May 25, 2016
PHOTO BY PAT HENDRICK
Carny priest and pastor observes 70th anniversary Msgr. Robert J. McCarthy, celebrating 70 years as a priest of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, spent 21 of those A native of Potsdam, he was born July 1, 1918, graduated from Potsdam High School and attended Potsdam State Teachers College for one year before beginning studies for the priesthood. He studied at Wadhams Hall in Ogdensburg and St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester before his ordination Oct. 19, 1946, by Bishop Bryan J. McEntegart. Early in his priesthood, Msgr. McCarthy served as assistant pastor at St. Mary’s, Canton; assistant pastor at Holy Family, Watertown; and pastor in Old Forge, West Leyden, Colton and South Colton. He was director of the Catholic Youth Council from its beginning in 1958 to 1966 and named diocesan director of the Apostleship of Prayer in 1966. On May 19, 1960, Msgr. McCarthy was named a Papal Chamberlain (Chaplain of His Holiness) with the title monsignor In 1961, he was appointed pastor at St. James in Gouverneur and, in 1972 pastor of Holy Family, a position he held until his retirement in 1993. In addition to his ministry within the diocese, Msgr. McCarthy was internationally known as the “Carny Priest.” For decades, he provided liturgical and sacramental services to carnival workers across the United States. He was also named the official chaplain for the 60,000 carnival workers in the United States. In 1979, he was honored with a private audience with Pope John Paul II who knew of his work with the migrants. Msgr. McCarthy was also credited with bringing the Precious Blood Sisters to the Diocese of Ogdensburg in the 1960s and providing financial support to the contemplative religious order with contributions from the carnival workers. The priest also served as chaplain for the State Police Troop B, based in Oneida. Msgr. McCarthy, who will celebrate his 98th birthday July 1 currently resides at the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse in Watertown.
Two priests of the diocese - Father Richard S. Sturtz and Father Leo A. Wiley - were honored for 60 years of priesthood at the Jubilee Mass and dinner held May 18 during the diocesan priests’ retreat in Alexandria Bay. Father Sturtz Before his retirement, Father Sturtz was pastor in Schroon Lake and Olmstedville for 19 years, from 1995. Previously he had served as pastor in Morrisonville and Treadwells Mills. He was also pastor in AuSable Forks from 1983 to 1988. Father Sturtz has spent most of his priesthood on staff of Wadhams Hall Seminary College. He was the librarian from 1957 to 1983 and also served as spiritual director and teacher at the seminary. The priest was born Jan. 16, 1931 in Lowville. He studied for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall and Catholic University before his ordination May 19, 1956 by Bishop James J. Navagh. He also earned a degree in library science at Catholic University. Father Sturtz first assignment was as assistant pastor in Brownville. In 1957 he was appointed as librarian and professor at Wadhams Hall. One year later, he was assigned to serve as the secretary to the bishop while remaining as librarian. After only six months he returned to full time duties at the seminary where he remained for more than a quarter of a century. Father Sturtz was honored at the Wadhams Hall graduation in 1996 with the Bishop Conroy Founder’s Award. Under his guidance the Wadhams Hall library grew from 3000 volumes to nearly 100,000. Father Wiley A native of Cape Vincent, he was born April 15, 1931. After completing seminary studies at Wadhams Hall and St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, he was ordained May 19, 1956 in Ogdensburg by Bishop Walter P. Kellenberg. The priest served as assistant pastor at St. Joseph’s in Malone, St. Bernard’s in Saranac Lake, St. John’s in Plattsburgh, Sacred Heart in Massena and St. Mary’s in Clayton. In 1968, he was named pastor in Indian Lake. Father Wiley has served the diocese as a pro-synodal judge for the tribunal for 1975 to 1980, chairman of the Liturgy Committee and of the Department of Worship 1976-79, a member of the priests’ senate 1967-70 and 1976-78, and as Dean of Lewis Deanery. Priests honored for 50 years of ministry Fr. Looby
