paul was the same parish he spent time in as a seminarian and a transitional deacon. From 1997 to 2000 he was assigned as a parochial vicar at St. Christopher in Tonawanda. He then served at Our Lady of Victory Basilica, Lackawanna from 2000 to 2003 and after that at Fourteen Holy Helpers, West Seneca until 2006. He was made pastor of the former Ascension Church in North Tonawanda and then administrator and pastor at the former St. Albert the Great. In 2007 the two churches merged to form St. Jude the Apostle where Fr. Ted is currently pastor.
It was during his time at St. Christopher's in 1998 that he created "The Parable Players," a group of teens who perform high energy, humorous adaptations of bible stories. These teens are from all over the diocese and they perform during the summer months in the green space outside of St. Joseph's Cathedral, at lawn fetes, parish picnics, nursing homes, and other events. Fr. Ted is still going strong with the Parable Players and enjoys the opportunity to combine his love of the priesthood with his love of the arts. The 2010 season for the Parable Players is fast approaching. Auditions are on Monday, April 19 at 7pm at St. Jude the Apostle Parish (Msgr. Kreuzer Hall - 800 Niagara Falls Blvd., North Tonawanda) Young people who are interested can contact Fr. Ted for more information at 694-0540.
To any man considering a vocation to the priesthood, Fr. Ted advises them to ask themselves if the feeling of wanting to be a priest is something that keeps coming back. If it does, then he suggests talking with people who support the idea. Too often people who are well meaning may try to steer men away from the idea of becoming a priest. It is a good idea to find people who support vocations to the priesthood such as the Diocesan Vocation Director or the local Serra Club. It's also not a bad idea to look into entering the seminary to really see if it is for you, keeping in mind that you are free to leave at any time if it does not seem to be working out.
Most importantly, spend time in prayer asking God what it is He wants you to do. Fr. Ted spent several years pursuing other interests before seriously thinking about the priesthood. In some ways, he feels like he lost those years that he could have spent as a priest but in other ways, he feels that the time was not wasted. He had a lot of life experiences which have made him a better priest in the long run. Living on his own taught him to budget his money which helps him as a pastor to budget the parish expenses.
Fr. Ted is very happy in his vocation as a priest. He finds it a privilege to be Christ to others. People think that the priesthood is such a solitary life but Fr. Ted feels just the opposite. "The priest is at the center of the parish family," exclaims Fr. Ted who talks about his priesthood as, "a life lived with and for others." Occasionally he finds it challenging to carve out time for himself. Another thing he finds somewhat difficult is maintaining friendships in an atmosphere where people's opinions vary about what a priest should be and who he should befriend. While negotiating boundaries within friendships is something we all deal with, it seems sometimes harder for priests because they are supposed to be there for everyone and not show favorites.
The call to priesthood was always there for Fr. Ted although he had other interests and talents. For Father Ted, being ordained to the Sacred Priesthood of Jesus Christ in his beloved Roman Catholic tradition was a lifelong dream and he is very happy with his decision. Like the late Pope John Paul II, a profound inspiration to Fr. Ted and many young men during his pontificate, Fr. Ted feels that spirituality and the arts are a perfect match. At their best, both search the depths of the human heart, seeking meaning and purpose in life.
From his humble beginnings at St. Gerard Parochial School, Msgr. Dino Lorenzetti has accomplished a great deal in the service of Our Lord and others. He graduated from Hutchinson Central High School and went on to receive a degree at the Chown Business School of Canisius College. His education continued when he entered Christ the King Seminary which was located at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY at that time.
Dino J. Lorenzetti was born July 23, 1921 and with a mere 20 years of life under his belt, began his time of service to our country in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII from 1941 to 1945. He served in the United States, Africa and Italy.
On May 30, 1953, he was ordained to the priesthood. He served as Associate Pastor at Holy Cross, Buffalo, Our Lady of Lourdes, Buffalo, St. Mary of Sorrows, Buffalo, Christ the King, Snyder, and St. Louis, Buffalo. In addition to his assignments as associate pastor and later pastor for several parishes, he served as the director of the diocesan Office of Family Life for nearly 20 years. Msgr. Lorenzetti also served on the advisory board of the National Family Life Bureau, was a moderator for the Foundation of International Cooperation and for the Diocesan Guild of Catholic Physicians, a member of the New York State Catholic Committee and was active on the Interfaith Committee for the Buffalo Diocese. He also lectured for the Air Force, Army and Navy in the Alaskan Command on education and family life. In January of 1968 he was given the Papal Honor of Very Reverend Monsignor.
Msgr. Lorenzetti went on to become Pastor at Holy Cross, in Buffalo from July 1968 to June 1975. He then became the Pastor of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Orchard Park from March 1977 to July 1996. He officially retired in 1996 however he has remained very active. Msgr. Lorenzetti lives at the O'Hara Residence for retired priests but travels the diocese to celebrate Mass and offer spiritual guidance; lightening the burden of his fellow priests whenever and wherever he is needed.
In 1992 Msgr. Lorenzetti received the Cure of Ars Award from Christ the King Seminary. This award celebrates the care of souls in the spirit of St. John Vianney who was the pastor, or Cure, of a small town in France called Ars. Msgr. Lorenzetti has been dedicated to the care of souls for 56 years and he shows no sign of slowing down. Among other distinctions, he has received the St. John Neumann Award from the Federation of Catholic School Parents, the Judge John D. Hillery Scholarship Foundation Award, the St. Christopher Award from the Catholic Youth Organization, the Spirit of Mercy Award from Mount Mercy Academy and the Mater Christi Award from Immaculata Academy. On January 28, 2010, he was awarded the Bishop's Medal at the Making a Difference Dinner celebrating Catholic Schools. This award is well deserved as Msgr. Lorenzetti has influenced the lives of so many Catholic School Children in such a positive way.
Both his parents are deceased and Msgr. Lorenzetti has a brother and a sister. Both are married with children. He has many hobbies including travel, reading and being interested in just about everything and everyone whom he encounters.
"The best part of my priesthood," Msgr. Lorenzetti shares, "would be administrating the Sacraments, preaching and witnessing the gospel to the best of my ability." He continues, "To a vocation candidate I would say that in my 56 years in Priesthood, I have had many challenges and attractions to the married life, yet in no way would I exchange the joy of my vocation for any other."
A man who has been blessed with many years of life, Msgr. Dino Lorenzetti uses those years to bring God's people closer to Him. When preaching at Mass, he is often heard saying, "I love all you beautiful people!" - and he really means it! He has a great sense of humor and is always positive and optimistic. Msgr. David LiPuma recently remarked that, "Msgr. Lorenzetti is the kind of priest that others look up to and say, ‘That's the kind of priest I want to be!'" He truly believes and lives the ideal that it is better to serve than to be served.
"Be honest with yourself" is the advice Fr. Sean DiMaria would give to anyone interested in becoming a priest. He knows from experience that following God's will and not your own is the only path to true happiness. Fr. Sean remembers well feeling called by God to be a priest as early as seven years old when he made his First Communion. Inspired then by Fr. Charles Slisz, he thought, "I want to do what he does, I want to be like him." Like a lot of men who feel called to the priesthood early in life, Fr. Sean didn't answer "Yes" right away.
The earliest years of his life were spent in South Buffalo. Baptized at Holy Family Parish, he went on to attend kindergarten at St. Agatha. The DiMaria family then moved to North Buffalo and became parishioners of Holy Spirit. Sean attended PS 81 for grades 1-5 and then he, along with his parents, older sister Joan and younger brother Mark, moved once again, this time to Lake View. His father passed away in 2008 and his mother still resides in Lake View as a parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. He attended the parish school, Southtowns Catholic, for grades 6-8 and graduated from Frontier High School in 1985. Having been involved in the Lake View Fire Department since he was 16 years old, Sean set out to answer the call he had always felt to a life of service. He officially joined after graduating from high school at the age of 18. Along with his involvement at the fire station, he worked at Wendy's Food System, Inc. and then with his brother at Kruszka Flooring Co. He was employed at Sorrento Cheese from 1990 to 1996.
After high school, he fell away from the Catholic Church and the fire department filled his need for a sense of community. He remarked that it was during this time he felt he grew from a boy into a man. As good as it seemed to be, there was still something missing. He decided to make Mission at his parish and that became a turning point in his life. Not necessarily right away but as time went on he felt that experience led him back to the Catholic Church. He remembers feeling embarrassed to start attending Mass again after having been away so long but he did return and he began to get involved. He taught Confirmation class in the parish and was inspired once more by a priest. Fr. Jim Bastian got him thinking again about the possibility of becoming a priest, a thought that never really left him completely.
Entering the seminary meant spending more time in school. Sean had never been a strong student and the thought of going back was not appealing. After discussing the possibility of priesthood with a friend, she told him he should at least look into it. They went to the Catholic Center in downtown Buffalo to talk to someone but it was closed. Feeling it was an omen, Sean thought that would be the end of it. His friend Kristen had other thoughts and drove him to Christ the King Seminary where he was able to speak to Msgr. Fred Leising. The rest, as they say, is history. He attended Wadhams Hall College Seminary for four years of undergraduate Study. As daunting as it seemed, Sean described it as a wonderful experience. He really enjoyed his time there and felt he gained a great deal from it. The next four years were spent at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora. He was assigned to St. Paul's in Kenmore for a summer and the following year as a deacon.
Ordained to the priesthood on May 28, 2005 Fr. Sean remembers thinking, "It's finally here!" He said there was a lot to remember during the whole ceremony but he felt absolutely sure he was doing what God had called him to do from the time of his First Communion. Ordained with him were Fr. Marko Ilnitskyi and Fr. Darrell Duffy. His first assignment was SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Hamburg. He spent three years there as parochial vicar and then moved to his current assignment as pastor of SS. Brendan and Jude Parish with worship sites in Almond and Alfred as well as Blessed Sacrament Parish in Andover.
Fr. Sean enjoys celebrating the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. He finds the demands on his time to be great now that he is pastor of three worship sites. He knows it's important to carve out time for prayer no matter how busy you may become. He sometimes worries that his prayer life suffers with all the constraints on his time but he is conscious of keeping his priorities in line. His dog, Riley, has been a great companion and keeps him busy as well. When he gets the time, he loves to read and enjoys following hockey and sometimes football and other sports.
As stated earlier, he feels that vocation candidates should be honest with themselves. They shouldn't be afraid to look into the priesthood if they feel they are being called. He remembers feeling a great deal of support while he was in the seminary. The faculty and staff are there to help but seminarians should always feel they can leave if they don't think becoming a priest is what God is calling them to do. The seminary is a great place to discern the call to priesthood and it should be viewed not so much as a final commitment but rather as a continuation of a person's search. Fr. Sean feels it's tough for guys in today's world to consider priesthood because the culture emphasizes materialism and selfishness. He recommends, "If you want a life that's beautiful, look to serve God and others. You'll receive a lot of graces and blessings and you're sure to find real peace and happiness."
