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Date of Ordination:May 16, 1959
Current assignment: pastor of St.Mary’s Church,Ticonderoga
and Sacred Hear Church, Crown Point

My favorite prayer
It would have to be the Mass. The Mass is the heart and soul of my life as a priest. I find peace at Mass – it is always the most sacred time of my day.

My favorite saint
Blessed Pope John XXIII. Pope John has not been canonized
as yet but I think it will come soon. I was pleased to be present
in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican when Pope John Paul
II beatified Pope John.
When he became pope in 1958, many people had no idea
who Pope John XXIII was, yet they immediately came to love
his openness, his smiling and he was even known to tell
jokes. He had a dramatic effect on the Catholic Church by
calling a Council, a Council that changed the Church.
Pope John called the Second Vatican Council an opportunity
for the Church to throw open the windows and let the
Spirit in and, although he died after the first session, his
Spirit caused the Council to continue for the next three years.
My priesthood has been almost completely within the time
of Vatican II and I offer my gratitude to good Pope John.
The changes brought about by the Council have made
my priesthood happier and – I truly believe – more successful.

Holy moments in my priesthood
A few years ago my nephew and his wife invited me to the
birth of their second child. It was fantastic experience - I
learned so much about the sacredness of life. For various
reasons their parents were not with them so I accompanied
them. It was truly a very spiritual moment for me and solidified
a deep relationship for me with them. To add to it all,
the kid was named William!
• I speak often of a time when I was hiking with Father
Philip Allen and we came upon an opening in the woods and
looked out on an incredible sight – a beautiful valley – alive
in color. Father Phil suggested we celebrate Mass right there –
it was truly a memorable Mass.
• I have had many holy moments with my friends in
Madonna House in Canada
• Let me mention one more – once a month and on holy
days I have Mass with the children of St. Mary’s School. It Is
always such a meaningful time for me – I look forward to it
each month.

Something I have learned from another priest
Well, many have touched my life – to mention two – I was
gifted to have Monsignor Joseph Bailey as my speech teacher
at Wadhams Hall and as my first pastor. I have no doubt he
formed me and gave me a love for preaching. And I learned
joy in ministry, in my priesthood, in life from my friend,
Father Bernard Kellogg.

Advice for young people considering a vocation
First of all, listen. If you are not afraid to listen, you will
hear the Lord’s call. Second, talk about it – with your pastor,
with your parents, with your friends. The most difficult part
of searching a vocation out is not being afraid to talk about
it. Finally, talk to the Lord about it – in prayer.

Something about me that few people know
Wow! What do I say? I share this: one of my hopes in life
was to be a tractor truck driver – maybe someday when I
retire I will have the opportunity. One of my big achievements
in life – I took flight instructions a while back and
actually soloed. Oh, that I had continued to do that!

Favorite part of being a priest
For me it is celebrating Mass – preaching and teaching – these opportunities are so important to me and moments when I feel most involved in my ministry

Favorite temporal things
I have been blessed with numerous opportunities to travel and have come to enjoy these opportunities – especially, my trips to Italy

Favorite food
I do enjoy seafood – scallops, lobster, clams... but I must admit that often I die for an ice cream cone – or gelato when in Italy