May 11, 2015
Meet the five Paulists celebrating their 25th and 50th anniversary of ordination in 2015. These dedicated men – Father George Fitzgerald, Father Joachim Lally, Father Charles Martin, Father John Ardis and Father Marcos Zamora – total a combined 200 years of service to the Church. Congratulations!
- Hometown: Jaffrey, N.H.
- Present Assignment: Senior ministry, Paulist Center, Boston
- Paulist Service: Newman Apostolate at Tufts University / St. Ann’s Church, Boston (1965 to 1970); director of formation, St. Paul’s College, Washington, D.C. (1971 to 1978); associate editor of Paulist Press and assistant director of novices (1978 to 1980); pastor of Holy Spirit Parish / Newman Hall, University of California at Berkeley (1980 to 1986); pastor of Old St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco (1986 to 1992); teaching sabbatical in Dublin and Rome (1991 to 1992); pastor, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Boulder, Col. (1992-98); special/senior ministry, Minturn, Col, 1998; senior ministry at Old St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco and the Paulist Center in Boston.
“I feel a great sense of gratitude to God for the opportunity to serve his people. I believe I have been touched more by them than they by me. My strength has come from the many people I have served because it is through the people that I feel God’s presence. The Paulists have always been open to opportunities for priests and how that parlays into opportunities for the communities. I have had some very rich experiences with the Paulists. This is a great community. The sky is the limit in terms of serving with the Paulists.”
- Present Assignment: Senior ministry, Cathedral of St. Andrew, Grand Rapids, Mich. Continues to offer classes on Scripture and spirituality at the Catholic Information Center in Grand Rapids. He is a certified presenter of centering prayer.
- Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
- Paulist Service: Pastoral ministry, Catholic Information Center, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1973-76; pastoral ministry, Paulist Center, Boston, 1976-78; director of Hispanic youth ministry, Archdiocese of Boston, 1978-2002; associate pastor Church of the Good Shepherd, New York City, 2002-2006; missionary work 2006-08 based in New York City; associate rector, Cathedral of St. Andrew, Grand Rapids, Mich., 2008-10; senior ministry, 2010.
“It was very fulfilling to be in Hispanic ministry with teens and young adults, training them to be leaders in their parishes and communities. I got to do that because the Paulists are a wonderful community, very respectful of each Paulists’ energies and talents. There is a lot to live up to being a Paulist. It is a challenge. We are all standing on the shoulders of giants.”
- Present: Senior ministry, Paulist Center, Boston
- Hometown: Newport, R.I.
- Paulist Service: Assistant pastor, Good Shepherd Church, New York City, 1965; staff, Catholic Information Center, Grand Rapids, Mich.; assistant pastor, St. Lawrence Church and Newman Center, University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, 1965-67; missionary, Detroit mission residence, 1967-68; pastoral team member, St. Patrick Church, Memphis, Tenn., 1968-70; campus ministry, St. Mark’s Church and Newman Center, University of California at Santa Barbara, 1970-73; campus ministry and graduate studies, University of Northern Colorado at Greeley, 1973-82; Paulist Leadership and Renewal Project, based at Paulist Center, Boston, 1982-83; director, University Catholic Center, University of California at Los Angeles, 1983-85; associate pastor, St. Paul the Apostle Church, Los Angeles, 1985-90; superior, Paulist Center, Boston, and special assignment with the Archdiocese of Boston, 1990-1996; campus ministry, St. Lawrence Church and Newman Center, University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, 1996-1999; sabbatical, Tantur Ecumenical Institute, Jerusalem and North American College, Rome, 1999-2000; staff, Paulist Center, Boston, 2001; formation team, then director of formation, St. Paul’s College, 2001-06; superior, Paulist residence, Vero Beach, Fla., 2006-2011; senior ministry, Paulist Center, Boston, 2011.
“Whether it was a community of students or in a parish, I enjoyed the interaction with people. That’s what ministry is. To be there to help people grow and reach their potential.”
- Present Assignment: Pastor/Superior of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Community, Los Angeles.
- Hometown: Ionia, Mich.
- Paulist Service: Deacon, St. Andrew’s Parish, Clemson, S.C., 1989; associate pastor, St. John XXIII University Parish, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, 1990-94; director of vocations, 1994-98; director, Paulist Center, Boston, 1998-2007; pastor/superior, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Community, Los Angeles, 2007-current.
“My nearly 31 years in Paulist life have been filled with unexpected blessings each and every day. It’s not always easy to answer God’s call, there are many distractions, and often the grass seems greener elsewhere. My life as a Paulist has always given me an opportunity to serve my fellow Paulists and God’s people in a variety of locations and circumstances. We live in an ever-changing world. New opportunities present themselves each day. From my perspective, trying to meet people where they are at in the midst of constant change and helping them understand the Gospel message is one of the greatest gifts that the Paulists offer the Church in North America.”
- Present Assignment: Associate rector, Cathedral of St. Andrew, Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Hometown: Joliet, Ill.
- Paulist Service: Associate pastor, Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York City, 1990-97; associate pastor, then administrator, Good Shepherd Church, New York City, 1997-99; pastor, Good Shepherd Church, New York City, 2000-06; associate pastor, Immaculate Conception, Knoxville, Tenn., 2006-2010; associate pastor Cathedral of St. Andrew, Grand Rapids, Mich., 2010.
“I enjoy the people, begin with them as they celebrate the sacraments, and I have enjoyed engaging in social justice and ecumenical ministries. [I would tell a man considering the priesthood] that it is not always easy, but always very rewarding. Being a Paulist is more about giving than receiving. You have to be open to the needs of the community, and by doing that, you will find new paths and new enlightenment. If I hadn’t done that, I would not have had the experiences and be where am now.”