Msgr. David LiPuma will tell you that he probably wouldn't be where he is today if it was not for his grandmother, Grace LiPuma. She truly lived her Catholic faith by incorporating the Gospel values in all she did. She lived next door to David and his parents and two older brothers and attended daily Mass. From the time he could walk, David would join her. She took young David by the hand and led him to Christ. Looking back, at time spent at daily Mass was very influential in his decision to become a priest as were prayer, and time spent together as a family around the dinner table. As far back as Fr. David can remember he was involved in one way or another at his parish. He was baptized in 1960 at Our Lady of Pompeii Parish by the then newly ordained Msgr. Robert Wurtz. From childhood, his life was enhanced by great models of priesthood. Msgr. Wurtz, who was there from the beginning, later became a great friend and mentor. Another positive role model was one of the Associate priests who served at Our Lady of Pompeii, Fr John Sardina. One Mother's Day before David had even made his First Communion, Fr. Sardina took him by the hand and led him to the sacristy. He put him in a surplice and cassock and David joined his two older brothers as an altar server. From that point on he recalls that he wanted to become a priest. He later told Fr. Sardina that he put him in his first surplice and cassock and he is still wearing it to this day! He attended elementary school at Our Lady of Pompeii and went on to St. Mary's High School, also in Lancaster. During elementary school and high school, he worked as a paperboy.
After high school, he entered Wadhams Hall Seminary-College in Ogdensburg. Tragically, while he was there, his mother passed away after a battle with cancer. Five months later, his father died from a heart attack. His grandmother then became both mother and father to David and his two older brothers.
He furthered his education at the North American College in Rome, Italy, where he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University and San Anselmo University. On his ordination day, July 25, 1987, Fr. David remembers leaning over to hold the hand of his then 87 year old grandmother. He thought, "You're the one who led me by the hand to this church and now you're here to see this!" She lived to be 104 years old; almost twenty years after Fr. David's ordination. He smiles as he recalls that she wanted to make sure he was well grounded in the priesthood before going on to her eternal reward. That year there were five men ordained to the priesthood by then Bishop Edward D. Head. Each man was ordained on a separate day in his home parish.
After ordaining Fr. David, Bishop Head assigned him to serve as parochial vicar at St. Leo the Great Parish where he spent three years. He was then assigned parochial vicar and assistant to Bishop Edward M. Grosz at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Cheektowaga where he spent another three years.
In 1993, he became acting director of the Office of Worship and Catechumenate. He became director in 1995. Fr. David was given an additional assignment in 1993 as chaplain to the Carmelite Nuns at the Monastery of the Little Flower of Jesus on Carmel Road, Buffalo. To this day he celebrates Mass there and it is one of the highlights of his priesthood. The Carmelite Sisters are very dear to Father David and they hold a very special place in his life and ministry as a priest.
Bishop Henry J. Mansell announced in 1997 that he was appointing Fr. David LiPuma to the positions of secretary to the bishop and vice chancellor. Eleven years later, Fr. LiPuma still serves in that capacity. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec bestowed upon Father David the title Monsignor in 2008. Having joined many years ago, he became a fourth degree Knight of Columbus in 2008 as well.
Msgr. LiPuma enjoys many aspects of his priesthood. When he was assigned to parish life, he loved the give and take with people. Greeting people at the doors of church, being with people during good times and in their struggles, getting to know them and becoming a part of their lives were all extremely rewarding aspects. He finds being secretary to the bishop a very unique ministry. Father David enjoys visiting the parishes of the diocese with the bishop for Confirmations and other special occasions. He views parish life as the heart of the diocese. His admiration is great for the priests who minister in our parishes day in and day out working with people and being present and Christ-like to them often quietly and without a lot of recognition. As a priest you get to bring Christ to the people through the Sacraments, and most especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and you in turn bring the people to Christ as they grow in their faith and knowledge of God and the Church. He feels it is a great life!
The priesthood also has its challenges, especially in the very secularized society in which we live today. Father David realizes it is important to be real with people and sometimes difficult to deal with so many different personalities. You have to be secure in yourself and realize that you can't please everyone. Fr. David finds it disappointing that fewer and fewer Catholics participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is so healing and helpful and yet people have lost sight of its value. There are so many distractions in people's lives. A real challenge of priesthood according to Fr. David, is trying to help people see the Church as relevant in their lives. He believes that if people felt more connected to the Church, they would be more interested in coming and being a part of it.
Physical exercise is an important part of reducing stress for Fr. David and walking provides much needed relief. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends and traveling.
All in all, Msgr. David LiPuma finds his life as a priest to be very satisfying and meaningful. As a Catholic who believes in the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, being called to the priesthood is an honor and a privilege. At the end of the day it's rewarding to be able to say you have given your life to God. He often finds that he helps people in ways that he isn't always aware of just by being present to them. Fr. David believes that a good prayer life is irreplaceable. One's relationship with Christ is the most important connection he will ever have and spending time in prayer is the best way to nurture that bond. Without it, priests as well as lay people can become empty and ineffective.
If you've ever seen him in action, you can't help but appreciate all that it takes to make the events of the bishop look so seamless and smooth. Led by the hand of his grandmother to Christ, he now lends a hand as a servant of Christ to others.
After completing an Associates of Science Degree in Engineering Science at Erie Community College, Michael G. Uebler was all set to go to the University of Buffalo or Syracuse University to complete his studies for a career in Chemical Engineering when thoughts of the priesthood started to surface. Deciding to look into this first, he entered Wadhams Hall Seminary College in Ogdensburg, New York and eight years later was ordained a priest by then Bishop Edward Head. Rev. Michael Uebler or "Fr. Mike" as he is known grew up in Cheektowaga along with three brothers and three sisters. He attended Infant of Prague Elementary School and Bishop Neuman High School. The Franciscan Sisters from Williamsville taught him at both schools. Later, Fr. Mike would teach at St. Mary's High School in Lancaster with the same Franciscan Sisters. Even to this day, one of his parishioners, Sister Pat Hartley, is a great help to him. He expresses much gratitude for the presence of the Franciscan Sisters in his life. Ordained on December 12, 1982, Fr. Mike's first assignment was to St. Edmund's Parish in Tonawanda as a Parochial Vicar. Youth ministry was his main responsibility. This led to a teaching position which lasted for nine years at St. Mary's High School in Lancaster. While there, he worked in Campus Ministry, directed Student Services and Student Retreats and taught New Testament. One of Fr. Mike's greatest joys is performing wedding ceremonies for his former students.
His next assignment, after St. Mary's High School, was as pastor in Arcade and East Arcade for seven years. He was impressed by how important Church was to the people in that area and he loved being part of those small communities.
Presently, Fr. Mike is the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Tonawanda. He feels that this parish is a very important part of the City of Tonawanda. He visits the school every day and works closely with the Generations of Faith Program. Fr. Mike enjoys sharing in people's lives through the sacraments and fortunately there is a lot of sacramental work at St. Francis. How fitting that he should become pastor of a parish that shares the name of the order of Sisters who influenced his life so positively! Fr. Mike's second cousin, Luke Uebler, is presently studying at St. Mark's Seminary/Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Fr. Mike enjoys the priesthood and is very happy to have answered "Yes" to God's call. He hopes and prays that Luke and all those studying for the priesthood will experience that same joy.
A self described "people person," Msgr. Rupert Wright loves his priesthood which is certainly evident in the number of other priests as well as lay people he has positively influenced. He was born on January 16, 1930 and grew up in Jamestown, NY. The first-born son of an English-Irish father, Rupert Aloysius Wright and an Irish mother, Catherine Barrett Wright, he would later be joined by two brothers, Richard and Julian. His father operated a clothing business, Wright's Fashions and the family lived in the same home in which his mother, Catherine was raised. Eventually, Richard became an orthodontist. He and his wife Carolyn live in Fredonia, N.Y. Julian, who died suddenly at the age of 50 in 1986, was owner and manager of the family business, now called Wright's Suburban Stores in downtown Jamestown, the Lakewood Mall and the Millcrest Mall in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Young Rupert attended SS Peter and Paul Parochial School in Jamestown. The Sisters of Mercy, who taught him throughout elementary school, had a great influence on his formation leading to his priestly vocation. He attended Jamestown High School and was accepted at Georgetown University to study Law. Two factors came into play which changed his plans concerning Georgetown. First, he received a state scholarship which restricted the colleges he could attend to those in New York State. Second, and probably most importantly, he attended a men's retreat at the Columban Center in Derby, NY toward the end of his senior year in high school where he felt he was being called to the priesthood. Msgr. Wright considers senior year in high school to be a very "touchable moment" in life for most as it is then that people begin to seriously consider what they would like to further study and some day become. He enrolled in Niagara University for two years in the College of Arts and Sciences and then entered the Seminary of Our Lady of Angels located on the campus of Niagara University. The Seminary predates the university itself. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1952 and after four years as a seminarian, was ordained a priest on May 26, 1956 at St. Joseph's New Cathedral by Most Rev. Joseph A. Burke, D. D.
Fr. Wright's first assignment was to the Missionary Apostolate. He was named Chaplain of Cattaraugus and Allegany Indian Reservations and Administrator of St. Isidore Parish in East Otto. In Lent of 1957, he was assigned to St. Stephen Parish on Grand Island as an associate to Msgr. Edward Schwegler. After Monsignor Schwegler was critically hurt in an automobile accident, the young Fr. Wright became the administrator and ran the parish for five years. For the next five years he was Parochial Vicar at St. Mary Magdalene at Fillmore and Urban on the east side of Buffalo. At the time, it was an old German Catholic parish of 1,000 families but changing times have resulted in its current status as the Antioch Baptist Church. From Buffalo's East Side, he moved to South Buffalo in 1968 as Parochial Vicar at St. John the Evangelist. The pastor at St. John's was ill, and Fr. Wright was challenged to supervise the building of a new convent.
While serving as Parochial Vicar at the various parishes, Fr. Wright took on additional responsibilities in the diocese. He became the Diocesan Director of the Legion of Mary from 1967-1973, a member of the Senate of Priests in 1970; serving as its president from 1973-74. In 1973 Bishop Head appointed Fr. Wright to a one year term on the College of Consultants. At that same time he was serving on the Priests' Retirement Board and a year later on the Priests' Personnel Board.
He suffered deep personal loss in 1973 with the death of his mother and in 1975 with the death of his father. 1975 also brought good news when Fr. Wright was appointed by Bishop Head to his first pastorate at St. James Major in Westfield, NY and then in 1977 as the Coordinator of the Priests' Personnel Board. He received his first papal honor in 1980 when he became "Rev. Msgr." Rupert Wright. In 1982 he went on to become the second pastor of St. Amelia Parish in Tonawanda; one of the largest parishes in the Buffalo Diocese. He continued to serve the diocese outside of his busy life as pastor in 1982 by becoming a member of the Diocesan Finance Council. From 1985-86 he served on the Pastoral Council. From 1984-89 he was a member of the Priests' Council and from 1984-86 was Coordinator of Region 17, (now referred to as "Vicariates" rather than "Regions"). In 1986 he became a member of the Television Advisory Board. Also, that year he would experience the tragic and sudden death of his younger brother, Julian.
