June 3, 2026 Eleven priests were honored for milestone years of service at the annual Jubilee Mass celebrated by Bishop Terry R. LaValley on May 21 at the Cambria Resort in Lake Placid, part of the annual presbyteral assembly. 60 YEARS FATHER ARTHUR J. LABAFF Father LaBaff’s first assignment was as assistant pastor at Our Lady of Victory in Plattsburgh. He also served as assistant pastor at Notre Dame in Malone and St. Mary’s in Ogdensburg and was pastor in Morristown, Lisbon, and Chateaugay with its mission in Brainardsville. From 1983 to 1997, he was pastor at Notre Dame Church in Malone and then served as pastor of St. Patrick’s in Watertown from 1997 until his current assignment in Clayton. Father LaBaff also served the diocese as youth director from 1971 to 1977, overseeing the department as Guggenheim summer camp program began in 1972. Also in 1972, the priest was named assistant chancellor and director of the Bishop’s Fund until 1977 when he was named chairman of the Bishop’s Fund Committee. He has also served as, a Diocesan Consultor, member of the Council of Priests and of the Priests Personal Committee.
FATHER JOHN J. 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 in 2015.
FATHER TERRANCE R. 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 served 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. He resides in Potsdam.
FATHER DAVID DELUCA, MSC He was ordained to the priesthood Dec. 17, 1966, by Bishop Geo. Rehring, D.D., Most Pure Heart of Mary, Shelby, Ohio. Father Deluca accepted an appointment to serve as a missionary in Papua New Guinea. He arrived there within a day one year after his ordination! Except for periodic leave for vacations, he kept to his missionary apostolate from Dec. 18, 1967 to June 1998–just short of 31 years! On returning permanently to the United States, Father Deluca took up studies (1999-2001) at the Chicago Theological Union towards a graduate degree in cross cultural studies with a minor in liturgy. He was posted to the Sacred Heart Retreat and Renewal Center in Youngstown, Ohio, in 2001-2003, went back to CTU for his comprehensives in 2003 and was awarded a master’s degree in theology. From August 2003-08 he taught theology at Allentown Central Catholic and for much of that time also served as a chaplain to the student body. In 2009, he was assigned to the MSC community in Watertown to be available for pastoral ministry as needed by pastors in the Diocese of Ogdensburg except when on call for mission appeals and other commitments carried forward from previous assignments. Father Deluca is a bicycle enthusiast and an avid reader who is quite familiar with all the “periti” theologians who had input during the Second Vatican Council.
50 YEARS FATHER GARRY B. GIROUX He has served as Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Ogdensburg since August 1, 2019. A native of Massena, Father Giroux received a bachelor’s degree from Wadhams Hall Seminary-College and a Master of Divinity degree from Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, New York, before his ordination May 1, 1976, by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana. Father Giroux later earned a master’s degree in liturgical studies from the University of Notre Dame and a JCL degree from the Catholic University of America. In September 2007, he completed the certificate program in Catholic Social Teaching at the Catholic University of America. In addition to his current role in Waddington and Madrid, he has served as pastor of Visitation and St. Raymond in Norfolk, St. Andrew’s Church in Norwood and St. Patrick’s Church in Brasher Falls, Notre Dame in Malone, St. Alphonsus in Tupper Lake, St. Lawrence in Louisville and at the Catholic Community of Constable, Westville and Trout River. From 1987-90, Father Giroux served as the director of Diocesan Relations for The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. 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.
FATHER PETER G. HELFRICH Father Helfrich was incardinated into the Diocese of Ogdensburg at the time of his ordination as a transitional deacon on 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. In 1986 Father Helfrich was named pastor of St. Therese and St. Henry, Newcomb and Long Lake; and, in 1994 St. Francis Solanus, Harrisville. From 1994 to 1998, Father Helfrich also received a special assignment with the Carmel of St. Joseph in Saranac Lake and was Spiritual Director for the Lay Carmelites of Saranac Lake and Malone. From 1998 to 2002, he assisted at parishes in the Tri-Lakes area. In 2002, Father Helfrich received permission to come to the Rochester Diocese to assist his brother, Father P. Frederick Helfrich, who was then pastor at Holy Spirit Parish in Webster and was ill. He has remained in the Rochester Diocese and since 2002 has been involved with the Latin Mass Community at St. Kateri Parish, St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in Rochester and the Legion of Mary. Father Helfrich celebrated his 50th anniversary with a liturgy and reception with the Latin Mass Community in late April. On May 5, he and his brother celebrated their 50th and 55th jubilees, respectively, by concelebrating Mass with Father Gary Tyman, the chaplain at the The Hurlbut nursing home in Brighton.
40 YEARS FATHER STEPHEN KOVACEVICH Father Kovacevich was born in New York City but spent most of his life in Croatia. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s College in Whiting, Ind.; a master’s degree from Loyola University in Chicago and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, Penn. He was ordained June 12, 1986, and, as a board-certified chaplain, has served in hospital and police chaplaincy positions throughout the United States. Father Kovacevich served in our diocese as director of pastoral care for Adirondack Medical Center. He is a member of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains and the International Conference of Police Chaplains.
FATHER JEROME B. PASTORES He was ordained a priest Dec. 30, 1986. During his 20 first years as a priest, Father Pastores was active as parochial vicar and parish priest. In his diocese, he served various structures of the Diocesan Curia, such as the Office of the diocesan Commission on basic Episcopal Communities, in which he served in the capacity of diocesan coordinator, and also the diocesan Social Action Committee, in which he served as director. He also was member of the College of Consultors and of the Finance Committee of his diocese. After 20 years of ministry, it is common practice in the diocese of Bayombong to allow some sabbatical time to the priests. Father Pastores chose to come to Canada. In 2006, Father Pastores was assigned to St. Patrick’s Parish in Pincourt, Que., as an assistant priest. At the end of the year 2007, he was appointed parish administrator for the same parish. He has served pastor at St. Regis Mission Parish since 2011.
25 YEARS FATHER JOSEPH KANIMEA, MSC In our diocese, he has served as Parochial Vicar for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Watertown, St. Paul’s, Black River, and St. Mary’s, Evans Mills and as chaplain at the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center. While he has served in Diocese of Ogdensburg since 2022, Father Kanimea has been serving in the United States since 2014.Prior to his arrival in the North Country, he served as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Roseto and Bangor, Pennsylvania.
FATHER CHRISTOPHER J. LOOBY Father Looby grew up in Harrisville and studied for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall and St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained at. St. Mary’s Cathedral, Ogdensburg, on May 12, 2001, by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito. After ordination, he served as parochial vicar at St. Peter’s in Plattsburgh, at Holy Family in Watertown and at St. Peter’s in Lowville. In June 2009, he was named administrator of St. Mary’s Church in Brushton and Church of St. Augustine in North Bangor. A year later, he was named pastor of those churches, where he served until he was appointed pastor in Evans Mills, Theresa and Philadelphia. He later served as pastor of St. Anthony’s and St. Patrick’s in Watertown.
FATHER SHANE M. LYNCH Born in Watertown, Father Lynch is a 1990 graduate of Immaculate Heart Central School. He graduated from Wadhams Hall and later St. John’s Seminary School of Theology in Boston. Father Lynch also completed a spirituality year program sponsored by St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He was ordained by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito May 12, 2001. Father Lynch has served as parochial vicar in Saranac Lake and Lake Clear, at Notre Dame in Malone, at the Malone Catholic Parishes and at Holy Family in Watertown. He was also a temporary administrator in Croghan.
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