Golden Jubilarians

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Twelve priests of the archdiocese are celebrating their 50th anniversaries of priesthood this year.

Father Richard Adams retired in 2014. He served as parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth’s parish in Manhattan, 2012-2013. He was pastor of St. Agnes parish, Manhattan, 2002-2011; St. John the Evangelist, Goshen, 1993-2002, where he was also administrator for eight months; and St. Rose of Lima, Manhattan, 1980-1992. He was spiritual director of Casa Santa Maria at the North American College in Rome, 2011-2012. He was spiritual director of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, 1975-1979. He served as parochial vicar at St. Lucy’s, the Bronx, 1979-1980; Corpus Christi, Manhattan, 1971-1975, while also assigned to the faculty of Cathedral Preparatory Seminary, Manhattan; and St. Athanasius parish, the Bronx, 1965-1971.

Msgr. Peter Finn
is co-dean of Staten Island and has been administrator of Blessed Sacrament parish since 2013. He was pastor of Blessed Sacrament, 2007-2013. He was rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, 2001-2007, and was named to a five-year term as an archdiocesan consultor in 2005. He was pastor of St. Joseph and St. Thomas parish, Staten Island, 1989-2001, and was also co-regional vicar of Staten Island, 1998-2001. From 1983 to 1989, he was director of the archdiocesan Office of Communications. He was principal of Msgr. Farrell High School, Staten Island, 1977-1983, where he previously served on the faculty. He earlier was associate superintendent of schools in the archdiocese and district superintendent of schools on Staten Island. He was a parochial vicar at St. Catherine’s, Pelham, and St. Mary’s, Rosebank, Staten Island. He was named a monsignor in 1986.

Father Robert Imbelli is retired. He is associate professor emeritus at Boston College where he taught theology. He served on the faculty there from 1995 until his retirement, and earlier, 1987-1994. He served on the faculty of St. Joseph’s Seminary for one year, 1994. He taught at Maryknoll Seminary, 1985-1987 and 1978-1984. He was a visiting fellow at Princeton Theological Seminary, 1984-1985. He was parochial vicar for a year at St. Martin of Tours parish, the Bronx, 1966. He studied in Rome during the Second Vatican Council.

Father Frederick Kempfirl has served as administrator of St. James parish, Milton, since 2006. He was pastor there, 1987-2006. He was parochial vicar of St. Denis, Hopewell Junction, 1982-1987, and Our Lady of Lourdes, Manhattan, 1965-1969. He served as chaplain at Fishkill Correctional Institute, 1979-1982, and Montefiore Hospital, the Bronx, 1973-1979. He was on the faculty of Archbishop Stepinac High School, White Plains, 1969-1973.

Father John J. Lynch has been administrator of Immaculate Conception parish in Woodbourne since 2014. He was pastor there, 1996-2014. He was parochial vicar of St. Joachim, Beacon, 1990-1996. He served as pastor of St. Sylvia’s, Tivoli, 1988-1989. He served as parochial vicar at St. Mary of the Assumption, Katonah, 1981-1988; St. Mary Star of the Sea, City Island, 1971-1981; and St. Gabriel’s, New Rochelle, 1965-1971.

Father Thomas Mullin retired in 2011. He had served as a chaplain at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Brooklyn, 1995-2011. He also was chaplain at St. Elizabeth Ann’s Health Care and Rehabilitation Center on Staten Island. He was pastor of St. Peter’s, Poughkeepsie, 1994-1995, and Immaculate Conception and St. John Baptist de La Salle, Staten Island, 1987-1994. He was a chaplain in the U.S. Army, 1979-1986, and later served in the Persian Gulf War as a chaplain with the Army Reserve. He served as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart, the Bronx; St. Joseph’s, Kingston; Holy Child, Staten Island; St. Margaret Mary, Staten Island; and St. Peter’s, Liberty. He also served briefly on the staff of Catholic Charities.

Father Daniel O’Hare is dean of Orange County and pastor of Holy Name of Mary parish in Montgomery, a position he has held since 2005. He was pastor of Assumption parish in Maybrook, 1996-2005, and remained as administrator there since 2005, a position he still holds. He was pastor of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Port Jervis, 1985-1996. He served as administrator of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1984. He was parochial vicar of St. Peter’s, Poughkeepsie, 1965-1973; St. Joseph’s, New Paltz, 1973-1975, and St. Patrick’s, Newburgh, 1975-1984.

Msgr. Edward Straub is dean of Sullivan County and was named administrator of St. Peter’s parish in Liberty in 2014. He was pastor of St. Peter’s, Liberty, from 1986 to 2014. He was named regional vicar of Sullivan County in 1998. He was on the faculty of John Coleman Catholic High School, Hurley, and parochial vicar of St. Colman, East Kingston, 1981-1986. He was parochial vicar at St. Joseph’s, New Windsor, 1974-1981; St. John’s, the Bronx, 1971-1974; St. Peter’s, Monticello, 1965-1971; and St. Aloysius, Livingston Manor, 1965. He was named a monsignor in 1999.

Father Gerard Travers
retired in 2013. He had been pastor of St. Patrick’s parish, Highland Mills, 1993-2013. He served as pastor of St. Lawrence O’Toole, Brewster, 1986-1992. He was parochial vicar of St. Catharine’s, Blauvelt, 1979-1986; Holy Family, the Bronx, 1976-1979; Our Lady of Mercy, the Bronx, 1971-1976; St. Thomas of Canterbury, Cornwall-on-Hudson, 1966-1971; St. Clement-St. Michael’s, Staten Island, 1965-1966; and St. Lawrence O’Toole, Brewster, 1965.

Msgr. James Vaughey
retired in 2012. He had served as pastor at St. Theresa’s, Briarcliff Manor, from 1993 until his retirement. He had earlier served several months as administrator there. He served with the archdiocesan Department of Education, 1976-1992, first as associate secretary of education and then as comptroller of finance, while also serving for two years as executive director of the Trustees of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Calvary and Allied Cemeteries. He was on the faculty of Cardinal Hayes High School, the Bronx, 1967-1976. Earlier, he served as parochial vicar at St. Mary of the Assumption, Staten Island, and St. Catherine Laboure, Lake Katrine. He was named a monsignor in 1990.

Father Peter Vianney retired in 2009. He was pastor of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish, Port Ewen, 1999-2008, and pastor of Regina Coeli, Hyde Park, 1993-1999. He was parochial vicar at St. Peter’s, Poughkeepsie, 1977-1989, and St. Joseph’s, Manhattan, 1975-1977. He was ordained in 1965 in Saigon, Vietnam, and was incardinated into the archdiocese in 1989.

Msgr. John Woolsey retired in 2009 for medical reasons. He had served as parochial vicar at Holy Family parish, New Rochelle, 2008-2009. He was pastor of St. John the Martyr parish, Manhattan, 1996-2006. From 2006 to 2008 he served at Trinity Retreat House in Larchmont. He was director of the archdiocesan Office of Christian and Family Development, 1979-1996, and was assistant director for two years before that. He earlier served at St. John the Baptist, Yonkers, and St. Margaret’s, Pearl River, and was on the faculty of Cardinal Hayes High School, the Bronx. He was named a monsignor in 1986.