He served as pastor to the 3,000 families of St. Amelia's for 12 years. By that time it had become the second largest parish in the diocese. In 1994 at the age of 64, Msgr. Wright moved on to become pastor of the largest parish in the diocese; St. Gregory the Great, with its 5,000 families. Some were surprised that he would want the responsibility of such a large parish but he commented that, "In this day and age, it's easier to run a big parish than a small one. There are pressures, yes, but you have bigger staffs and a bigger pool of volunteers." No doubt, his earlier experience of running parishes, when the pastors became unable to do so, prepared him well. He was very appreciative of the help he received at the parishes he served and never hesitated in listening to good advice. He sited God as the most important thing and only reason for parish administration and organizations. A humble, inspirational, lovable, priest, Msgr. Wright has a way of bringing out the best in people as he brings them closer to God and His Son Jesus Christ. St. Gregory the Great was fortunate to have Msgr. Wright as their pastor for 12 wonderful years. While he was at St. Greg's he received several awards: The Cure of Ars Award from Christ the King Seminary in 1997 and both the Bishop's Medal from Most Rev. Edward U. Kmiec and the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Brothers of Mercy, in 2005. In 2006, as he celebrated 50 years of priesthood, the "Celebrate Catholic Education" Medal was presented to him at the 6th annual Celebrate Catholic Education Dinner. Retired July 16, 2006, Msgr. Wright lives at the O'Hara Residence, a retirement home for priests. He enjoys the companionship of the other retired priests in a setting where they have their own apartments yet come together to share meals and prayer. They have a genuine care and concern for one another. Msgr. Wright still helps at St. Andrew Parish in Kenmore whenever he can. He considers the best part of priesthood to be saying Mass and administering the Sacraments. He feels that the Sacraments are not emphasized enough and therefore can be overlooked in their importance. Looking back, the most challenging part of priesthood was keeping up with the many ministries he was responsible for as pastor. He felt pressured to ration his time so he could fit everything in. To those who may be interested in the priesthood, Msgr. Wright advises a good prayer life. He reminds them that they will always be drawn to be married and have a family so there are certain things they will have to do without. If they can relate well to people, (as Msgr. Wright surely does) they will find the warmth and love of a family in their parishioners through the grace and blessing of God.
Having just completed his first year of priesthood, Fr. Jim Kirkpatrick expressed his happiness at having answered “yes” when God called. SS. Peter and Paul in Hamburg is his first assignment as a priest. Spending a year in a large parish has given him lots of experience saying Mass, hearing confessions, baptizing and presiding at weddings and funerals.
Growing up in Sanborn, N.Y., Jim was greatly influenced by Fr. Herold Nuwer who was then pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Ransomville. From the time Jim was about ten years old until he was well into his seminary studies, Fr. Nuwer was the pastor at his hometown parish. Jim was youngest of the five children born to Judy and Jim Kirkpatrick. Welcoming him into the world on July 21, 1979 were his sister, Jamie and three brothers, Dennis, Billy and Greg. He attended Colonial Village Elementary School and Niagara Wheatfield Jr. and Sr. High School. He then went on to Canisius College and spent one semester as a Biology major. After that he switched to Political Science. He thought he would become a teacher or professor some day.
Jim worked the same steady job summers and school breaks from the age of seventeen until he entered the seminary. He was employed at Yankee Doodle Brochure Distributors, a local family owned business. The owner, who was also a parishioner, asked Fr. Nuwer if he knew of a reliable young person who would make a good employee. He recommended Jim who held that job for the next seven years distributing brochures all over Western New York.
About halfway through his junior year in college, Jim felt called to the priesthood. He had thought about it before, having discussed the idea with Fr. Nuwer, his mother and grandmother. Looking back, he remembered knowing lots of great priests when he was growing up. It was appealing to Jim to serve God like they did. He spent time praying about his future, talking to friends and family as well as Fr. Leon Biernat, the vocation director at the time. After graduating from Canisius College in May of 2002, he entered Christ the King Seminary in August of the same year. Although still somewhat unsure about becoming a priest, he was willing to give it a more serious look.
Jim’s pastoral year was spent at St. John the Baptist Parish in Lockport. He was assigned as a deacon to St. Benedict Parish in Eggertsville. His first summer assignment as a seminarian was to St. Vincent de Paul Parish in North Evans. He had very positive experiences at all the parishes he was involved with. On ordination day, May 17, 2008, Fr. Jim remembers being very happy. He was just taking it all in, absorbing all that was going on and enjoying being in the moment. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec ordained him and two of his classmates, Fr. Jim Fugle and Fr. Bob Zilliox. Fr. Jim Kirkpatrick was thrilled to share the day with two of his good friends.
Fr. Jim enjoys the company of the people he serves at SS. Peter and Paul and is happy to be a part of their lives. He finds it a real privilege to be with people during important moments such as their weddings, baptisms and even funerals. It’s comforting to know that when they look back on these times they will remember the priest who celebrated their joys with them and mourned their losses.
Priesthood has its challenges and for Fr. Jim it is sometimes difficult to counsel those who need help. While he is very knowledgeable in many areas, his experience is limited by his youth. This is a challenge that will surely dissipate with time.
Fr. Jim enjoys the company of his fellow priests, especially his classmates, on his days off. He joins them for lunch and sometimes a movie. He also spends time with his parents, siblings, as well as four nieces and two nephews when he gets the chance. He likes to play video games, assemble and paint models, read and write short stories. He enjoys running as a way to stay in shape and alleviate stress. Fr. Jim follows college football, baseball, soccer and auto racing.
To those considering the priesthood, Fr. Jim advises listening to God as well as trusted family and friends. He encourages everyone to develop a good prayer life, especially those discerning priesthood. He feels people should always take decisions, large and small to prayer and not just think about them analytically. If men allowed the influences of society to pull them away from what they felt called to be, no one would become a priest! For Fr. Jim, the priesthood has given him the opportunity to make a positive impact on society, particularly those to whom he ministers. So far it has been a wonderful life and it has given him opportunities to do things he would not have otherwise done like ministry to prisoners and the poor. He finds it a humbling experience to preside at the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Having expressed the desire to be a teacher and a writer, Fr. Jim has joyfully discovered that through his priesthood he is able to be both. Being open to God’s plan has led him to great happiness. Fr. Jim feels that it is extremely fulfilling to be a priest and that there is nothing else he would rather do.
Because our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has declared this the year of the priest, our featured priest for the month of August will be…St. John (Jean-Baptiste-Marie) VianneyThe Curé of ArsPatron Saint of Parish Priests
On May 8, 1786 John Vianney was born in the quiet town of Dardilly, France close to Lyons. The Storming of the Bastille would occur three years later but the effects of the French Revolution wouldn’t affect his home town until many more years had passed. His was a simple life. He was the son of Matthew and Marie Beluze Vianney, farmers in their small town. His education was limited to a smattering of several different subjects and he found the study of Latin to be particularly difficult. As the violence of the Revolution raged on, Catholicism was outlawed causing priests to flee for their lives and Mass to be celebrated in secret wherever possible. John’s father, Matthew often harbored priests on the run and the family would sometimes set out in the middle of the night to attend Mass in a nearby barn. Although his education was lacking, he was extremely advanced in matters of spirituality. His love and admiration for those brave, holy priests planted seeds of a vocation in young John’s heart. The bells of Notre Dame rang out on April 18, 1803 announcing the resurrection of Catholicism in France. This opened the door for John and others to study for the priesthood. In 1813, after only two months of study in the major-seminary, he was dismissed for his inability to master Latin. With a little help from Fr. Balley, Curé (Pastor) of the church that the Vianney family attended in nearby Escully, John was readmitted to the seminary and once again he was dismissed. Fr. Balley pleaded with the Vicar-General, sighting John’s great devotion to prayer and the Church. John was allowed to continue his studies. With much help and some compassion for his academic weaknesses, John was ordained to the priesthood on August 13, 1815 by Msgr. Simon who was Bishop of Grenoble. Fr. John’s first assignment was to Ecully to assist Fr. Balley, the priest who first recognized and encouraged his vocation, urged him to persevere when things seemed impossible and interceded when others had dismissed the idea of him ever becoming a priest. Fr. Balley was a true mentor and friend to Fr. John. In 1817 Fr. Balley died leaving Fr. John Vianney extremely distraught. He later wrote, “I have seen some beautiful souls, but none so beautiful!” He mentioned his mentor’s name in his prayers at Mass every day. In February of 1818, Fr. John Vianney became the Curé of Ars, a small town in France. Twenty-two miles from Lyons with only sixty families, Ars was considered the Siberia of the diocese. As Fr. Vianney spent time visiting those sixty families, he came to realize that most of them had become lax in the practice and beliefs of their Catholic faith. This disturbed him greatly and he began to work the teachings and truths of the Catechism of the Catholic Church into his homilies. At first, his attempts were met with much anger and criticism because the parishioners had become comfortable with their sinful ways of life and resistant to change. With much prayer and fasting Fr. Vianney was able to elicit, through God, the conversions he so desired. He would often spend hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament, deny himself food and sleep on the floor in an effort to attain graces and blessings for his parishioners. As time passed taverns started closing and people began to desire more virtuous, holy lives for themselves. This pleased the Curé of Ars a great deal but it did not come without cost. There were those who remained defiant and insisted on making trouble for Fr. Vianney by sending letters of false accusation to the Bishop’s office and causing inquires to be made concerning his behavior. Later in his life, Vianney wrote, “If on my arrival in Ars, I had foreseen all that I was to suffer there, I would have died on the spot.” People experiencing conversions started coming to him in droves seeking the sacrament of confession as well as his advice and insight into their problems. They began coming first from his parish, then from all of France and eventually other parts of the world. During the last ten years of his life, he spent from sixteen to eighteen hours a day in the confessional. His bishop forbade him to attend the annual retreats of the diocesan clergy because of “the souls awaiting him yonder.” The number of visitors to his confessional reached twenty thousand a year in 1855. By 1859, the last year of his life, the number grew to 100,000. So profound and enlightening was his advice, people sometimes waited three days to have him hear their confessions. With his blessing and encouragement, Mother Marie de la Providence founded the Helpers of the Holy Souls. In spite of his humble beginnings and lack of education, Fr. John Vianney transformed the lives and souls of so many people from all walks of life. He remained humble and dedicated to prayer and fasting throughout his life. It has been said that this was the fuel he used to continue his ministry to so many. He died on August 4, 1859. Many miracles were attributed to him including obtaining money for his charities and food for the orphans in his care, supernatural knowledge of the past and future as witnessed in his advice during confession and healing the sick, especially children. He was quoted as saying, “Man is a beggar who needs to ask God for everything…a pure soul can ask everything from God, even miracles, and He will refuse him nothing.” His greatest miracle of all was the way he lived and served God during his life. His greatest motivation was not saving his own soul but the souls of others. Clearly though, his own soul was purified beyond imagination in the process. Pope Pius IX proclaimed him Venerable on October 3, 1874 and on January 8, 1905 he was enrolled among the Blessed. Pope Pius X declared him to be a model for all parish priests and he was canonized a saint in 1929 by Pope Pius XI. His feast day is celebrated on the date of his death, August 4 and so it is fitting that this holy, patient, gentle, insightful, exemplary priest be honored as our priest of the month for August.
