May 29, 2024 After prayerful consideration and consultation with the Priests’ Personnel Board, Bishop Terry R. LaValley has announced the following appointments: • Father Scott R. Seymour, currently pastor of The Roman Catholic Community of St. Alexander and St. Joseph in Morrisonville, St. Augustine’s Church in Peru and St. James Church in Cadyville, will become pastor of St. André Bessette Parish in Malone effective July 8. • Father Christopher J. Looby, pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Ticonderoga and Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Schroon Lake, will become pastor of The Roman Catholic Community of St. Alexander and St. Joseph in Morrisonville, St. Augustine’s Church in Peru and St. James Church in Cadyville effective July 8. • Father Medenel Angrand, pastor of St. Mary’s of the Fort in Fort Church in Fort Covington, The Catholic Community of Constable, Westville and Trout River, and the Catholic Community of Burke and Chateaugay, will become pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Ticonderoga and Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Schroon Lake effective July 8. • Father Amruta Kumar Pasala, previously in residence at The Roman Catholic Community of Brownville and Dexter and St. Andrew’s Church in Sackets Harbor, will become pastor of St. Mary’s of the Fort in Fort Church in Fort Covington, The Catholic Community of Constable, Westville and Trout River, and the Catholic Community of Burke and Chateaugay effective July 8. • Reverend Pedro Edgardo (Jay) N. Delarosa, Pastor of St. Ann’s Church - Mooers Forks and Holy Angles Church – Altona, temporarily returns to the Philippines as of June 12 pursuant to the requirements of U.S. Immigration Law. • Father Severinus Torwoe, parochial vicar at the Catholic Community of St. Peter and St. Mary and St. Hedwig in Lowville, Glenfield and Houseville, will become temporary administrator of Holy Angels Church in Altona and St. Ann’s Church in Mooers Forks effective June 12. • Father Leagon J. Carlin, currently parochial vicar at St. Peter’s Parish in Massena, will reside in St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish while he’s assigned to study Canon Law at St. Paul University in Ottawa effective June 26. • Father Douglas A. Schirmer will serve as parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Plattsburgh effective June 26. • Father Carter G. Pierce will serve as parochial vicar at The Roman Catholic Community of St. Alexander and St. Joseph in Morrisonville, St. Augustine’s Church in Peru and St. James Church in Cadyville effective June 26. • Father John Kennedy Ojuok, parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Plattsburgh, will serve as parochial vicar at The Catholic Community of St. Peter and St. Mary and St. Hedwig, Lowville effective June 26. • Father Michael H. Marzan, parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Plattsburgh, will be parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish effective June 26. • Father Jude Nnadibuagha, parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish, will be parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Plattsburgh. • Father Lukas H. Gruber, parochial vicar at The Roman Catholic Community of St. Alexander and St. Joseph in Morrisonville, St. Augustine’s Church in Peru and St. James Church in Cadyville, will become parochial vicar at St. Peter’s Parish in Massena effective June 26. The following are profiles of the individuals whose assignments will be changing. Father Steven M. Murray After 10 years in the field of retailing, he returned to Wadhams Hall for a period of discernment before entering Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, New York, where he received his master’s of divinity degree. He was ordained Sept. 24, 1988, by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg. After ordination, he served as parochial vicar at Notre Dame in Malone and Our Lady of Victory in Plattsburgh before being named administrator of St. Patrick’s in Watertown in 1995. In 1997, Father Murray was assigned as a full-time faculty member and spiritual director at Immaculate Heart Central School in Watertown. In July 1998, he was appointed pastor in Chaumont, continuing to teach at BHC. A year later, he was named administrator in Louisville and Madrid along with his role as diocesan director of Christian Formation. In May 2002, he became Pastor of Holy Family in Watertown, a role he held until June of 2019, when he became pastor of St. André Bessette Parish in Malone.