Father Looby has served as assistant pastor in Waddington, Saranac Lake, Keeseville and 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 he was named pastor in Dannemora until 2004 when he became pastor in Cumberland Head, then Ellenburg and then, in 2009 administrator for the Catholic Community for Burke and Chateaugay. In 2010, after the installation of Bishop LaValley, Father Looby was made pastor in Burke and Chateaugay, a position he held until his retirement. Fr. Mundy Father Mundy was born Dec. 6, 1937, in Brooklyn and studied for the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary in Peterborough, N.H., the College of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Washington, D.C.; and Our Lady of Angels Seminary, Albany. He was ordained May 28, 1966 by Bishop Thomas Donnellan. Father Mundy spent 14 years of his priesthood in service to Catholic Charities. In 1967, he was names assistant secretary of the organization in charge of the Watertown office. He continued his education from 1969 to 1971 at the Fordham University School of Social Science and then was named director of the Plattsburgh Catholic Charities office, a position he held until 1981. Father Mundy’s pastoral assignments have been as assistant pastor at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg, St. Anthony’s in Watertown and St. John’s in Plattsburg; temporary administrator in Keeseville and, from 1981 to 1994, pastor in Bloomingdale. He also served the diocese as Vicar for Religious. In 1994, he served as administrator for a short time in Potsdam and at the Newman Center in Plattsburgh before beginning studies in January 1995 to become a missionary for the Ogdensburg Peruvian Apostolate. Upon his return to the United States he served as administrator and then pastor in Keene and Wilmington. In 2006, he was named pastor of St. Johns and John XXIII College Community parishes in Plattsburgh until 2008 when he took a leave of absence. He resided at Mount Saviour Monastery in Pine City, NY until returning to the diocese in 2013. Fr. Patterson The priest served as an assistant pastor in Potsdam, Morrisonville and St. Alphonsus, Tupper Lake. He was name pastor in Redwood in 1973 and Watertown regional religious education director the following year. He also serves as pastor in Evans Mills and chaplain at Jefferson Community College. Father Patterson left Jefferson County in 1979 to become pastor in Constable. In 1981 he took a leave of absence for health reasons. He was names pastor in Hopkinton in 1982 and retired for health reason in 1983. Fr. LaBaff: in the words of a parishioner By David Morse On Saturday, May 28, 1966, Arthur J. LaBaff of Massena, was ordained into the priesthood at St. Mary’s Today, he is the last of these men still actively serving in the Diocese of Ogdensburg. A graduate of Sacred Heart Grade School in Massena and a 1958 graduate of Massena High School, Father LaBaff entered the seminary at Wadhams Hall in Ogdensburg shortly after graduating high school. After two years at Wadhams Hall, he was assigned to Christ the King Seminary in St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY, studying two years of philosophy and four years of theology. At that time he was one of approximately 250 men studying to become priests. That number has dwindled over the years to well under 50 men. Father LaBaff was ordained by Bishop Thomas Andrew Donnellan in a ceremony that featured some monumental changes to the Roman Catholic Church. The hymns were sung in English as were the Ordination Instructions from the Bishop, instead of in the usual Latin. This Mass was also concelebrated with the priests facing the congregation, both new to the Roman Catholic Church. As the Catholic Church instituted these monumental changes, Father LaBaff embarked on an amazing 50-year journey of service and devotion. Father LaBaff was first assigned as parochial vicar (assistant pastor) at Our Lady of Victory, Plattsburgh, where he served from 1966 to 1968. He then had assignments at Notre Dame in Malone and St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg. Father LaBaff then served as pastor at St. John the Evangelist in Morristown and Our Lady of Grace in Brier Hill, Saints Phillip and James in Lisbon, St. Patricks in Chateaugay and St. Jude’s in Brainardsville, Notre Dame in Malone, and St. Patrick’s in Watertown. In 2009, he was transferred to St. Mary’s in Clayton and St. John the Evangelist in La Fargeville and serves both parishes to this day. Father La Baff has also served as diocesan youth director, founding the Guggenheim Summer Camp in 1972. Fathers Giroux, Helfrich mark 40th anniversary Two priests of the diocese are celebrating 40th anniversaries of ordination this year – Father Garry B. Giroux and Father Peter G. Helfrich. Father Giroux A native of Massena, he was born April 14, 1950. He received a bachelor’s degree from Wadhams Hall Seminary-College and a master of divinity degree from Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, N.Y. He