On November 19, 1932 a servant of God was born. Leo McCarthy became the eighth child in a family that would eventually grow to twelve. Leo started life in Springbrook, NY, was baptized, made his First Communion and completed his first four years of school at St. Vincent Parish. His father referred to him as the "wonder boy" because he said he always "wondered what that boy" would become. His family then moved to Alden, NY where St. John the Baptist Parish became like a second home to him. He had a strong Catholic family. His father and his grandfather on his mother's side greatly influenced who he would eventually become. Catholicism was woven into everything they did. The pastor of St. John the Baptist parish at that time was Fr. Bertrum Trautman, whose nephew would later become Bishop Trautman. Fr. Trautman had a great impact on Leo's young life especially while serving as an altar boy. After his eighth grade graduation he entered the Minor Seminary called St. Joseph the Little Flower where he boarded because of the distance between Alden and Buffalo. Msgr. Paul Juenker was an exceptional mentor for the young Leo at the Minor Seminary.
He went right from the Minor Seminary to the Major Seminary of St. Bonaventure. While at Bonaventure, his father passed away at the young age of 57. Leo was able to visit him shortly before he died. His father told him not to leave the seminary to take care of the family because God would provide and he would better serve people as a priest. He was ordained at St. Joseph's Cathedral by Bishop Burke on February 21, 1959. In those days, the men were ordained but then had to return to the seminary for a few more months to finish their education before being assigned. In that interim they could say Mass but could not hear confessions. As he lay prostrate on the floor of the Cathedral during his ordination ceremony, Msgr. Leo recalled that when he was about four years old his father told his older brother "Bud" that when he became a priest he would buy him his first chalice. Little Leo told his father that it was not Bud but he who would eventually become the priest. His father told him it would be a cold day before he would be ordained. The 21st of February turned out to be quite bitter and stormy and many people didn't even make it to the ordination due to the weather. It was indeed a cold day just as his father had predicted! During the summers between the years of school in the Minor and Major Seminary, Msgr. Leo worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant, did various neighborhood jobs such as cutting lawns and bringing wood to stores earning one cent for each piece he delivered. He worked at a lumber mill and did dry walling and roofing. It was even more backbreaking work in those days because they didn't have the equipment that exists today. After his ordination, Msgr. Leo recalled that Msgr. Richard Nugent had a very positive impact in his life as a priest. Msgr. Leo's mother (another incredible influence in his life) gave him a very special blessing the morning of his first Mass before they left for St. John the Baptist Church. He cherishes that blessing to this day. Msgr. Leo's first assignment as a priest was at St. Mary in Little Valley where he spent one year. He then spent five years at St. Teresa's in South Buffalo and then went to St. James in Depew. While at these parishes, he became very involved with the youth. He coached football, track and various other sports. Being musically inclined, Msgr. Leo led the St. Teresa Boys Choir, "The Savios". Their recordings can be found on CD today. He was in charge of the altar servers at these parishes as well. He was "temporarily" assigned to St. Joseph's Cathedral for the next ten years where he continued to reach out to the youth in a positive way through sports and music. While at the Cathedral, he became involved in the Police Athletic League (PAL) where he once again took up coaching as a way to reach the youth. He explained that he didn't go to be one of them; rather he went so they could be one with him. While at the Cathedral, Msgr. Leo was chaplain for the boy scouts, the Buffalo Police and Erie County Sheriffs, the Port of Buffalo, the Catholic telephone and postal employees and also served as Great Lakes area chaplain. During his priesthood he was very interested in promoting vocations and was a vocation counselor in South Buffalo as well as at St. Mary High School in Lancaster. He was the Holy Name Moderator for the West Side of Buffalo and eventually became the Diocesan Moderator. He was very involved in the Serra Club of Buffalo whose main focus is promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life. This came about because of his involvement with the altar servers. He believes that bringing boys into that atmosphere at church has a great impact on them. He recalled a time when he was an altar server. He loved to serve Mass and one day, arriving early, decided to try on the priest's vestments. He was checking his look in the mirror when he noticed the Mother Superior who was principal of the school standing behind him. Her first response was, "Leo, what are you doing??!" Too scared to answer, he didn't say a word. Then she asked him if he wanted to be a priest and he responded, "No, I want to be the pope!" Msgr. Leo couldn't recall a time when he didn't want to be a priest. He noted that priests don't really need altar servers, it's the altar servers who need the priests. The Mother Superior who found him dressed as a priest at such a young age supported him in many ways and encouraged him. She told him she would be an old nun hobbling down the aisle with her cane at his ordination. As it turned out, she was in the hospital at the time, and after his ordination Msgr. Leo made it a point to visit her and give her his blessing. She couldn't come to him so he went to her. Years later, at her request, he also presided at her funeral Mass. After his time at the Cathedral, Msgr. Leo was assigned his first pastorate at St. Matthews Church on the east side of Buffalo. Here he also had a choir and headed up the altar servers. When asked about the most challenging part of priesthood, he recalled an incident while coaching inner city children where there was not a lot of structure in the families. Sometimes he would have only a few kids show up for a practice and sometimes more. One day a man approached who seemed to be under the influence of both drugs and alcohol. He was swearing out loud and disrupting the practice. One of the boys said to Msgr. Leo while they were in a huddle, "We don't talk like that, do we, Father!" That kind of response made the challenges seem worth while. It was also challenging, as a pastor, to maintain the Catholic schools but worth the effort. The financial aspects of keeping a school running can be overwhelming yet Msgr. Leo noted that Catholic schools are about more than just money, they are about the heart and soul of the young. He insisted that anyone who wanted their children to attend Catholic School and couldn't afford it should come and see him. He always found a way to make it work for them. Back in the seminary, Msgr. Leo expressed a desire to become a missionary priest. Both Msgr. Juenker and Msgr. Leo's father encouraged him to see the missionary work that needed to be done right here in his own back yard. His assignments, especially at St. Matthew's in the central city, made him realize the truth in that advice. He remained there for ten years and then it was on to his next assignment as pastor of Immaculate Conception in Wellsville where he stayed for seven and a half years. St. Joseph's in Batavia was home for the next thirteen years where, of course, he became involved with the choir, altar servers and coaching. He reluctantly retired from St. Joseph's and is now living at Blessed Sacrament Parish on Claremont Ave. in Tonawanda. Still a very vibrant, active priest, he makes time to mentor the youth. On February 21, 2009 Msgr. Leo McCarthy celebrated fifty years of priesthood. He considers the heart and summit of the priesthood to be the celebration of Mass. One of the greatest rewards for him is the opportunity to be present to the youth who so desperately need good role models. He considers it a blessing to be able to give back to the community, most especially the youth, the enthusiasm and joy he receives from his life as a priest. On advising young men to consider the priesthood he tells them not to worry so much about what they want to be but rather, pray to know what God wants them to be. So many times people are afraid to follow God's will because they think they will not be happy. Msgr. Leo then asks, "Why would God, who loves you so much, want you to do something that will make you unhappy?" Exemplifying many of the caring, nurturing qualities of Pope John Paul II, he did, in a way, finally become a pope!
I began my life in the Clarence Center / Swormville area of Erie County. So, my roots were agrarian, both of my grandparents being farmers. I am the eldest of five children. My father was a block / bricklayer and carpenter. My mother was a housewife. I had two sisters and two brothers. One brother and sister are deceased, dying together in an auto accident in 1964. My father died in 2005. My mother still lives.
St. Mary, Swormville was my original parish. I attended several grammar schools since my dad's work led to frequent moves. I graduated from eighth grade from St. Mary, Swormville. I spent six years as a boarder and student at the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary, 654 Dodge Street in Buffalo. I then spent six years at St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora. Post ordination I matriculated in graduate studies in philosophy at Notre Dame University. I have two graduate degrees; one in theology and one in philosophy.
I was ordained on May 29, 1971 at St. Joseph New Cathedral by Bishop James A. McNulty. My first Assignment was as parochial vicar at Fourteen Holy Helpers parish in West Seneca. In 1976, I went to Batavia and taught at Notre Dame High School for a decade. I then became pastor at Assumption, Portageville and St. Mary, Canaseraga, for one year.
Sent to Christ the King Seminary, in 1987, I was Director of Formation for seminarians, Vice-Rector and instructor in philosophy. In 1990, I became seminary Rector for six years.
In 1996, I was made pastor at St. Mary, Lancaster and in 2003, pastor of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Clarence; my current assignment.
I enjoy golf and hiking in the summers and I am an avid reader.
The best component of priesthood is meeting and serving a wide variety of people, especially in liturgical settings. Those most challenging component of being a priest is relating profoundly with people through their experiences of loss, rupture, suffering and tragedy.
I became a priest to minister to people in a multitude of ways, as well as to cumulatively grow in embracing the mystery of life. I encourage eligible candidates for priesthood. It is a rewarding life that persistently challenges you to grow into Christ and the communities you serve.
This month marks the 17th anniversary of Fr. Leon J. Biernat's ordination to the Priesthood. His main focus has been bringing young people closer to Christ and His Church. Whether through altar serving, the Life Teen program or various other clubs and organizations he either started or became involved in, young Catholics have benefited from his boundless energy and zeal for the Faith.
The son of Leon and the late Sophie Biernat and brother of Cathy who is married with two children, Fr. Leon is a product of the Black Rock section of Buffalo and most especially, Assumption Parish. He received all of his sacraments at the very parish where his family has belonged since the late 1800's. Father Leon graduated from Assumption Grammar School (now Our Lady of Black Rock), Riverside High School and received a bachelor of science degree in Accounting from Canisius College in 1987. He entered Christ the King Seminary upon finishing college and graduated with a Master of Divinity Degree in 1991. He was ordained a Deacon on June 22, 1991 at St. Joseph's Cathedral and assigned to Nativity Parish on Main Street in Clarence (Harris Hill). On May 30, 1992, he was ordained a Priest at his home parish and assigned to serve as parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Parish in North Buffalo on June 12, 1992.
After serving three years at Holy Spirit, Fr. Leon was transferred to St. Amelia Parish in Tonawanda. When he arrived at St. Amelia's there was a small Life Teen program of 20 young people. Four years later as he left the parish there were over 250 high school teens in a four day a week program of weekly teen Masses, education nights, socials, athletic teams, teen prayer groups, trips and retreats. His success was recognized as he was honored by the Diocesan Union of the Holy Name Societies in 1998 and the Town of Tonawanda which in 1999 presented Fr. Leon with the Joseph Allen Jr. Award for Outstanding Service to Youth.
On February 19, 1999, Fr. Leon was appointed Director of Vocations by Bishop Henry Mansell. He joyfully began the ministry of promoting and encouraging men to consider a vocation to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life. With a great deal of energy and enthusiasm he embarked on new and innovative ways of emphasizing the attractiveness of a life lived for Jesus Christ. Fr. Leon established both the St. Joseph Club for High School aged young men and the Response Club for college aged men to discern a call to the priesthood. He embarked on billboard campaigns, television and radio advertising and even lighted signs at HSBC arena and at the Galleria Mall. For about eight years he traveled extensively to parishes, parochial schools, Catholic High Schools, parish religious education programs, Confirmation programs and College campuses to let young men everywhere know that God is calling and that they should "be not afraid" to answer. In addition, Fr Leon helped form new initiatives across the State of New York for Vocation Promotion including a program for parents to understand church vocations and an annual retreat for college men wishing to discern the Priesthood. The Altar Server of the Year Award was enhanced greatly by Fr. Leon as it grew into a large scale luncheon at the Buffalo Convention Center immediately following the Mass with our Bishop at St. Joseph's Cathedral.
