May 20, 2015

Ogdensburg – After a May 13 meeting with the Committee on Assignments, Bishop Terry R. LaValley announced the retirement of two priests of the Diocese of Ogdensburg: Father George F. Maroun and Father John J. Looby.
Father Looby, pastor of the Catholic Community of Burke and Chateaugay since 2009, has also been serving the diocese as Dean of Franklin Deanery.

Born Oct. 8, 1939 in Ogdensburg, Father Looby studied for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall and St.Mary’s in Baltimore before his ordination May 28, 1966 by Bishop Thomas A. Donnellan.

Father Looby has served as assistant pastor in Waddington, Saranac Lake, Keeseville and at St. John’s in Plattsburgh. 

He joined the Ogdensburg Peruvian Apostolate in 1973 and served as a diocesan missionary in Mollendo, Peru for two years.

Upon his return to the diocese, he was named administrator in Altona and then pastor in Black Brook and Wilmington, at St. Joseph’s in Massena, St. Thomas More, Canton, and at Port Henry with additional responsibilities as administrator in Westport.

In 1989  was named pastor in Dannemora until 2004 when he became pastor in Cumberland Head, a position he held until 2005 when he became pastor in Ellenburg until 2009.

Father Maroun, pastor of Carthage and Copenhagen since 2002, is a native of Tupper Lake, born Sept. 25, 1948. He studied for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall and Christ the King Seminaries. He was ordained May 4, 1974 by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana

Father Maroun served as an assistant pastor at St. Mary’s Cathedral and Holy Family in Watertown before joining the Ogdensburg Peruvian Apostolate.

He served at St. Martin de Porras Parish in Mollendo, Peru, from 1982 until his return to the United States in 1988.

After a short sabbatical leave, he was named parochial vicar at St. Anthony’s in Watertown and, in 1989, pastor in Norfolk.

In 1994, Father Maroun was appointed to the faculty of Wadhams Hall where he served as spiritual director and assistant professor of language and religious studies until 2002 when he moved to Carthage.

Father Maroun also served the diocese for 26 years in the Diocesan Mission Office. He was assistant director from 1978 until being named director in 1984, a position he held until 2004.

Profiles of Fathers Looby and Maroun will appear in upcoming issues of the North Country Catholic.