and his identical twin brother, Father Harry Giroux, were ordained priests on May 1, 1976 by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana. Father Harry died Feb. 3, 2012. Father Giroux later earned a master’s degree in liturgical studies from the University of Notre Dame and a JCL degree in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In September, 2007, he completed the certificate program in Catholic Social Teaching at the Catholic University of America. Father Giroux has served as assistant pastor at Notre Dame in Malone and St. Alphonsus in Tupper Lake. He was pastor in Louisville from 1985 until 1987 when he became Director of Diocesan Relations for The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Upon his return to the diocese in 1990, Father Giroux became pastor of the Catholic Community of Constable, Westville and Trout River. He was named pastor in Potsdam in 2002, a position he held until his current assignment in Brasher Falls and North Lawrence. Father Giroux has also served the diocese as secretary to the bishop and associate chancellor as well as executive secretary of the diocesan Department of Worship. He was Diocesan Coordinator for the Year of Faith Initiatives, a member of the Diocesan Envisioning Team and currently serves as the Diocesan Coordinator for the Vocations Summit. Father Helfrich He studied for the priesthood at St. Andrew’s High School Seminary, St. John Fisher College, St. Bernard’s Seminary all in Rochester and Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY. Father Helfrich was incardinated into the Diocese of Ogdensburg at the time of his ordination as a transitional deacon Dec. 3, 1975. He was ordained a priest May 1, 1976 at St. Mary’s Cathedral by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana. Father Helfrich has served as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart, Massena; in Au Sable Forks, Keeseville, Brasher Falls; St. Joseph, Massena; Holy Family, Watertown; and Our Lady of Victory, Plattsburgh. From 1998 to 2002, he served as a supply for the Tri-Lakes area. In 2002, Father Helfrich was given permission to assist brother (Father Fred Helfrich) at Holy Spirit, Penfield – Webster and be supply priest as needed in the Diocese of Rochester. Since May 2013 he has been an assistant to the Rochester Latin Mass Community. ather Helfrich also serves as assistant chaplain at Monroe Community Hospital, spiritual director to Holy Name of Mary Praesidium of the Legion of Mary; and helper (as needed) to St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Rochester. Father Lauzon celebrates 25th anniversary as a priest Father Kris C. Lauzon, pastor the Catholic Community of Holy Name and St. Matthew, AuSable Forks and Black Brook, with its mission of St. Margaret’s in Wilmington; as well as the Catholic Community of Keeseville, is celebrating 25 years as a priest of the Diocese of Ogdensburg this year. Father Lauzon was born July 23, 1958 in Cornwall, Ont. and was raised in Massena. He graduated from Canton College and worked for six years as a draftsman for Dynapower in Watertown. He began studies for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall Seminary-College and earned a theology degree from Christ the King Seminary before his ordination May 25, 1991 by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana. Father Lauzon has served as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Victory in Plattsburgh, and St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg and in Carthage and Copenhagen. While in Ogdensburg he was also chaplain at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center. He also served as administrator in West Leyden. In 2000, Father Lauzon was named pastor in Hogansburg with added responsibilities as pastor in Fort Covington and Bombay in 2001. He was named pastor of St. John’s in Plattsburgh in 2003 and St. Alphonsus and Holy Name parishes in Tupper Lake, in 2004. Father Lauzon began service in AuSable Forks in 2009, first as administrator and then, in 2010, as pastor, and was given added responsibilities as pastor in Keeseville in 2014. Father Lauzon currently serves the diocese as a member of the Council of Priests and chair of the Committee for the Continuing Education of Priests. |
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years as pastor of Holy Family Church in Watertown.
He was born Oct. 8, 1939 in Ogdensburg. He studied for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall and St.Mary’s in Baltimore before his ordination May 28, 1966 by Bishop Thomas A. Donnellan.
Cathedral in Ogdensburg with four other men. 