The advice Fr. Leon gives to those who show an interest in the priesthood is generally to pray, get involved in parish activities and an age appropriate group to increase awareness of what priesthood is all about. When speaking to teens, he encourages them to enjoy high school, play sports, get involved in clubs, date, etc.; with college aged men he advises them to pursue their field of interest while discerning; and for adults Fr. Leon encourages the idea of setting a time line in order to put some sort of limit on making the decision whether or not to enter the seminary. Once in the seminary, Fr. Leon advises men to give it at least a year as this too is part of the discernment process.
As a result of his efforts and accomplishments, Fr. Leon has received much recognition. The Serra Club, a worldwide Catholic lay organization of some 25,000 men and women, honored Fr. Leon with their Blessed Junipero Serra Award in 2002. This award is given to one who has made outstanding contributions to the Priesthood. He was alsohonored as the 2002 Am-Pol Eagle Citizen of the Year for his contributions to religion as well as by the General Pulaski Association of the Niagara Frontier for his contributions to Polonia.
On the national level in the area of Priesthood Vocations, Fr. Leon served from 2005 to 2007 as the Vice President of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors. He also served as a faculty member for the Permanent Diaconate Formation Program and on the Board of Trustees at Christ the King Seminary for nine years. He served as chaplain and trustee for Cardinal O'Hara High School for three years.
In 2006, by appointment of Bishop Edward Kmiec, Fr. Leon handed over the reins of Vocation Director to Fr. Walter Szczesny and returned to parish life. Taking his vitality and dedication to the youth with him, he began as pastor of Our Lady of Pompeii Parish in Lancaster where he currently resides. Since his arrival, the parish has grown in ministry and attendance. He established youth ministry as his first agenda item and has lead the way in a defense for human life. Parish participation at the Annual Life Chain has increased from half a dozen to more than 140. In addition to his parish responsibilities, he serves on the Board of Trustees of St. Mary's High School and on the Town of Lancaster Youth Board. He successfully lead the merger between Our Lady of Pompeii and SS. Peter and Paul, Depew; a merger which was heralded as a great success by the local media.
For Fr. Leon, a good game of racquetball is just the thing to relieve stress. He also enjoys photography and entertaining friends. On his day off he likes to reconnect with other priest friends and enjoys time in the company of his father helping with whatever needs to be done at home.
Fr. Leon finds celebrating the Eucharist and the other sacraments to be the most rewarding part of priesthood. He considers balancing the spiritual call as priest with the administrational responsibilities of the parish to be the most challenging part of priesthood. Fr. Leon Biernat continues to be a model for people young and old. He is a happy and vibrant priest who is a wonderful example of God's love and care.
Growing up, Paul D. Seil experienced a great deal of South Buffalo. He was baptized at Holy Family Church, made his First Communion and Confirmation and attended school at St. Teresa's and was eventually ordained at St. Thomas Aquinas. His father was a fire fighter and Paul, along with his parents and three sisters, moved to Boston, NY. He attended Eden Central High School and went on to St. Bonaventure University where he earned a B.A. in Theology in 1977.
After graduation, he worked in radio for a year in Niagara Falls. Paul also worked in The Department of Human Resources for the City of Buffalo as a Civil Servant for about six years. He considered the priesthood as a child in South Buffalo and again in high school and college. Since it seemed to be a persistent thought which kept returning, Paul decided to check it out. As a young person, he had been very positively influenced by Msgr. Leo Toomey and Msgr. Leo McCarthy. He was a member of the choir at St. Teresa's which was led by Msgr. McCarthy.
In 1984, at the age of 29, he entered Christ the King Seminary. On January 21, 1989, Fr. Paul Seil was ordained a priest at his home parish of St. Thomas Aquinas in South Buffalo. He had originally requested a spring ordination but none of the dates he submitted worked for then Bishop Edward Head. As it turned out, he ended up being ordained on the feast of St. Agnes which was very special because Fr. Paul had a Great Aunt Agnes with whom he was very close!
On the day of his ordination he remembers having a mix of emotions. He thought about his father who had passed away when Fr. Paul was just 21 years old and a senior in college. His Uncle Paul, for whom he was named, fought and died in France during WWII. Fr. Paul thought about him and how special it was to have his uncle's rosary which he still carries with him today. It brought him great comfort to be surrounded by his mother, sisters and brothers in law. Family past and present, were greatly on his mind on this special day. He has since gained six nephews and one niece. On the way to his ordination he rode with another priest. He went to that priest for confession so he could enter the priesthood with a clean heart as a gift to God.
While newly ordained, he put his previous media experience to use on a television show called "Real to Reel" from 1989 to the mid 90's. After that he became involved in the cooking show he currently hosts called, "Our Daily Bread" which is seen not only locally but in Boston, New York and California as well. He always had an interest in cooking and has read a lot about it. His interest was enhanced when he spent a summer as a seminarian with Msgr. Sam Faiola who loved to cook.
He said his first Mass at St. Amelia's where he spent time during his pre-diaconate and diaconate years. Fr. Paul's first assignment was at St. Paul's in Kenmore where he spent two and a half years. He also helped during that time at Our Lady of the Rosary in Niagara Falls. He was then assigned to St. Amelia's from November 1991 to June 1994. After that he spent four years as a parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Church in Buffalo.
In 1998, ten years after becoming a priest, Bishop Henry Mansell gave him his first pastorate at St. Lawrence Church on the east side of Buffalo. While at St. Lawrence, Fr. Paul also functioned as the Director of the Office of Worship. Also, while at St. Lawrence, he truly appreciated the work done by the St. Vincent DePaul Society. The outreach of the parish was run by the lay St. Vincent dePaul group and Fr. Paul was very impressed by the wonderful service they provided for the people of the area. He spent over eight years as pastor of that parish. It was then that the Journey in Faith and Grace impacted his life. Eleven parishes in the area were brought down to three. It was a very difficult process but with fewer parishes came the opportunity for Fr. Paul to further his studies. He spent four months in Rome at the Pontifical North American College on an academic sabbatical in the Institution for Continuing Theology Education progra
I am currently Pastor of my third parish assignment - All Saints Parish in Lockport. I've previously served as Pastor of St. Mary, Medina and the Tri-Parish community of St. Mary, Belmont; St. Joseph, Scio and Sacred Heart, Angelica. I have also served as Parochial Vicar at St. Christopher, Tonawanda; SS Peter and Paul, Jamestown; St. Martin of Tours, Buffalo; Holy Trinity, Dunkirk and St. Barnabas, Depew. I was ordained in 1978 by Bishop Edward Head.
There is no question the main reason I am a priest today is the effect the faith of my mother had on me as well as the priestly example and lifestyles of the parish priests in my home parish of St. Mary of the Assumption, Lancaster. My vocation was also nurtured by the Priests at the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary, Wadhams Hall and St. John Vianney and Christ the King Seminaries. I would be remiss if I did not mention some of the guys I hung around with in the Sem. as well as my six year experience of working at Camp Turner as positive influences on my becoming a Priest.
Obviously, the priesthood I experienced in 1978 is quite different from the one that I am now living. The diminishing number of the fraternity has changed almost every aspect of priestly life but the call to serve is one thing that has not changed. I am sure that the many hats we wear, the time demanded upon us, the psycho-social makeup of the congregation can and does make the job a tad more stressful . . . but it also make the job so much more rewarding! People truly respect and appreciate all that you do for them.
I believe to be successful and to find life meaningful, the following elements are necessary:
Born and raised in South Buffalo, Gregory J. Dobson was the first of Patrick and Margaret Dobson's six children. He attended St. Teresa School where the idea of becoming a priest led him to enter the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary after graduation from eighth grade. Looking back on the positive influences of his Catholic upbringing, he remembers being trained as an altar server by the austere Fr. Paul Durkin and recruited as a boy soprano for the Savios (the parish boys' choir) by the energetic and vigorous Fr. Leo McCarthy.
Deciding not to go directly into the priesthood, he earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in religious studies with a major in Scripture from Canisius College. The then "Mr. Dobson" was on the faculty at St. Martin's School in Buffalo (now known as Notre Dame Academy) where he taught junior high for eight years. He also served as vice principal, director of religious education, and director of the folk ensemble. It was during this time that his good friend, Fr. Louis Hendricks took Greg "under his wings" and allowed him to move with him into his circle of ministry. Fr Louis used this opportunity to share his insights on many aspects of priestly devotion.
Although he enjoyed teaching, the personal example of the wonderful priests who were so inspirational to him led him to enter Christ the King Seminary to complete his journey to the priesthood. While at the Seminary he was given a pastoral assignment at Queen of All Saints in Lackawanna. After being ordained to the diaconate in 1982, he served his assignment at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Buffalo. As a seminarian, he was attracted to Paul's letter to the Colossians - especially chapter three where he found the words that became the logo and theme of his ordination, "Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness."
Fr. Greg was ordained to the priesthood on July 14, 1983 by Bishop Edward D. Head at St. Martin of Tours Church. During his first 14 years as a priest, Fr. Greg served as parochial vicar in the following parishes: Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Depew; St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster; and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Orchard Park. He also took on the responsibilities as chaplain for Villa Maria Academy. As a parochial vicar, he was motivated by the joyful Rev. Msgr. Dino Lorenzetti who saw his people as good and lovely.
As was evident in his previous career as a teacher, Fr. Greg really enjoys working with the youth. This was a significant component of his ministry in all three of his first assignments. He received the Moderator of the Year Award from the Buffalo Diocesan Youth Department in 1989 for his involvement while at St. Mary's in Lancaster. He also worked with a peer group ministry, conducted workshops and seminars for youth and teachers and led Catholic Youth Organization (C.Y.O.) meetings and retreats. He assisted as a liturgical presider for the Life Teen group at Nativity Parish in Orchard Park, was active in Christian Drama with The Renaissance Theater Group, and served as the spiritual director for the Young Adult Ministry (Y.A.M.). Other highlights of his ministry to young Catholics include traveling with his parish youth group to World Youth Day in Denver in 1993 and twice to a sister parish in Mexico. Fr. Greg also served as a team member for the diocesan Christian Leadership Institute, an intensive leadership training program for young Catholics. Villa Maria Academy honored him with an award for Dedication and Service in 1997.
In 1995 he was invited to co-host the television program, Comfort My People, a weekly media ministry focused on Scripture reflections. He was the program's Scripture commentator for eleven years enjoying a wide following throughout western New York. In 1996 the diocese appointed him honorary chairperson of the Catholic Communication Campaign.
His first assignment as pastor came in 1997 with his appointment to St. Mary of the Angels parish in Olean. With this assignment came the additional appointment as Episcopal Vicar, Southern Cattaraugus Vicariate. This assignment gave new meaning to his nomenclature, "A Simple Country Priest."
In 2003 he assumed the pastorship of Sacred Heart parish in Portville, a position he maintained until the 2007 merger with St. Mary's in Olean. A champion for Catholic education, he has previously served as Canonical Administrator for Southern Tier Catholic School and continues to serve on its school board as well as Archbishop Walsh High School's board.
Fr. Greg is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker at Catholic, ecumenical and community events. His continuing education and his travels to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Europe, (most recently, Greece), the Middle East (with St. George's College in East Jerusalem) have given life to his homilies and lectures dealing with history, the Church, Scripture, culture and social justice issues.
Some of the region's top civic citations have been bestowed upon Fr. Greg. For his work in fostering religious unity in the community, among them was the 2002 Unity Award by the Bahai Community.
