Jubilee Mass

CHATHAM  Bishop Serratelli will preside at the Diocese’s annual Priests Jubilee Mass at 11 a.m., Tuesday, June 4 in St. Patrick Church here. The Mass will celebrate the priesthood ordination anniversaries of 16 priests who have served or are currently serving in the Paterson Diocese. Following are brief bios of the priests:

60 Years

Msgr. P. Kevin Flanagan, a native of Ireland, was ordained on June 13, 1959. His first assignment was at St. Joseph Parish, Mendham, as parochial vicar. He also served as parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Valley, Wayne; St. Paul, Clifton; and St. Peter, Parsippany. He was named pastor of St. Clare Parish, Clifton, on Allwood Road, in 1972 and led the building of the current church. In 1985, while serving as pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany, he also led the building of the current church on Baldwin Road. Msgr. Flanagan formerly served as executive secretary at the Office of Parish Life. He also worked on a diocesan level as moderator for CYO in the Butler/Pompton area, member of arbitration board, elected member of the Priests’ Personnel Board, member of the Priests’ Senate and former dean of Eastern Morris. In 1984, St. Pope John Paul II named him a monsignor. He was pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Chester before he retired. He is currently in residence at St. Philip Parish in Clifton and continues to assist there on weekends.

Missionary Servant of the Most Holy Trinity Father Ralph Frisch, a native of Queens, N.Y., was ordained May 19, 1959 in Sacred Heart Church in Winchester, Va. He entered the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity novitiate in 1952 and celebrated his first vows in 1953. His first assignment was as spiritual director for the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate for the laity. His first parochial assignment was at Holy Rosary Indian Mission in Philadelphia, Miss. in 1961. His additional parochial work was in Dublin, Ga.; Norfolk, Va.; and Savannah, Tenn. He served his community in the Minor Procure Office, as retreat director, confessor and archivist. Presently, he serves in the senior ministry at Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling.

Benedictine Father Beatus T. Lucey, a native of Philadelphia, entered the Benedictines at St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison, Kan. and made his profession there on July 11, 1953. He was graduated from St. Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. in 1956. He received a master’s of fine arts degree from the Catholic University of America in 1965. He also did graduate work at New York University, Philadelphia College of Art and Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Father Beatus was ordained in St. John’s Cathedral in Paterson on May 23, 1959. He has served as weekend assistant at Christ the King, New Vernon; St Benedict, Hazlet; St. Mary, Lakewood; St Elizabeth, Far Hills; and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bernardsville. Currently, he is chaplain to Sisters of Charity at Holy Family Chapel, Convent Station. Father Beatus has served as chairman of the art department at Delbarton School, Morristown, and also as dean of discipline and headmaster. He also served as subprior and prior of St Mary’s Abbey.

Benedictine Father Rembert F. Reilly, a native of Elizabeth, entered the Benedictines at St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison, Kan., where he made his profession on July 11, 1953. He was graduated from St. Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. in 1956. He did graduate work at Seton Hall, South Orange, and the University of Notre Dame, Ind. Father Rembert was ordained in St. John’s Cathedral, Paterson, on May 23, 1959. He has served as a weekend assistant at Notre Dame of Mount Carmel, Cedar Knolls; St. Elizabeth, Carteret; and St. Aloysius, Jackson, and also as subprior and vice president of development for the Benedictines. He currently resides at St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown.

Msgr. John B. Wehrlen, a native of Paterson, is the founder of what is now the Department for Persons with Disabilities (DPD), an agency of Diocesan Catholic Charities. For his priesthood studies, he attended the former Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington. He was ordained on May 23, 1959 in St. John's Cathedral, Paterson, by Bishop James A. McNulty. His first assignment was at St. Philip, Clifton, before becoming the Diocese’s first director of special education, which led to the creation of DPD. He served as a chaplain and opened Newman House, the Catholic Campus Ministry Center at William Paterson University, Wayne, while working toward a special education degree there. He received his degree in 1969 and in 1971 was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree for his work in special education. He served as parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish, Florham Park, from 1982 to 1985. He is founding pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Flanders, where he served for 20 years until his retirement in 2005. He currently resides in South Jersey and serves at a local parish there.

