Priest from Bangor to serve as pastor of state’s oldest parish
6/18/09 | 23 comments
religion

Priest from Bangor to serve as pastor of state’s oldest parish


By Judy Harrison
BDN Staff
BANGOR DAILY NEWS FILE PHOTO
The Rev. Frank J. Murray

The former pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Bangor will serve as the administrator of a coastal cluster that includes the oldest, continuous parish north of Baltimore, Md., beginning July 1.

Bangor native the Rev. Frank J. Murray will serve as the administrator of All Saints Parish that includes churches in Brunswick, Bath, Boothbay, Richmond and Newcastle, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland has announced.

St. Patrick Catholic Church in Newcastle was established in 1798. Its first church building was completed in 1808, and one of its bells was cast by Paul Revere shortly before his death in November 1818.

A modern $2 million church was completed in 2004. The original building continues to be used as a chapel. St. Patrick also has one of the few permanent outdoor worship sites in the state.

Murray now is the pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Auburn, and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Mechanic Falls, Oxford and Norway. He was reassigned in 2003 to the Auburn churches after serving for nine years as the pastor of St. Mary’s.

The Rev. Frederick Morse and the Rev. Normand Carpentier have been named to the pastoral team to be led by Murray. Morse serves as chaplain at Maine Medical Center and parochial vicar of St. Christopher Catholic Church, Peaks Island. Carpentier has been assigned to parishes in northern Cumberland, Oxford and Franklin counties.

The changes in the coastal parish were prompted by the departure of the Marist priests, who served St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Brunswick, and the retirement of the Rev. Richard Rice and Stephen Concannon on July 1.

Other assignments announced by the diocese include:

• Rev. Alfred Irving has been named priest-chaplain at Maine Medical Center in Portland and parochial vicar of Cluster 21, which includes the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and churches in Portland, Peaks Island and Long Island. He is the administrator of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Boothbay and St. Patrick’s in Newcastle.

• Rev. Richard McLaughlin has been appointed pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Auburn and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Norway. He is serving as vicar for priests and director of the Department of Ministerial Services. Earlier this year he was given a temporary assignment as parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Ellsworth, and Stella Maris Parish, Bucksport. He left St. John Catholic Church in Bangor on July 1, 2008.

• Rev. Bruce Siket has been assigned to serve as parochial vicar at Stella Maris Parish, Bucksport, and St. Joseph Parish, Ellsworth, with primary residence in Bucksport. Stella Maris includes the churches of St. Vincent de Paul, Bucksport; Our Lady of Holy Hope, Castine; and St. Mary Star of the Sea, Stonington. He has been serving as parochial vicar of Corpus Christi in Waterville and Christ the King in Skowhegan.

• Rev. Jean-Paul Labrie will be the new pastor of the Parish of the Precious Blood that includes Holy Rosary in Caribou, St. Denis in Fort Fairfield and St. Louis in Limestone, St. Mary in Presque Isle, Sacred Heart in North Caribou, St. Joseph in Mars Hill, St. Mark in Ashland and St. Theresa in Stockholm. The Revs. Raymond Morency and Aaron Damboise, the parochial vicars who have been serving these churches, will remain in that capacity.

• Rev. Timothy Nadeau has been assigned to be the administrator of newly named St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Bangor. That parish will include the churches of St. John and St. Mary in Bangor, St. Matthew, in Hampden, St. Joseph and St. Teresa in Brewer, and St. Gabriel in Winterport. The Rev. Kent Ouellette and the Rev. Seamus Griesbach, who have been serving as parochial vicars for those parishes, will remain in that capacity.

• The Rev. Alfred Jacques has been named sacramental minister for Holy Savior Parish, which includes churches in Rumford, Mexico, Dixfield, Bethel and Roxbury Pond. The retired priest succeeds the Rev. Angelo Levasseur, who died last month after a brief illness.