He has served on several governing boards in the Olean area as well as chaplain to the Olean Knights of Columbus and was assistant Father Prior for Youth for the State Knights of Columbus. He is the chaplain for the Olean Police Department and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians. In 2006 he was appointed to serve on the Diocesan Commission for the Journey in Faith and Grace.
His life has been a happy one; a grace, a good life. His priesthood has given him much joy and the opportunity to bring Christ to many situations - some happy, some not. The most challenging thing for him right now is being so far away from his family. His parish in Olean is an hour and a half drive from Buffalo. This makes it difficult to be with his family and his parish on special occasions such as Christmas and Easter when both would want him near. Over all he feels the priesthood is a beautiful life and an extremely meaningful vocation. Fr. Greg asserts, "We are a priestly people, graced and called to rejoice in the discovery of God's presence in our lives."
James D. Ciupek was born in Buffalo, New York and raised in Cheektowaga by two wonderful Catholic parents. He grew up with an older brother and two younger sisters and attended grade school at his home parish, Queen of Martyrs.
Jim's high school years were spent at Cheektowaga Central High. From there he went to Buffalo State College and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry. After graduation, he left the Buffalo area to do graduate studies at Purdue University. In 1984, he received a Ph.D. in Chemistry and moved to St. Louis, Missouri to work as a research chemist for Monsanto Company.
He remembers feeling called to the priesthood as early as high school but put off answering the call until much later. While at Purdue University, he found himself becoming more and more involved in his local parish. He became an Extraordinary Minister and taught religious education. When Jim moved to St. Louis to work, he once again became very involved in the parish community. He decided to look into the possibility of becoming a priest since thoughts of the priesthood seemed to be frequently on his mind. When he discussed this idea with a priest in St. Louis, Jim expressed his struggle with trying to choose between the priesthood and married life, as he couldn't decide which path he should follow. His priest gave him some wonderful advice. He told Jim to pray that one of those choices would grow stronger. He also told Jim that he would know when he had arrived at the plan God had in mind for him when he felt at peace with his decision.
Jim found a spiritual director and frequently spent time praying at the Carmelite Monastery in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. After prayerful consideration, at the age of 33, Jim returned to Buffalo and entered Christ the King Seminary to begin studies for the priesthood. He received a Master of Divinity degree in May of 1996 and was ordained a Transitional Deacon the following June. Along with five other men, he was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1997 by Bishop Henry Mansell. Father Jim describes the experience as a time of nervousness and excitement as well as a day of great joy. He spent his first year as a priest at St. Gregory the Great Parish in Williamsville.
In 1998, he was assigned to the position of parochial vicar at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Hamburg where he spent seven years. In June of 2005, Father Jim became the pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Alden where he currently resides.
For Father Jim, celebrating the Eucharist as well as helping people become more aware of a sense of God working in their lives, are the best aspects of being a priest. The greatest challenge he sees as a priest, and more recently as a pastor, is the inability to meet all the ministerial needs of the people entrusted to his care. There are just not enough hours in the day to accomplish every task and address every concern.
To relieve stress and keep in good shape, Father Jim enjoys running, working out and an occasional game of golf. On his days off, he spends time with his mother.
Overall, Father Jim feels the priesthood is a great opportunity to do something worthwhile with your life as you help people. When working in the corporate world as a chemist, Father Jim wondered how much of a positive contribution he was making in people's lives. He was earning a good salary, but not really feeling fulfilled. Now he has no doubt that he is living the life he was called to live. Fr. Jim sums it up by saying, "personally, there is nothing else I'd rather do than be a Priest."
Father Bill Quinlivan
(Father Bill is currently pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church, Town of Tonawanda. He is a Priest Associate of St. Luke's Mission of Mercy on Buffalo's East Side and has recorded two CD's of original music.)
Call stories are always different, but the people being called usually respond the same to the Lord, from Abraham and Moses to my own vocation and, undoubtedly yours. "You want me to do WHAT????!!??"
"Unworthy", "too young", "too difficult" . . . long before a popular TV show created the expression, "Yadda, yadda, yadda" in the 1990's, the Lord God had heard every excuse in the book. But ~ through His grace, the book is still being written in our lives and discernment of the call. And He's still calling!
CHILDHOOD - - "NORMAL?"
I'd love to say that my childhood was normal, but I've never been convinced that I understand what that word means. I was born into an Irish-American family, the fourth of six children. I grew up in the age of the "Brady Bunch" on television, and our three-boy, three-girl set-up was kind of similar. Except that the Lord didn't provide us a maid, or a dog. Our punch lines were better . . . and . . . we never had to squish our heads into those little boxes and look up and down as our family theme song played. Yes, our family has a theme song!! From my Dad's parents, an old Irish ditty where you fill in you family's name . . .
OH, WHEN FATHERED PAPERED THE PARLOR
SURE, YOU COULDN'T SEE FATHER FOR PASTE
HE WAS DABBING IT HERE AND DABBING IT THERE PASTING PAPER EVERYWHERE
MOTHER WAS STUCK TO THE CEILING AND THE KIDS WERE STUCK TO THE FLOOR
YOU NEVER SAW THE QUINLIVAN FAMILY SO "STUCK UP" BEFORE!
Television was one of the great fascinations of my childhood, and I thought I might some day work in that field; as long as they never made me put my head in a little box. But Church was more important than even television. And from about the age of eleven, I had my first sense that God was showing me something in my heart that was His plan, His call. "Here's the story . . . "
Normal? Normal kids don't end up spending six of seven nights a week involved in parish activities. I know - - I was there. Many of my acquaintances were adults, and elderly ones at that. The parish priest . . . rather frightening. And with all due respect to his immortal soul, it's a bit of a miracle that I ever ended up ordained. Tyrannical and volatile, a temper like a pit bull on caffeine. God rest his soul!! To be fair, he could be generous and kind and humorous and loving and his devotion to the Blessed Mother and Holy Eucharist could inspire a vocation! It was the humanity of the priesthood I had to learn from an early age. He was NOT Jesus Christ . . . but he worked for Him, with all his human foibles. And I worked for both of them . . . the Divine and the human!!!
MERCY, MERCY ME
My Aunt was a Sister of Mercy. She taught in the Rochester diocese for many years, and died in 1974, the year I graduated from eighth grade at my Catholic grammar school. The Sisters were always at our house, and the Mercy nuns were (and still are) family. After High School, I worked at Buffalo's Mercy Hospital, again with Sisters of Mercy, wonderful women of God. When I got to seminary, there was a Mercy nun on the priestly formation team. When I walk in Lackawanna's Holy Cross Cemetery, I often visit the graves of my teachers and friends who were sisters. My respect for the call of women religious, is, I believe, an important part of my vocation story.
So, too, is my understanding of the mystery of married life. It wasn't until I realized that I could be a good and faithful husband and father to children that I could truly see the possibility of being "Father Bill" and a spiritual father to many children in the church. My own father worked tirelessly to support us, and taught by example faithfulness and sacrifice . . . all with a smile on his face. He had married at 33 - - the Irish don't rush to commitments!!
A LONG STORY SHORT?
My vocation did not take the direct route to the altar of God. When my best friend growing up (Father Ray Donohue, who lived across the street and was two years older ~ still is!) went away to college seminary at the start of my junior year of high school, I started to question whether I had just gotten caught up in the enthusiasm of his vocation. Hanging around with other friends, I suddenly found that none of them worked Bingo, sang in the choir at church, or knew the elderly of their parishes. From there, my vocational search truly began a new series of paths.
Music has always been a part of my life. From songs about papering parlors to music ministry experiences in church for more years that I want to count (but I'll try . . . 36 years . . . ouch!) I've always loved to sing. My High School Musicals were a natural draw, long before the Disney Channel made millions on the concept. Theater was not to be my live (I can hardly memorize the sign of the cross . . . have an Etch-A-Sketch for a memory . . . if I turn my head things get erased!) but God was still calling.
My undergraduate degree was in Journalism, Broadcasting and Speech from Buffalo State College. That TV thing still drew me. I attempted to see some scripts for TV movies and series episodes that I wrote, but was to become experienced in rejection; rejection letters . . . and no response from most producers and studios. My only "success" was that I happened to find an address for comedy legend Joan Rivers, and sent some jokes through the mail. She brought two - - at a whopping $10 apiece. I continued to send lists of one-liners, and every time she bought a few, or several, four in about four years.
The Lord's sense of humor has me laughing now. My sense of humor has taken me through life's great disappointments and heartbreaks, and makes my priesthood "no laughing matter" though I still love to make people laugh. And sing. And pray!! I changed jobs more times in the next seven years that you'd need to know. I was a file clerk, portrait photographer, freelance writer/reporter for local newspapers and even an IRS taxpayer assistant.
Finally, one day I realized that I had not stopped to ask God what HE wanted. I had gotten into the habit of asking and telling Him MY plans. While reading Sister Briege McKenna's "Miracles Do Happen" I found a line that said, "God never forces anyone to do His will. You are completely free to say ‘yes' or ‘no'". I remember that I sat upright in my bed and said to myself, "That's ME!" For all those years of wandering, people had said to me in just about every job I worked, "you probably should be a priest!" People at church said it to me most of my life but it wasn't until I was ready to do whatever the Lord asked, and submit my will to His . . . that I almost instantly could say, "YES!!" Ironically, once I was reminded that I was free to say, "no thanks;" I could only say yes.
GOD CALLS . . . AND PROVIDES
After I said yes, the story took on greater color and vibrancy, humor and music. And I have never doubted my vocation. April, 29, 1995 I was ordained a priest, and I can honestly say I found the life Christ had prepared for me. I more clearly heard the call that was always there. And the Lord gets the last laugh every day. I'm very happy to be "Father" who will "paper any parlor" He asks me to. Because I've learned that our God always provides when we say yes . . . He does not promise a life without suffering in ministry. It does have a cost. It does call for sacrifice, dying to self daily. But that's basic and essential to all discipleship. That's what my parents did in their vocation of marriage. The Lord has given me a leading role, no more hiding in the chorus . . . there's not acting involved, but lots of singing . . . all for Him!!
In 1932 John Zeitler entered the world and the family of John Baptist and Mary Schwabl Zeitler and their two daughters, Mary Ann and Jeanne. Mary passed away when John was an infant and for a year and a half his father, a Buffalo police officer, went on to raise the family alone. He remarried, and his new wife, the former Bertha Butz became the only mother young John really knew.
Early in his grammar school education at P.S. 63, John met and became close friends with his classmate, Joe Bissonette. Young Joe was later to become Father Joe Bissonette, the beloved priest who was murdered in his rectory in 1987. In both elementary school and later at Bennett High School, John excelled in sports. He played basketball, football and baseball and was named All City in each of these sports at Bennett. In 2003 he was inducted into the Bennett High School Sports Hall of Fame and the Alumni Wall of Honor. He attended Michigan State University on a baseball scholarship and was captain of the College World Series finalists. John graduated in 1954 with a BA in Business.
Scouted by the Detroit Tigers, John played baseball for their farm system. He was sent first to the Jamestown Falcons and then called up to the Dunham Bulls. But the Army wanted him at this time to fulfill a previous commitment he had made to the ROTC Program. He served in the Artillery for six months at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and then in Germany. Lieutenant John Zeitler returned from his active military duty in 1956. He reported back to the Detroit Tigers and was sent to the Florida State League where he played baseball for the remainder of the season. Now 24 years old and only playing class “D” baseball, John decided to give up a career in professional sports.
