November 4, 2026

The following is both part of our annual Vocations edition and the next installment of Heritage & Heroes, an ongoing series, part of our celebration of the nation’s 250th year, highlighting individuals who have served both our nation and our Church and the stained glass windows at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg depicting our nation’s history.

By Mary Beth Bracy, consecrated virgin
North Country Catholic

Along his journey to the priesthood and episcopacy, Bishop Terry R. LaValley has sailed many seas. Our chief shepherd has made sacrifices not only for our diocese but also for our country. Reflecting on his vocational search, Bishop LaValley shared about his path which brought him from the North Country to the great beyond and back again.

“My decision to enlist in the US Navy was reached for a combination of reasons: I had a certain restlessness and dissatisfaction as a college student,” Bishop LaValley said. “While I enjoyed participating in the college’s Forensic Club as a member of the Debate Team, I yearned for more. I joined the Navy, believing that it wasn’t just a job, but a real adventure. I wasn’t disappointed.”

He recalled the Navy promo ‘It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure,’ with the depiction of a sleek Navy aircraft carrier and an impressive launching pad. Perhaps it was “the search for the wild blue yonder . . . the restlessness led me to consider possibilities out there,” he said. So, Bishop LaValley quit college and entered the Navy.

“I was a Petty Officer First Class Cryptologic Technician which entailed keeping our classified communications equipment up and running,” he said.

In the midst of his service, Bishop LaValley became more involved in the Church.

“Coming from a family that was very involved in parish life, I found Masses at my duty stations to be occasions to continue to learn more about my Catholic faith,” he recalled. “This was especially the case after my Division Officer asked if I would teach Sunday School after Sunday Masses at the RAF base I was stationed to in Scotland.”

When a priest originally asked the young sailor if he thought about becoming a priest, he laughed. However, as he traveled in the Navy and taught catechism, our now bishop became more open to the idea.

Bishop LaValley’s experience was transformative.

“I grew in personal discipline, loyalty, faith, gratitude for family, patriotism, humility, hard work and acceptance of people from all walks of life,” he said. “One of my most memorable experiences was when I was stationed at the Naval Technical Training Center at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida. Hurricane Frederick devastated so many lives, and we were able to be source of hope for many in our endeavors to help ‘pick up the pieces.’”

His decision to enter the seminary wasn’t quite as quick as his decision to enter the Navy.

“It took more than slick promotions to enter seminary,” Bishop LaValley emphasized. “My family and parish provided me the terra firma where God has taken me for a ride . . . a wonder-filled adventure. I thank God for the vocation I have been gifted…. The Lord calls each to a mission recognized with discernment.”

The parish, moms and dads play a crucial role, the bishop added, in helping young people develop “a personal relationship with Jesus and preserving holiness. It is our sacred duty to bring the Good News to others.”
A priest advised the bishop, “Make the decision, stay focused and don’t look back.”

Bishop LaValley quoted part of Psalm 139, his favorite Psalm: “You formed my inmost being … I praise you because I am wonderfully made . . . my days were shaped, before one came to be.”

“Vocations are my days in the Lord’s book,” he explained. “Vocations are a love story. It’s all about relationship, all about falling in love with a Divine person, the Son of God, all about a friend, a Savior… Jesus Christ who beckons everyone in the Gospel, ‘Come to Me.’”

“Responding to God’s call for each of us to be holy, as we discern God’s call for each of us, we become mission driven.”

Pope Francis talked about listening, discerning, and acting, Bishop LaValley continued.

“Listening with absolutely all of our senses, paying attention to the world about us,” he said. “We cannot keep our heads down to life. We must be countercultural and focus on more than the phone. See the face of Jesus in the person next to you. Pay attention.”

“(We are) too busy. Every day we have the opportunity to see the Face of Jesus in another…. Take the time, listen as you meet, as you greet, as you speak to other folks, a mission is blossoming, growing. Do I live my life in response to gift, not out of a sense of entitlement but gratefulness?”

“We listen and move,” Bishop LaValley shared, adding that we need to be attentive to what our superior, relative, pastor or sister say to us. “Listen and don’t shrug them off. Be patient and listen. If we are always clicking with the remote, we can never listen with any depth. Discern God’s plan for you and me. He’s with you, He made you, He knows you, and He loves you in spite of it.”

“When we act, we enter the dance of life. Don’t wait to be the perfect dancer,” Bishop LaValley advised, quoting the song, “Just dance, dance.”

He noted the example of Miriam in the Bible; “she sang and danced. Though she found heartache, the dance was an outward expression of her joy in the Lord.”

When asked how the apostles and saints continue to inspire us today, Bishop LaValley replied, “The more we read of the saints, something I highly encourage everyone to do, we are uplifted by their tenacity in following Jesus in the midst of so many obstacles in life. Sometimes we might think that we live in the worst of times. Boy, spending time reading the lives of the saints is a good antidote to such discouraging sentiments. They intercede for us. They remain remarkable examples of love of Jesus and neighbor.”

So close to his beatification, Bishop LaValley reflected on Blessed Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

“I have found Blessed Fulton Sheen’s insights on the priesthood to be so clear, hope-filled and challenging as I seek to strengthen my priestly ministry. I’ve always had a special love and devotion to the Cure of Ars, St. John Vianney. I continue to be inspired by his perseverance through seminary and throughout his priestly ministry in a very difficult pastoral setting.”

“Commitment is very difficult in the world,” the bishop stated. “We rob ourselves of the joy to be had while life passes by. Keep your eyes on the Lord. We have companions to challenge, support and love us. Be still and know our God. Take a step. Rely on God’s grace. God’s mission for you will be realized.”

“Every time I celebrate the Eucharist, I am humbled and inspired as I look at the faces of my fellow pilgrims in the pews,” Bishop LaValley concluded. “In some cases, I am aware of the difficulties that they personally encounter, the serious health issues, economic hardships and family challenges that they endure. Love for Jesus and His Body, the Church draws them to be with the family of faith. For sharing their struggles and for persevering when the going gets tough, I am most grateful. Let us continue to pray for one another.”