• Newly ordained Rev. Paul Murray has been assigned to Corpus Christi Parish in Waterville and Christ the King Parish in Skowhegan.

jharrison@bangordailynews.net

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Comments
23 comments on this item
On 6/18/09 at 9:08 AM, Elizabethann wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Thank you for saying "yes" to the priesthood and may you grow in holiness. May you be a reflection of Jesus and not of the world. God bless....

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On 6/18/09 at 10:23 AM, karenlite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Ditto on your 1st sentence, Elizabethann; " Thank you for saying "yes" to the priesthood and may you grow in holiness."

The 2nd sentence, not so clear, perhaps you mean to say that Jesus surely loves gays and all of us and all the love we share.

Am I correct? Yes?

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On 6/18/09 at 10:49 AM, classof66 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

always someone that has to bring the GAY thing into the picture...YES Jesus loves us ALL...

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On 6/18/09 at 11:04 AM, mattecamp wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Just like he loves murderers, rapists, and other sinners.

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On 6/18/09 at 1:41 PM, Elizabethann wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Yes Jesus loves all sinners...but He hates sin. If we love Jesus and choose to follow Him then we must walk away from sin. If we say we love someone then we choose not to offend them and ask forgiveness when we do. Jesus asks the same of us. Homosexuality is against the laws of God. And since you seem so sure that it is not offensive to God then I will pray that God gives you the grace to open your mind and heart to His truth. If you "choose" to believe otherwise than I will pray the same as I do.

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On 6/18/09 at 1:48 PM, Elizabethann wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

That was for Karen ...

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On 6/18/09 at 3:35 PM, karenlite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Thank you and Yes, I knew it was for me. I feel the same for you and others who don't accept 'all' that a gay person is. I pray too that this world will come to be accepting and loving. Any time there's been prejudice against a group, people came to terms somehow and there was understanding. There will be understanding and a common ground with gay rights issues too.

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On 6/18/09 at 4:43 PM, Elizabethann wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Karen...you have to understand that some who are opposed to the homosexual lifestyle do not feel that way because of prejudice or irrational thinking. It is truely out of concern and compassion. There are those who would resort to violence. With that I don't agree. I do not dare to ask God why some are tempted with certain things and why some are not. Why some have certain weakness and others not. We all have our own. Human nature. But I do believe that overcoming those temptations is what makes a saint. It is out of compassion and concern that I do speak out. On this and any moral issue such as abortion. I would do the same for my children or anyone I love. God bless...

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On 6/18/09 at 5:10 PM, karenlite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

May God bless you too Elizabethann. I do understand about overcoming temptations to be a saint, I grew up catholic, however there's no sexual sin in a gay relationship. One does not have to be told that or learn it from a book, it's sex between 2 loving adults. The sin is condemning gays and calling their love sick.

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On 6/18/09 at 5:12 PM, Elizabethann wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

God loves you Karen...

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On 6/18/09 at 5:28 PM, free2bee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Elizabethann, you presume that all gay and lesbian people are unhappy and want to get out of their orientations. See it doesn't work that way. Neither you nor I could walk away from our orientation. It is a part of who we are. If I were unhappy, as a married person, I guess I could ask for a divorce as could you, whether we believe in them or not, we have that option. We can walk away and find another partner if we wish. That changes our personal relationship but not our orientation. What some here ask is that people give up a large part of themselves and live a life with no option of loving another. I just don't get it. Opposition out of concern and compassion. I love my sister, my cousin and my brother-in-law and want nothing more for them than to be in a loving committed relationship like my wife and I have. Each of them is in a relationship like that, each for five years or more. Their lifestyle is no different than straight couples' lifestyle, mortgages, yard work, groceries, bills, taxes. Karen is correct, it is very frustrating for those of us who support our family members and friends when it is the private intimate lives that those opposed focus on. One part of a human being and not the whole.

JACK and EM

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On 6/18/09 at 5:32 PM, free2bee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Karen, IMO, it doesn't seem like it is possible for the opposed to look at the love shared. That would make same-sex couples 'real', that would make gay and lesbians individuals. It's easier to condemn those you don't know.