Enrolling in U.B. Law School, he completed the first year of study during the 1957-58 term. In May, 1958, his boyhood friend, Joe Bissonette, was ordained a Catholic Priest. John recalls, “That was the year I said to Joe, ‘I’m not happy in law school.’ And he said, ‘Why don’t you try the seminary? Give the priesthood a try. You and I, we always thought alike.’” John Zeitler began his road to priesthood at St. Philip Neri, a school for late vocations in Boston. From there he went to Christ the King at St. Bonaventure Seminary and after one year of accelerated studies, was sent on for another four years of Theology studies by then Bishop Joseph Burke to the Collegium Canisianum in Innsbruck, Austria, a Pontifical Institute. He was ordained a priest on July 26, 1964 at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Innsbruck by Apostolic Administrator, Paulus Rusch, after which, he returned to Buffalo.
Fr. John’s first assignment was on the Missionary Apostolate at St. Joseph’s Parish in Bliss, N.Y. for one year. During that year, both his mother and father died. He was interested in joining Fr. Joe Bissonette, who was teaching at Turner High School but there were no openings available. He did, however, find his services were needed at Notre Dame High School in Batavia. For the next ten years, he taught Chemistry, Spanish, German, and English as well as completed his Masters Degree at Canisius College. In all, he spent 13 years at Notre Dame teaching and coaching baseball and golf. He was named Athletic Director and eventually Assistant Principal and Dean of Students. He was inducted into the Notre Dame High School Sports Hall of Fame. One of the young men who passed through the doors of Notre Dame High School while Fr. John taught there was our very own Vocation Director for the Diocese of Buffalo, Fr. Walter Szczesny. Fr. John’s wish to be involved in Bishop Turner High School was granted when he was appointed principal in 1978. In 1980, he went to Blessed Sacrament Church on Delaware Ave. in Buffalo where he served for four years with the pastor, Msgr. Paul Juenker. In 1984, Fr. John went to the University of Buffalo Newman Center, located on the North Campus where he stayed until 1990. It was while Fr. John was serving at U.B. that his lifelong friend, Fr. Joseph Bissonette was murdered.
Fr. John asked then Bishop Edward Head to transfer him to a parish in 1990. He chose Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Lake View because it was close to Buffalo where he could be near his sisters. His sister Jeanne passed away in 2002 and his sister Mary Ann still lives in Amherst. Msgr. John Zeitler celebrated 40 years of priesthood in July of 2004 and currently remains the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.
His outstanding accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. Fr. John has received many awards and honors such as the St. Francis Fr. Justin Figas Award, The Cure of Ars Award from Christ the King Seminary, the Mater Christi Award from Immaculata Academy and the Msgr. Nelson Baker Award from the Diocesan Youth Department. He has been inducted into several Halls of Fame including The W.N.Y. Baseball and The Harvard Cup, as well as those mentioned earlier.
Along with his terrific athletic abilities, Fr. John has a fine singing voice. From 1978 to 1999 he enjoyed membership in the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus. Looking back, he reflects, “My life as a priest has been more than I had bargained for. By the Grace of God, I was always led to the right place. I am pleased to have served so many people over the years in His name. In following God’s will, I feel I have completed my life and have honored my father and mother as well. I feel blessed that the Holy Spirit has guided me in every phase of my priesthood. As Jesus said, ‘Many are called but few are chosen.’, yet the decision that counts is the one made that leads to happiness and a sense of fulfillment. And I was happy the first moment I made the decision to enter the seminary.”
FATHER DAVID BAKER
Fr. David aker was ordained a Catholic priest on May 19, 2007. He is currently the parochial vicar at Queen of Heaven Church in West Seneca. Fr. Dave is a second-career vocation to the priesthood. He first studied mechanical engineering and worked at Cooper Turbocompressor, in Buffalo. He then spent two years as a computer network administrator at the University of Buffalo, which included supercomputer work for UB's Center For Computational Research.
Feeling drawn somehow to help the Diocese of Buffalo, he first inquired about the possibility of working for the diocese in the field of computers but there were no jobs available in that area. God had a different kind of involvement in mind for Fr. David.
It was while he was working at UB that Fr. Dave realized God was calling him to the priesthood - an invitation that had been made ten years earlier by his pastor, Msgr. Leo Hammerl. At the time, Fr. Dave had said, "Oh, Father, that's not for me. I want to date girls and work with computers." After doing both of those things for ten years, he realized that his pastor had been right after all. Fr. Dave always remained close to the Catholic Church through his college years and while working. He joined Quest Young Adult Ministry in the 1990's for social reasons but eventually took on a leadership role within the group. All these things pointed toward the priesthood.
So Fr. Dave switched from the study of Physics to the study of Metaphysics. In the seminary, he learned philosophy, languages, music history, and, of course, Scripture and theology. Along the way, he enjoyed ministry training at Buffalo General Hospital and the Franciscan Center, a South Buffalo shelter for homeless teens.
One of the greatest blessings of Fr. Dave's seminary formation was a chance to see the homeland of Jesus. He lived for a month in the Holy Land at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute and saw the whole country of Israel. (http://www.tantur.org/)
Despite having traveled abroad, Fr. Dave loves his hometown, the Diocese of Buffalo. He was born on the east side of Buffalo and grew up in Clarence, attending Clarence High School where he ran track and cross country for several years. His favorite event was the high jump.
When taking a break from ministry, Fr. Dave visits his family. He spends time with his mother, father and younger sister, sharing a meal at least once a week. He also enjoys reading, acoustic guitar, soccer, and extreme skating. Spiritually, his favorite saint is Mother Frances Cabrini (http://www.mothercabrini.org/) and he has a strong devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (http://www.sacredheartdevotion.com/ ) His favorite Bible verse is 1Peter 3:15, "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence..."
One of the most special moments Fr. David remembers about his ordination to the priesthood is when Bishop Edward Kmiec anointed his hands with oil. His ordination to the deaconate the year before had been similar in some ways and also very special but with the anointing of his hands Fr. Dave recalls experiencing, "a great cry of rejoicing in heaven that another priest had been ordained." He said it was as if he had been given a small glimpse of heaven at that moment.
Celebrating Mass, preaching and administering the Sacraments are, for Fr. Dave, the best parts of being a priest. When people receive the sacraments from him, they take those graces and blessings which flow from God, through him, to them, out into the whole world.
In describing a challenge of priesthood, Fr. Dave is disappointed with the poor image priests have in the secular culture and media. He feels that the way priesthood is portrayed is very misleading. He thinks they've got the wrong idea and he would like the priesthood to be shown in a better light, the way it really is.
For those who are considering a vocation to the priesthood, Fr. Dave is very encouraging and advises anyone who is even just thinking about it to give it a try. The time they spend in the seminary is part of their discernment, not the end of it. When asked about his vocation, he exclaims that, "It's a great life!" Fr. Dave is shown here enjoying a little extreme skating. To view Fr. Dave "on the job,", visit the home page of this website.
Born and raised in LeRoy, New York, Gerard Leo Green was one of three children born to George and Marian Green. He has a sister, Nancy Stratton and a brother, John Green. Jerry attended St. Peter's Grade School and graduated from LeRoy High School in 1945. He spent a year in the U.S. Army from 1946 - 47 in Tokyo, Japan as a Photo Lab Technician. He then worked for Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester, New York as a Lab Technician before deciding to continue his education. He entered St. Mary's College, Emmitsburg, Maryland and received a BS in Chemistry in 1952.
The idea of becoming a priest occurred to Jerry Green in his senior year of college. He worked for Xerox in Rochester, New York as a chemist right after graduation but then decided to enter the seminary to study for the priesthood. Masses were celebrated in Latin at the time and Jerry was a little concerned about having to learn a new language. God provided and he was ordained at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Buffalo on May 26, 1956 by The Most Rev. Joseph A. Burke, Bishop of Buffalo. Fr. Jerry Green celebrated his first Mass the next day at his home parish of St. Peter, LeRoy. After ordination, Fr. Green was assigned to Sacred Heart Church in Angelica, as Administrator for a year. He spent the summer of '57 as chaplain for two Boy Scout camps, Schoelkopf and Scout Haven. Having achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1945, scouting was very familiar to him. From 1957 - 1959, Fr. Green was assigned as an assistant at St. Aloysius Gonzaga in Cheektowaga, and then a very unusual request came his way. He was assigned to teach science at the newly formed Bishop Turner High School in Buffalo. He received a MA in Theology (Canon Law) at St. Bonaventure University in 1958.He also added graduate studies in chemistry and education at Canisius College to prepare for teaching. He taught at Bishop Turner from 1959 to 1974. Residing at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Buffalo, he helped out there on weekends and later at St. Martin of Tours. He was assigned to Our Lady of the Rosary in Wilson, as administrator in 1968. In 1973, Fr. Green was assigned administrator at St. Barnabas in Depew, a much larger parish. As the demands of parish life grew, he gave up teaching science. In 1976, he was made pastor of St. Barnabas where he remained for seventeen years.
Prior to 1983, Fr. Green would spend his days off with his parents in LeRoy. When they passed away, he spent a year looking for a place to call his own where he could spend time relaxing. He found a nice cottage on the shores of Lake Erie in Angola. In 1984, he was given the Prelate of Honor, which changed his title from Father to Monsignor Green. During his priesthood, Msgr. Green received many diocesan honors and service awards particularly the Curé of Ars awarded by Christ the King Seminary in 1999. Throughout the years he was a member of several church and civic organizations; far too many to list here. SS. Peter and Paul Church in Hamburg became his home in 1990. He was named pastor and spent the next nine years there until his retirement from administration in 1999. "You are a priest forever..." and so, although Msgr. Green is no longer assigned to any parish, he continues to help wherever he is needed. He fills in when priests go on vacation or need help in any way. He is happy to administer the sacraments and relieved not to have the responsibility of being a pastor.
Msgr. Green now resides in the home he purchased in 1984. He is very handy and enjoys "do-it-yourself" projects around the house. Some other hobbies include swimming, scuba diving, fishing and photography. He took a trip to Alaska in 2006, something he had dreamed about for a long time. In his many years as a priest, Msgr. Green found the time spent in administrative duties to be challenging. Most people don't realize how much paper work is involved in the day to day life of a priest. Also challenging is preparing homilies that will reach a wide range of people. With so many backgrounds and varied interests making up the body of a parish, it's difficult to come up with something to which everyone can relate. One of the things he most enjoys about priesthood is administering the Sacraments to people. Being involved personally with the families he has known during these special times in their lives gives his life great meaning. Baptisms, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, etc. bring people together and being a part of their family celebrations as well as their times of sorrow is a great privilege. When Msgr. Green gets the chance to talk to men curious about priesthood, he refers to a pamphlet concerning vocation awareness that asks the question, "Why?" and answers it with, "Why not?" He believes that in order to really know what God wants you to do with your life, you need to spend time in quiet prayer. You need to be open to whatever plans God has for you by saying, "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will." (Psalm 40)
Father Joseph Charles Paul Gatto was born in Dunkirk and attended Holy Trinity Roman Catholic grade school and Cardinal Mindszenty High School. Dunkirk is a small town, predominantly Catholic. Father Gatto was immersed in the traditions of our faith from an early age. He grew up in a Catholic household; his mother was of Polish descent and his father was Italian so the holidays and Church traditions were an important part of his youth. Celebrations included traditions of both sides of his family, such as Wigilia (meatless dinner) on Christmas Eve and the St. Joseph Table.
