Oct. 16, 2013

Ogdensburg  - Following the Oct. 8 meeting of the Committee on Assignments, Bishop Terry R. LaValley has made the following assignment changes, one of which involves a parish linkage:

• Father  John M. (Mickey) Demo, currently administrator of The Catholic Community of St. Philip of Jesus and St. Joseph in Willsboro and Essex, has been named pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Dannemora and Church of the Assumption in Redford. 

• Father Raymond J. Moreau, currently pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Chazy, has been named administrator of The Catholic Community of St. Philip of Jesus and St. Joseph in Willsboro and Essex.

• Father  J. Roger McGuinness, currently pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in West Chazy, will also become pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Chazy, overseeing the linkage of the two parishes.
These assignments will take effect on Oct. 30.

Franciscan friar coming
Bishop LaValley has also announced that Father Adrian Gallagher, OFM Conv., will be named pastor of St. Ann’s Parish in Mooers Forks and St. Joseph’s Parish in Mooers upon the retirement of their current pastor, Father Gerald A. Cerank.  

Father Gallagher, a Franciscan Friar, has been given permission from his provincial to serve in the Diocese of Ogdensburg so as to be closer to his aging parents in Malone who are experiencing some health issues. 
Currently, Father Gallagher is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in Coal Township, Penn. 

Father Cerank will be retiring Jan. 1, 2014 and Father Gallagher’s assignment will take effect on that date. 

Profiles of the new pastors:

Father McGuinness, a native of New York City, came to the North Country in 1957 to study at Wadhams Hall Seminary College in Ogdensburg and Christ the King Seminary in Olean, N.Y.

He was ordained a priest in 1965 and has served parishes in Potsdam, Lake Placid, Plattsburgh and Watertown as a parochial vicar. He has served as a pastor in Raymondville, Keeseville, Our Lady of Victory Parish and St. John’s Parish in Plattsburgh. 

Father McGuinness served as the pastor of John XXIII College Community Parish - the Newman Center,  in Plattsburgh where he served Plattsburgh State University and Clinton Community College.
He is currently the pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in West Chazy and, effective Oct. 30, Sacred Heart Parish in Chazy.

Father McGuinness has served as president and vice-president  of the Interfaith Council of Clinton County and Plattsburgh and a past board member of the Campus Community Coalition of the city of Plattsburgh. He is also an adjunct professor in the Honor Program of Plattsburgh State University.

He has taught psychology at Seton Catholic Central and currently teaches in the Upward Bound Program of Plattsburgh State during the summer.

From 1973 to 1989, Father McGuinness was a member of the faculty of Wadhams Hall Seminary College, serving as academic dean and director of spiritual formation as well as a teacher of psychology and religious studies. 
He has also worked as an administrator and teacher of the permanent diaconate program as well as vocation director and director of seminarians for the Diocese of Ogdensburg.

In addition, he has taught in the Formation for Ministry program sponsored by the diocese. Father McGuinness is the past director of Continuing Education and Formation of the Clergy,

Father McGuinness holds masters degrees in counseling-psychology, pastoral ministry and Christian Spirituality.  He has given retreats, conferences and workshops in several Dioceses of the United States and Canada. He was the speaker for the diocesan on-line retreat for Advent in the year 2008.

Father Demo
Father John M. Demo, new pastor in Dannemora and Redford, has been administrator in Willsboro and Essex since 2011.

A native of Brasher Falls, he was born March 7, 1961.  He graduated from LeMoyne College in Syracuse before beginning studies for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall and St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Mass. 

Father Demo was ordained Sept. 24, 1988 by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana.

The priest has served as parochial vicar at St. Bernard’s in Saranac Lake, Holy Family in Watertown, St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg and Notre Dame in Ogdensburg.

He was named pastor in Hopkinton and Saint Regis Falls, served as parochial vicar in Carthage and administrator in Chateaugay and Burke before his current assignment.

After ordination, Father Demo continued his education, studying philosophy at Catholic University from 1995 to 1996.