BANGOR, Maine — The Rev. Frank J. Murray will return to his hometown this summer to serve as pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Parish, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland announced Saturday.
Murray, 67, left the Queen City for Auburn in 2003 after nine years as the pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church on Ohio Street before it, St. John Catholic Church on York Street and parishes in Brewer, Hampden and Winterport merged.
During his tenure at St. Mary’s, Murray helped complete a merger of Bangor’s two parish schools in 1999. The parish school on Ohio Street joined St. John Catholic School to form All Saints School. The St. Mary’s campus houses a preschool and kindergarten through third grade, while pupils in fourth through eighth grades attend the St. John campus on State Street.
Murray also led the church through the 1998 ice storm, when classes at the school were canceled for a week and Masses were celebrated in “subdued lighting” while a generator ran the furnace. He also saw the congregation through tragedy in 1995 when a man committed suicide in the church.
A native of Bangor, he is a graduate of the University of Maine. Murray served in the Legislature and was a teacher at John Bapst High School before studying at Catholic University of America. He was ordained in 1981. Before becoming pastor of the Newman Center in Orono in 1987, he was chaplain at Maine Medical Center and associate pastor at Sacred Heart in Portland.
During his time in Auburn, Murray has also served as the diocesan director of vocations and the diocesan director of seminarians.
In 2009, Murray was named pastor of the newly formed All Saints Parish, composed of churches in Brunswick, Bath, Boothbay, Richmond and Newcastle.
Murray’s tenure in Bangor will begin July 1. He will replace the Rev. Timothy J. Nadeau, who will serve as pastor of Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston.
Another Bangor native, the Rev. Fredrick H. Morse, who now serves as parochial vicar under Murray, has been appointed, beginning July 1, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, which includes St. Mary Church in Wells, St. Martha Church in Kennebunk and All Saints Church in Ogunquit.
The pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, the Rev. Thomas M. Murphy, will replace Murray at All Saints Parish. In addition to his parish duties, Murphy has also served on the College of Consultors, the Presbyteral Council, the diocesan liturgical commission, and as associate director of the diocesan office of vocations.
Four other priests will take on new assignments Aug. 1, according to a press release issued by the diocese:
— The Rev. Gregory P. Dube will serve as rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland and pastor of the other Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes. He now is pastor at from Holy Savior Parish, serving churches in Rumford and Bethel.
— The Rev. Nathan D. March will serve as pastor of Holy Savior Parish. Since June 2015, he has served as parochial vicar at St. Anne Parish in Gorham, St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Westbrook and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Windham, while continuing to assist at the hospitals in Portland.
— The Rev. Michael J. Seavey will replace March. He has served as the administrator of Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Portland and pastor of the other Portland Peninsula and Island Parishes since January 2009.