He was surrounded by wonderful priestly examples while at Cardinal Mindszenty. These men had a profound influence on his decision to become a priest. As Father Joe says, "they were coaches, they were teachers and they were school principals. They did your weddings. Not one of them left the priesthood. They were eight happy men. There were no facades about them. They gave me a sense that I wanted to be like them."
Father Gatto played four sports and dated during College at Wadhams Hall in Ogdensburg, New York. When he made the decision to become a priest, Bishop Edward Head asked him to attend Gregorian University in Rome, Italy, where he was trained by the Jesuits. He was ordained a priest on July 9, 1983. After briefly serving as administrator at St. Rose of Lima Parish, Forestville, Father Joe joined St. Leo the Great Parish, Amherst as parochial vicar. After he had served there for three years, Bishop Head asked him to serve as associate vocation director for the Diocese. Fr. Joe also served as co-host of the "Real to Reel" television program for the Diocesan Office of Communication. He was later asked to return to Rome for his doctorate, which he earned in systematic theology from Gregorian University in 1994.
Father Joe has been teaching at Christ the King Seminary since 1990. At the Seminary, he has served as Vice-Rector, Director of Recruitment, Director of Formation and Directory of Pre-Theology. He is currently an Adjunct Faculty Member.
While his Diocesan assignments have been fulfilling, it is parish ministry that has proved to be his true calling. He became pastor of St. John the Baptist in Lockport in 2002. During his tenure at St. John the Baptist, Parish Outreach was redefined. Father Joe is also committed to the parish school concept. St. John's merged with DeSales in the 1990's and now consists of a regional elementary school, the second largest in the Diocese. Furthermore, he is also committed to a "total picture" of education, beginning for all of us with baptism; for young couples and for all Catholics, including those separated from the Church. As a son of separated and later divorced parents, Father Gatto has a special dedication to separated and divorced Catholics.
On July 14, 2006 Father Joe became the fourth pastor at St. Gregory the Great. Those who know him, find him to be a very open person and very committed to family and friends. He lives a full life and is an avid skier, enjoys hunting, rides a motorcycle, loves to read and is a big Buffalo and Cleveland Indians fan. Though his parents are deceased, his is very close to his two sisters.
I am Monsignor Paul Burkard. I was born in Buffalo, New York in September of 1943. My home parish is St. Mary, Swormville, which was then a small, rural parish. Today it is one of the largest and most quickly growing parishes in the Diocese of Buffalo, on the boundary between the Town of Clarence and Amherst.
I attended eight grades of elementary school at St. Mary's. After graduation from St. Mary's, I attended the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary on Dodge Street in Buffalo for high school and the first two years of college. In college, I was a Philosophy major and a Classics minor. After my second year of college, I entered St. John Vianney Seminary, East Aurora for my final two years of college and four years of theology. While I was working on my M.A. in Theology at St. John Vianney, I began a M.A. in Sociology at Catholic University in Washington, D.D., taking classes during the summer sessions. I graduated from the seminary in May 1969.
I was ordained by Auxiliary Bishop Bernard J. McLaughlin on May 24, 1969. On that day, I had twenty-three diocesan classmates ordained with me. We were ordained in three different churches. One third of us were ordained at St. Joseph's New Cathedral on Delaware and Utica in Buffalo, one third of my classmates were ordained at St. Joseph's Old Cathedral on Franklin Street (presently our only cathedral) and one third of my classmates were ordained at Our Lady of Basilica, Lackawanna. In all of the excitement of ordination day, I think the question top-most on my mind was, "Will I be able to adequately serve the needs of the people that God will entrust to me in my first assignment as a priest?" I had chosen to become a priest because I wanted to serve God's people as best I possibly could and I thank God every day for the grace He gave me through all of my assignments to be of help to the people placed in my care.
My first assignment was at Annunciation Parish, Lafayette and Grant Streets on the West Side of Buffalo. I was assigned part-time to the parish and part-time to the parish high school. During that period, I became very interested in the local ecumenical ministry on the West Side of Buffalo called the Concerned Ecumenical Ministry. It was a group of fourteen Protestant and Catholic Churches who had banded together to provide better social services for people of the area.
In 1974, Bishop Edward Head assigned me to the faculty of Wadhams Hall Seminary College, Ogdensburg, New York. I spent eleven years teaching religious studies and sociology at Wadhams Hall and also held the position of Dean of Students and Vice Rector. I completed my M.A. in Sociology in May 1976.
In 1985, Bishop Head reassigned me to the faculty of Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora, as Vice Rector and Director of Formation. I held that position until 1987 when Bishop Head invited me to assume the responsibility of his Assistant for Vocations and Priestly Formation for the Diocese of Buffalo. In this position, I oversaw the seminary education of our students in training for priesthood and also headed up the recruiting program for vocations in the Diocese of Buffalo. I was then appointed by Bishop Mansell to be the Pastor of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Orchard Park, a large parish with a wonderful school and vibrant liturgical life.
My family today consists of my 93-year old mother and four siblings. My mother lives in Williamsville. My brother and his wife live in Clarence, as does one of my sisters and her family. My youngest sister and her husband and family live in Hamburg and my older sister is the Minister General of the Franciscan Sisters across New York State and Pennsylvania. Her motherhouse is in Syracuse.
My present assignment is as Pastor of Our Lady of Victory Basilica, President of Baker-Victory Services and Executive Vice President of the Homes of Charity. In this assignment, I work to continue the ministry begun by Father Nelson Baker in Lackawanna. With the help of 1,100 or more employees, we continue the social work, childcare and specialized needs care for over 3,000 people in the Western New York area. My present ministry also includes my role as Vice Postulator for the cause of beatification and canonization for Father Baker.
I enjoy reading gardening, traveling. All of these help me to keep my life in balance. I also enjoy teaching and giving spiritual retreats and conferences whenever possible.
After all these years of priesthood (almost forty), I am happy to say that there is nothing I would have rather done with my life than to become a Catholic priest. I challenge young men in the Western New York area today to consider this vocation. I can't think of a better way to help God's people than as a priest in the Diocese of Buffalo.
Born on Long Island, New York, in December, 1956, Joseph became the first son and fourth child in the Rogliano family. He moved, along with his parents and three older sisters, to the Buffalo area when he was six years old. He attended grade school at his home parish of St. Vincent de Paul in Springbrook. When he was just thirteen, he and his close knit Italian family experienced a great loss when his father passed away. Joe graduated from St. Mary's High School in Lancaster and continued studies at St. John Fisher College in Rochester. There he received a BS in Management and a BA in Psychology. He worked for Tops Markets, and McDonalds through his high school and college years.
After graduation, Joe found employment at Marine Midland Bank as an interviewer in the human resources department. He vividly recalls one comment made by his supervisor during his one-year evaluation: "It would behoove you to interview and hire more with your head and less with your heart." Knowing that he was a "heart" person, this evaluation became one of two "seeds" which led him to consider altering the path of his life. The other occurred when he made Mission at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in West Seneca. He was deeply touched by this experience which, coupled with his employment evaluation, led him to consider the vocation of priesthood.
In the fall of 1980, Joe entered Christ the King Seminary. In the summer of 1981, he went to his first parish assignment at Queen of All Saints in Lackawanna. He thoroughly enjoyed the two summers he spent there. His next parish assignment was at St. Amelia in Tonawanda under the guidance of the pastor, Msgr. Rupert Wright. He served as a pre-deacon for a summer, and after graduation, his transitional deaconate year. St. Joseph's Cathedral was the setting for his ordination to the deaconate on May 11, 1984. Less than a year later, Fr. Joe was ordained to the priesthood. At the time, it was customary for ordination to take place in the home parish of the candidate. Although St. Amelia's was not Fr. Joe's home parish, he asked his ordinary at the time, Bishop Edward Head, for permission to be ordained there. On April 19, 1985, he was ordained to the priesthood at St. Amelia Parish. Following ordination, Fr. Joe said his first Mass at St. Catherine of Siena in West Seneca, which was the parish he belonged to after his family moved out of Springbrook.
His first assignment as a priest was at St. Bernadette in Orchard Park where he spent three and a half years working with, and learning from Msgr. Richard Nugent. He then went to St. Teresa, South Buffalo for six years, and was further groomed for ministry under the guidance of Fr. Ted Berg. His first taste of major fundraising came during his time at St. Teresa's where he had the privilege of seeing the church go through a complete restoration, under the careful leadership of Fr. Berg. After that assignment, Fr. Joe went to St. Gregory the Great in Williamsville, a wonderful opportunity for Fr. Joe to be reunited with his deacon mentor, a respected and admired friend, Msgr. Rupert Wright. He really enjoyed having the opportunity to minister with Msgr. Wright as a priest. While at St Greg's, in addition to many other ministries, he became very closely involved in a huge capital campaign, established to raise funds for a new ministry center and rectory. All three of his assignments brought him vast amounts of experience for what would lead to his first pastorate, St Anthony in Lockport, given to him by Bishop Henry Mansell. Two years later, he was assigned the added responsibility of Pastor to nearby St. Joseph. At the time, it was referred to as"twinning" when two parishes shared one pastor. After seven and a half years in Lockport, Fr. Joe moved on to Fourteen Holy Helpers, West Seneca a larger suburban parish, complete with school, convent, and even a small cemetery.
Fr. Joe has been at Fourteen Holy Helpers for a little more than two years. Ordained for twenty-three years, he feels blessed to have enjoyed the company of the other priests with whom he has served. The best part of priesthood for Fr. Joe is when he gets to set aside the business of each week and celebrate weekend Masses. He loves to preach and interact with his parishioners. A real people person, he enjoys all kinds of parish functions, even BINGO, which he periodically works. As far as describing a challenge of priesthood, he notes that it is difficult to please all of the people all of the time, a reality that he and every priest often face.
Among the many interests Fr. Joe has are running and exercising. He finds working out a great way to relieve stress and stay healthy. Fr. Joe enjoys the Bills, Sabres, and pro golf. He recently took up golf and is committed to learning everything he can about the sport. He enjoys movies and books. He is a true "early bird," and sees morning as a wonderful time of day when everything is quiet and the hustle and bustle has not yet begun. Prayer, meditating, and reading suit him best at that time of day, as opposed to later in the day. A real "beach bum" he enjoys vacationing on Ocean City's Jersey Shore with his family and friends. Birthdays, and many other celebrations, keep Fr. Joe and his family closely connected.
If someone thinks he is being called to the priesthood, Fr. Joe feels he should not ignore it. It is best to listen carefully, in prayer and throughout the day, and keep the door open to the possibility. One should ask many questions of himself and others. He should spend time talking to priests, lay people, friends and family members to find out what they would think about him becoming a priest. Fr. Joe stresses that people always have to give up something no matter what path they choose in life. The grass will always look greener on the other side if they focus on what they have left behind rather than what they have gained. Following his heart to the priesthood, Fr. Joe inspires all those he serves with his outgoing, energetic and optimistic personality.