I’m not sure exactly when the idea came to me, but I had been thinking about it for a number of years: to visit each parish where I had been stationed, not only to see the church once again but also to review the Baptism and Marriage Registers. I have often wondered how many baptisms I celebrated and how many marriages I witnessed? I never kept a record of these events, as some priests actually do. There was only one way to find out: ask the current pastors of my former priestly assignments to allow me to go search for the answers. It is worth noting that my search did not include churches to which I was not assigned and where I went as a visitor (St. Agnes Cathedral, Rockville Centre, alone would probably add quite a few additional sacramental celebrations, at least 40 Baptisms and at least 20 weddings. There are numerous other churches where I was invited to celebrate baptisms and marriages).
Accompanied by my friend, Fr. Louis Cona, a priest of the Rockville Centre Diocese, the memorable experience began on Monday, August 4, 2025- the feast of St. John Vianney- patron saint of parish priests! First stop was St. Camillus in Rockaway Beach (slated to close in December 2025), where I was warmly greeted by Mary Kay, the parish secretary, and Joe the maintenance man. St. Camillus is where my priestly journey began in 1971 and where I was stationed until 1975. Records show 118 Baptisms and 51 Marriages there! Our next stop was St. Helen in Howard Beach. Fr. Frank Colamaria, current pastor, gave us lunch and allowed us to check the Registers, which showed 45 Baptisms and 21 Marriages. More than I thought because I was only there for a year and a half (1981-1983). We then headed over to St. Pius V in South Jamaica – the shortest of all my tenures – where Veronica, the parish secretary, welcomed us. It was a pleasant surprise to see that in the short time there, I had celebrated 22 baptism and 6 marriages. We left St. Pius V and then headed over to Incarnation Church, Queens Village, where I was assigned from 1976 to 1981. Fr. Josephjude Gannon was there and allowed me to visit the church and view “the books.” Records indicate that in those five years, I was privileged to perform 114 Baptisms and witness 82 marriages. We concluded the journey with supper and then Eucharistic Adoration at St. Luke’s in Whitestone, where I am currently In Residence. What a joyful day!
Day 2 was Thursday August 14th – the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan Friar, priest, missionary, and martyr. We first went to St. Agatha Church in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where the pastor, Fr. Fulgencio Gutierrez, and his staff warmly welcomed us. Although I did not celebrate baptisms or weddings there, because I was only a resident (1995-1999), we really wanted to see the Church! With its stunning interior Romanesque Revival architectural style, I think it is one of the most beautiful churches in our diocese. Fr. Louis will certainly agree. From there, we went to Our Lady of Miracles in Canarsie, Brooklyn, where Fr. Lucon Rigaud greeted us. It was amazing to find out that in 12 years there (1983-1995), I celebrated the most sacraments of any of my assignments: 593 Baptisms and 213 Weddings. The church building was country-like and went through a really nice renovation when I was pastor there. It was a small parish with a big heart! From there, we hurried over to St. Kevin Church in Flushing, where the pastor, Fr. Marc Swartvagher was waiting for us with lunch. I had so many responsibilities as a Bishop during my tenure at St. Kevin (2012-2019) that my sacramental celebrations were limited to 42 Baptisms and 16 Weddings. The people were very patient with me and adjusted to my multiple roles in addition to being their pastor. The last stop was to Our Lady of the Snows Church in Floral Park, Queens! The current pastor, Fr. Fred Marano, was on hand to greet us. It was my longest Pastorate ever (1999-2012). The parish undertook the monumental task of building a brand new church dedicated in 2008. The people took ownership of the project. As their pastor, I was privileged to celebrate 283 Baptisms and 111 Marriages in those years. I would note I had several assistant priests and deacons at OLS who did their share of sacramental celebrations.
My last two assignments, Holy Family in Fresh Meadows, Queens, and St. Luke in Whitestone, Queens have been “In Residence.” I will say my sacramental celebrations have been limited in recent years in these two churches, but I have done quite a few in other churches.
If you are wondering about the totals, here they are:
Baptisms: 1217
Marriages: 500
Wow – God’s grace allowed me to do this work! May God’s grace sustain those whom I baptized and keep united the couples whose weddings I officiated.
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