Father Scott R. Seymour He was ordained May 29, 1999, by Bishop Paul S. Loverde. Father Seymour's first assignment was as parochial vicar at Notre Dame in Malone. In 2002 he became parochial vicar at St. Mary¹s Cathedral in Ogdensburg, a position he held until 2005, when he was appointed administrator St. Philip of Jesus Church in Willsboro and St. Joseph’s in Essex. In April 2006, Father Seymour became pastor in Willsboro and Essex until 2009 when he was named administrator in Morrisonville and Treadwill Mills for one year before becoming pastor of those churches. He had been named pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Dannemora and the Church of the Assumption in Redford. Those parishes were separated from the grouping in June 2021. Father Seymour was named pastor in Morrisonville and Treadwells Mill in 2010 and took on additional responsibilities as pastor in Cadyville in 2017.
Father Christopher J. Looby After ordination, he served as parochial vicar at St. Peter’s in Plattsburgh, at Holy Family in Watertown and at St. Peter’s in Lowville. In June 2009, he was named administrator of St. Mary’s Church in Brushton and Church of St. Augustine in North Bangor. A year later, he was named pastor of those churches, where he served until he was appointed pastor in Evans Mills, Theresa and Philadelphia. He later served as pastor of St. Anthony’s and St. Patrick’s in Watertown. Since 2020, he has served as pastor of St. Mary’s in Ticonderoga and Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Schroon Lake.
Father Medenel Angrand He was ordained Aug. 24, 2003, in the Diocese of Fort-Liberté, Haiti. In addition to serving as a pastor of two parishes, he has served as director of Caritas, director of Holy Childhood, a member of the College of Consultors and as an assistant pastor in his previous diocese. After arriving in the Diocese of Ogdensburg in 2019, and serving for a year as Special Vicar at St. André Bessette Parish in Malone, he was appointed parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Plattsburgh. He was incardinated as a priest of the Diocese of Ogdensburg in November 2020. In May of 2022, he was named sacramental minister of St. Mary’s of the Fort in Fort Covington, the Catholic Community of Burke and Chateaugay in Chateaugay and the Catholic Community of Constable, Westville, and Trout River, and became administrator of those parishes in November of 2023.
Father Amruta Kumar Pasala He first studied philosophy and later earned a degree in theology at Sacred Heart Seminary, Poonamalle. He was ordained April 18, 2007, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Mariapuram, Kadapa, India, by Bishop M.D. Prakasam, bishop of Nellore. After ordination, he served as associate pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Chennareddipalle for one year. He then served as incharge pastor at Holy Cross Church, Veerapalle. He was named pastor of St. Padre Pio Church in Ramapuram in 2009, serving there until 2012, when he became secretary to the bishop. From 2015 to 2017, he served in Malaga Diocese, Spain, and in various assignments in the diocese. In 2017, he came to the United States, serving in the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, until 2022. After returning to India and serving a parish there for a couple years, he has been in-residence at The Roman Catholic Community of Brownville and Dexter and St. Andrew’s Church in Sackets Harbor since early 2024.
Father Pedro Edgardo N. ‘Jay’ de la Rosa After that assignment, Father de la Rosa was the “pioneer priest” of St. Francis Parish, also in the Archdiocese of Caceres. He oversaw the construction of the church. When he left in 2018, the basic construction of the church, parish hall, and rectory were completed. After his arrival in the United States, he served as parochial vicar of The Roman Catholic Community of St. Alexander and St. Joseph in Morrisonville, St. Augustine’s Church in Peru and St. James Church in Cadyville. In the spring of 2022, he was appointed pastor of Holy Angels Church in Altona and St. Ann’s Church in Mooers Forks, a role he will resume after his year back in the Philippines.
Father Severinus Torwoe In 2018, he received a post masters certificate in theology from Holy Apostles. He was ordained by Bishop LaValley on Aug. 1, 2020, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Ogdensburg. He served as parochial vicar of St. Peter’s Parish in Massena immediately after his ordination. In 2023, he was named parochial vicar at the Catholic Community of St. Peter and St. Mary and St. Hedwig in Lowville.
Father Leagon J. Carlin He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop LaValley on May 21, 2022, in St. Mary’s Cathedral. After his ordination, he was appointed parochial vicar at St. James Church in Cadyville, The Roman Catholic Community of St. Alexander and St. Joseph in Morrisonville and St. Augustine’s Church in Peru. In May 2023, he was appointed parochial vicar of St. Peter’s Parish in Massena.