50 Years

Msgr. Mark Giordani served as rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson for 31 years before his retirement in 2018. He was ordained there on May 31, 1969 by Bishop Lawrence Casey. He attended Cathedral College, New York, and St. Mary College in Kentucky. He studied for the priesthood at the former Christ the King Seminary, N.Y. His entire priesthood ministry was spent in the city of Paterson beginning with his first assignment at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Paterson. There, he formed the Christian Riders Motorcycle Club and for 50 years has celebrated the annual Motorcycle Mass on Main Street in front of St. John’s Cathedral. He also served at St. Gerard Majella Parish, Paterson, establishing several organizations including a ministry for the divorced/separated, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and St. Gerard’s Day Care Center for working mothers. Msgr. Giordani has served as chaplain for several law enforcement agencies including the Port Authority, Paterson Police Department, Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, Passaic County Jail and Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office. During the 9/11 attacks, he was a prominent figure at Ground Zero ministering to the recovery workers. He was named a monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 1989. He currently resides in Paterson.

Missionary Servant of the Most Holy Trinity Father Peter J. Krebs is a licensed psychologist whose practice includes counseling services for priests, religious and laypersons. He served as director of the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling for the past 18 years, and was ordained on June 7, 1969. He was graduated from St. Joseph Preparatory Seminary in Holy Trinity, Ala., and attended the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He received a doctorate in psychology from Seton Hall University, South Orange, in 1990. His first assignment was at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Cleveland, Oh. In 1970, he was assigned to the Shrine of St. Joseph’s. In addition, Father Krebs is on the board and faculty of the An Croi Spiritual Guidance Program, a two-year Holistic Spiritual Guidance Training Program. A member of the Watchung Hills Interfaith Clergy Group, he acts as a guide for people who are learning and growing in their own personal spirituality as well as facilitating group retreats.

Franciscan Father Brice Leavins, a native of Paterson whose home parish is St. Bonaventure’s there, was ordained to the priesthood on Sept. 13, 1969 at the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, D.C. He entered the Holy Name Province’s novitiate program in 1963. He made his first vows a year later and then made his final vows in 1968 as a Franciscan friar. In the Diocese, he has served at St. Mary, Pompton Lakes; as pastor for both Our Lady Queen of Peace, Hewitt, and St. Anthony, Butler. He has also served in parishes in Fair Lawn and Boston. He served as vocation director for Holy Name Province and as a collegiate judge on diocesan tribunals in Providence, R.I., and Worcester, Mass. He currently resides at St. Anthony Friary in Butler.

Father Brendan J. Murray was ordained Dec. 20, 1968 in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He was graduated from Seton Hall University, South Orange, in 1965 and studied for the priesthood at North American College and Gregorian University, Rome. He has served at St. James, Totowa; St. Michael, Paterson; St. Vincent, Madison; St. Pius, Montville; St. Cecilia, Rockaway and a chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital, Paterson. For many years, he has been involved in the diocesan charismatic movement and met St. Pope John Paul II in 1980 as part of a team with the International Communications Office for Charismatic Renewal. He is a longtime chaplain for the Rockaway Borough Fire Department. This month, he will be retiring as pastor of Sacred Heart and Holy Rosary, Dover where he has served since 2007. He will then serve as temporary administrator of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Branchville until the end of summer.

Father Frank O’Grady, a U.S. Army chaplain since 1987, was ordained on June 7, 1969 in St. Patrick Cathedral, Thurles, Ireland. He served in parishes in England until his arrival in the U.S. in 1978. In the Paterson Diocese, he served St. Margaret Parish, Morristown, and Our Lady of Pompeii Parish, Paterson. He holds a doctorate in ministry from Drew University, Madison. He taught at DePaul Catholic High School, Wayne, was youth minister at Paterson Catholic and Paterson Deanery coordinator for youth. He began his service with the U.S. Army with the Army Reserve 2nd Brigade 76th Division, Lodi. During the Gulf War, he was stationed at Fort Dix for three months. In 1994, he left diocesan ministry for full-time service with the U.S. Military Archdiocese. During his military service, he ministered to families following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and also was stationed in South Korea in 2004. He holds the rank of Lt. Colonel for the 111th Military Intelligence Brigade in Fort Huachuca, Ariz. He retired from active ministry in 2017.

