Bishop Terry R. LaValley has announced the following priest personnel changes after an April 26 meeting of the Committee on Assignments. • Msgr. John R. Murphy, Moderator of Curia and Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Services, and administrator of Church of the Visitation in Norfolk and St. Raymond’s Church in Raymondville, has been named pastor of Church of the Visitation and St. Raymond’s Church. • Father Kevin J. O’Brien, pastor of The Roman Catholic Community of Brownville and Dexter and St. Andrew’s Church in Sackets Harbor, has been named Moderator of the Curia and Episcopal Vicar of Pastoral Services, and pastor of The Roman Catholic Community of Morristown, Hammond and Rossie. • Father J. Michael Gaffney, pastor of St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s Church in Massena, has been named pastor of The Roman Catholic Community of Brownville and Dexter and St. Andrew’s Church in Sackets Harbor. • Father Scott D. Fobare, pastor of The Catholic Community of Moriah, has been named pastor of St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s Church in Massena. • Father Albert J. Hauser, pastor of The Roman Catholic Community of Morristown, Hammond and Rossie, has been named pastor of The Catholic Community of Moriah. The effective date for these changes will be June 27. • Effective July 25, Father. William G. Muench will be named administrator of St. Bernard’s Church in Saranac Lake, St. John of the Wilderness Church in Lake Clear, St. Paul’s Church in Bloomingdale, and Church of the Assumption Mission in Gabriels. This will be a one year assignment while the current pastor, Father Mark R. Reilly, fulfills a year of active duty in the military. Profiles of Msgr. Murphy and Father O’Brien appeared in the April 5 issue of the North Country Catholic with the announcement of the changes in diocesan administration. Profiles of the other new pastors follow: Father Gaffney Previously, he was pastor in Lake Placid from 1995 to 2006 and pastor in Chaumont from 1985 to 1995. From 1980 to 1995, Father Gaffney served as a faculty member at Immaculate Heart Central School in Watertown. A native of Watertown, Father Gaffney was born July 21, 1947. He studied for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall and Christ the King Seminary in Olean before his ordination May 5, 1973 by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana. The priest has also served as an assistant pastor at St. Alphonsus in Tupper Lake, St. Peter’s in Lowville, Notre Dame in Malone and St. Anthony’s in Watertown. Father Fobare Previously, he was pastor in Alexandria Bay and Redwood, St. Mary’s of the Lake, Cumberland Head; John XXIII Campus Parish, Plattsburgh; and diocesan Director of Campus Ministry. He was also pastor in Old Forge, Inlet and Raquette and served as pastor in Carthage, Deferiet and Natural Bridge from 1999 to 2002. While in Carthage he later was given added responsibilities as pastor in Copenhagen. Father Fobare was born March 25, 1961, in Massena and grew up in Lawrenceville. He graduated from Mater Dei College in Ogdensburg, Wadhams Hall Seminary-College and St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Mass. He was ordained May 23, 1987, by Bishop Larocque from the Diocese of Alexandria, Cornwall. In addition to his parish responsibilities, Father Fobare serves the diocese as Chairman of the Committee for the Continuing Education priests. Father Hauser Previously he was a member of the faculty of Wadhams Hall Seminary College from 1990 to 2002 and vice-president at the time of its closing. He also served the diocese as director of the Department of Worship. Father Hauser, a Rochester native, was born July 5, 1953. He graduated from LeMoyne College in Syracuse and studied for the priesthood at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY. He was ordained to the priesthood May 2, 1981 by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana. Father Hauser has been a parochial vicar at St. Patrick’s in Watertown and Notre Dame in Ogdensburg. He also served as associate chancellor and bishop’s secretary from 1983 until 1988 when he went to Rome for advances studies in biblical theology. He served as associate pastor and pastor of St. Lawrence Church in Louisville from 1992 through 1995. |
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Father Gaffney, new pastor of the Roman Catholic Community of Brownville and Dexter and St. Andrew’s Church in Sackets Harbor, has been pastor of St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s in Massena since 2006.
Father Fobare, new pastor of St. Marys and St. Joseph in Massena, has been the pastor in Port Henry and Mineville, known as the Catholic Community of Moriah, since 2008. 
Father Hauser, new pastor in Moriah has been pastor in Morristown, Hammond and Rossie since 2010, a position he also held from 2002 to 2006. 