Father Douglas A. Schirmer Father Schirmer completed his theology studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Father Carter G. Pierce Father Pierce completed his theology studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Father John Kennedy Ojuok He was ordained by Bishop LaValley on May 29, 2021, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Ogdensburg. After his ordination, Father Ojuok served as parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish in Plattsburgh. Though he had to return to Kenya for a year due to immigration issues, he returned a year later to serve in the parish.
Father Michael H. Marzan He was ordained March 13, 2000. His first assignment was at Saint Bernard Abbot Parish, a community of three churches, in Camarines Sur as parochial vicar. He later started a parish, St. Francis Xavier, in Halawig-Gogon, Goa, Camarines Sur, overseeing the building of the church structure and the parish community. Prior to arriving in the United States in June of 2022, he was assigned as a parish priest of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish, Santiago, Irga City, a parish in the Archdiocese of Caceres.
Father Jude Nnadibuagha From 2006 to 2007, Father Nnadibuagha joined the Discalced Carmelites. In 2013, he finished studying philosophy, and then in 2017, he completed theology studies in Rome. At the end of his studies, he felt called to the priesthood, wanting something more active than the contemplative life of the Carmelites. He applied to a few dioceses, including the Diocese of Ogdensburg, and he came to America for the first time in 2018 to interview with the diocese. He was ordained by Bishop LaValley at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Ogdensburg on Aug. 1, 2020. After ordination, he served for a year as parochial vicar in Lowville, Glenfield and Houseville. He also served that community as a deacon after being ordained to that role in October of 2019. In May of 2021, he was named parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish.
Father Lukas H. Gruber He later graduated from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He was ordained by Bishop LaValley on May 27, 2023, and his assignment as parochial vicar at The Roman Catholic Community of St. Alexander and St. Joseph in Morrisonville, St. Augustine’s Church in Peru and St. James Church in Cadyville was his first assignment. |
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A native of Ogdensburg, Father Murray, 71, began his studies at Wadhams Hall Seminary College upon graduating high school in 1970 but left the seminary in 1972 to complete a bachelor’s degree at LeMoyne College in Syracuse. 
A native of West Chazy, Father Seymour, 53, graduated from Wadhams Hall Seminary-College and Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora.
Father Looby, 53, grew up in Harrisville and studied for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall and St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Ogdensburg, on May 12, 2001, by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito.
Father Medenel Angrad, 51, a native of Haiti, received his bachelor’s degree in sacred theology in 2002 and a master’s degree in moral theology in 2019. He also has associate degrees in intercultural studies and philosophy.
Father Amruta Kumar Pasala, 47, from the Diocese of Cuddapah, India, was born in Mariapuram, part of Cuddapah City in Andhra Pradesh State, India. 
Father de la Rosa, a priest of the Archdioceses of Caceres, Philippines, began his seminary studies in 1994 at Holy Rosary Seminary. He later attended major seminary and majored in Theology. He graduated magna cum laude in 2003 and was ordained a deacon. On June 10, 2004, Father de la Rosa was ordained a priest. He served as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Parish in the Archdiocese of Caceres for two years. After, he was a professor and formator at Holy Rosary preparatory seminary for five years.
Born in Hlefi, Ghana, Deacon Torwoe received a bachelor’s degree in education at University of Cape Coast, Ghana, in 2008. He then studied philosophy and theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut, where he obtained a master’s degree in theology in 2017. 
Born in Plattsburgh, Father Carlin, 27, graduated from Peru Central School in 2014 before attending seminary at Pontifical College Josephinum in Ohio and later Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Father Schirmer, 34, a resident of St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish in Ogdensburg, was ordained by Bishop LaValley on May 25, 2024, at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Father Pierce, 26, from St. Raphael’s Parish in Heuvelton, was ordained by BishopLaValley on May 25, 2024, at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Father Ojuok, a native of Kenya, came to the Diocese of Ogdensburg as a seminarian in 2016. He completed his seminary studies at Christ the King Seminary in the Diocese of Buffalo.
Father Marzan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Caceres in the Philippines, attended Holy Rosary Major Seminary in Naga City, Phillipines, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and sacred theology.
Father Nnadibuagha, 40, was born in Imo State, Nigeria. 
Originally from Queens, New York, and later Smithtown, New York (on Long Island), Father Gruber was introduced to the North Country when he attended Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, where he received a bachelor’s degree.