40 Years

Msgr. Christopher DiLella, a native of Paterson, was ordained by Bishop Frank J. Rodimer May 5, 1979 in St. Paul Church, Clifton, where he had served his diaconate internship. His ordination to the diaconate in 1978 was the first ordination of Bishop Rodimer’s episcopacy. He received a bachelor’s degree in history education from Loyola College, Baltimore. From 1972 to 1975, he taught at the former Neumann Prep in Wayne and at Lenape Valley High School in Stanhope. He completed his priesthood studies at the former Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington. His first assignment was at St. Virgil Parish, Morris Plains, and then St. Philip Parish, Clifton. He became pastor of St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison in 1993 until being named pastor of Our Lady of the Valley (OLV) in Wayne, where he served until 2014. He also served as administrator of Holy Cross Parish while at OLV. He was named a monsignor in 1998.

Jesuit Father Kirk Reynolds, ordained on June 9, 1979, is a native of the Bronx N.Y. and grew up in Bergenfield. A graduate of Regis High School in New York City he entered the Jesuits in 1966 at St. Andrew’s Novitiate in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and then spent a year at the former Loyola Seminary in Peekskill, N.Y. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, the Bronx, N.Y., where he was later ordained by the late Cardinal Terence Cooke. He holds a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University, New York. He spent most of his ordained life in parish work and retreat work. He served at Nativity Parish in Manhattan and St. Anthony Parish in Oceanside, N.Y. He also served at St. Ignatius Retreat House in Manhasset, N.Y. Fluent in English and Spanish, he has been on staff at Loyola Jesuit Center in Morristown for almost 20 years, leading retreats and serving as a spiritual director.

25 Years

Franciscan Father of the Renewal Herald Brock is based at St. Michael Friary in Paterson. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 14, 1994 by the late Cardinal John O’Connor in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. He served in the New York area as director of Padre Pio Shelter for Homeless Men and spiritual director for Youth 2000. From 2001 to 2007, he was a missionary in Honduras, helping to establish the St. Benedict Joseph Free Medical Center and Casa Guadalupe Missionary Center. He also served on a missionary assignment in South Sudan, establishing the House of Mercy spiritual center. From 2011 to 2016, he was a missionary preacher in the U.S., Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. While continuing his missionary efforts, he also served as director of St. Anthony Shelter for the homeless in the Bronx, N.Y. in 2016-2017. In 2018, he returned to full-time missionary preaching in Jamaica while continuing to assist in Honduras, Haiti, Cameroon and South Sudan.

Father John P. Hanley, a native of Passaic, serves in the Diocesan Tribunal as an auditor. He was graduated from the former Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic and the N.J. Institute of Technology in Newark. For 30 years, he was a mechanical engineer and holds two master’s degrees in his former field. Father Hanley, a widower, is the father of six and grandfather of 15. He was 60 years old when he was ordained by Bishop Frank. J. Rodimer on May 28, 1994 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. His first assignment was at St. Joseph Parish, Mendham, and he later served at St. Gerard Parish in Paterson. He also served as administrator of St. Casimir Parish in Paterson. He retired from active ministry in 2004.

Benedictine Father John Hesketh was ordained to the priesthood on Jan. 15, 1994 in St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown. On March 21, 1988, he took his first vows as a Benedictine monk. Before entering the Benedictine order, he previously taught at Pingry School in Basking Ridge teaching math and was a counselor. He served as headmaster of Delbarton School in Morristown and also served at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Linden. He taught math at Delbarton School in Morristown. Later he served at Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in Cedar Knolls. He currently is subprior at St. Mary’s Abbey and serves as chaplain of the Sisters of Charity in Convent Station. He also serves as a weekend assistant in parishes in both the Paterson and Metuchen dioceses.

Franciscan Father of the Renewal Terry Messer, a native of Baltimore, who grew up in Maine, was a member of the Lithuanian Franciscan Friars for 10 years before joining the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in 1990. He attended Holy Apostles College in Cromwell, Conn. for his undergraduate degree and for his priesthood studies, Dunwoodie Seminary, Yonkers. He was ordained on May 14, 1994 by Cardinal O’Connor at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. For seven years, he served in the Bronx at St. Anthony Shelter for the homeless. From 2001 to 2003 he served in Honduras and then returned to the U.S. and served in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He returned to New York to serve as assistant to the late Father Benedict Groeschel, one of the founders of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. He currently resides at St. Michael’s Friary, Paterson.

— Compiled by CECILE PAGLIARULO