JACK

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On 6/18/09 at 6:05 PM, karenlite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Elizabethann, Do you think God loves those like my husband and I who are 100% for equal gay marriage rights and love and accept the entire gay way of life, sex and all? We see gays as people like ourselves, living life and being free, being thankful for all God's blessings, seeing the good in others and enjoying every moment that life has to offer.

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On 6/18/09 at 6:19 PM, karenlite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Thank you, Jack and Em, Well said and I must say I and my husband George are so thankful that there are people like you who stand for the truth.

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On 6/18/09 at 6:58 PM, Elizabethann wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I have family members who are gay also. One has been in the relationship for about fifteen years now...maybe more. I do not treat her differently than anybody else. She knows I love her. If someone would ask her if I approve of her relationship, she would probably say no. I have never given her indication that I don't approve of her relationship by saying or doing something that was offensive to her....but she knows my belief sytems so she knows where I stand. But she has never done anything or said anything in front of my children that would put into question my belief systems. For that I respect her very much. What I don't like is inappropriate behavior that does not lift the human person and bring the best out of them. Such as the comments we sometimes see.

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On 6/18/09 at 7:13 PM, karenlite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I understand completely what you're saying Elizabethann. If acting romantic in front of others makes them feel uncomfortable, the 'loving' couple should respect that and tone it down. There are rules that both gay and hetero couples should follow in company. I also understand that you stand for your truth and I respect that , you're a good and loving person.

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On 6/18/09 at 7:23 PM, JD2008 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Elizabethann...I am interested in your thoughts on civil unions. I want to say that I am not attempting to bait you, I sincerely want to know you opinion if this were a civil union question rather than a same sex marriage question.

The frustration for me are for those people (like your relative) that are in committed relationships that do not generally enjoy the same legal standing as married couples. For example, end of life decisions, tax benefit (if they truly exist LOL), hospital visitations rights, etc...

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On 6/18/09 at 7:53 PM, Elizabethann wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Homo sexual couples should have the same legal standing as all other couples do. For me what makes the difference is I see the marriage union between man, woman and God. I see marriage as a covenant with God being the third person in that union. As far as tax benefits, inheritances, hospital visits...they should have the same legal standing.

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On 6/18/09 at 9:16 PM, Elizabethann wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Unless someone with more wisdom (from God) shows me otherwise...

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On 6/18/09 at 10:19 PM, karenlite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Elizabethann, That took honesty and courage for you to say that in your last 2 comments. It was noticed.

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On 6/19/09 at 9:17 PM, LawDisOrder wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Good luck in your new posts. And did I miss the the Gay peice of the story????

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On 6/22/09 at 10:04 AM, avidreader wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It is people like the Rev Frank Murray that still give me faith in the Catholic Church. He is a true Servant of God and just a great person.

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On 6/22/09 at 7:09 PM, karenlite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Let me tell you a story, it's true and it happened to my family on an Easter Sunday afternoon a few years ago. It DID NOT involve the above named priest but one older who has since retired. Our family was home that afternoon, we attended our local Catholic Church that a.m., my husband and I helped that day and our 3 handsome boys received communion as usual. That afternoon the priest, who we were close to and helped in many church functions, came to our door bearing 2 containers of beautiful Easter Lilies as a 'Thank you gift to us for all we had done in the church'. He stayed a while, he was quite animated and talked of blessing our house with Holy Water and then sprinkled the water here and there. I had commented that perhaps the 'Holy Water' might sizzle upon landing on surfaces, he laughed, we laughed.. Before he left and without encouragement from us to tell us his story , he proceeded to tell us all, our cute preteen and teenage sons, a 'true' personal story' of when he was a young teenager in a locker room, naked with other boys, snapping each other with wet towels. How nice of him to share.. He proceeded to tell us all of receiving a letter from a young man, about a friend who had committed suicide and had implied in the letter that the suicide was related to the time he was their priest. Our priest then commented to us and our sons, " I don't know why he'd write me something like that."

I pray priests and holy leaders everywhere have good intentions for the people they minister to.

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