2 Churches Handle Sunday Service Transitions

“Habemus Pastor.” That’s the Latin for “We have a pastor.” That’s the way priests at Rye’s greeted their new pastor, Msgr. Donald Dwyer, who took over July 1.

“Habemus Non Pastor.” Nearby congregation is working its way through not having a pastor at their Sunday services. That includes a homecoming of sorts for a visiting pastor who may or may not have been auditioning for the pastoral role.

Msgr. Donald Dwyer has been introducing himself to his parishioners througout the month at the end of the various Sunday services.

In his first Sunday sermon, Dwyer said he is a former Parkchester boy out of the Bronx who has been pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption parish in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx for the past 16 years. He replaced popular Resurrection priest Msgr. John Mescal, now retired in Riverdale.

Msgr. Dwyer became Assumption pastor in 1995 and was regional vicar for the East Bronx Vicariate since 2001. He was also parochial vicar at Our Lady Star of the Sea in Staten Island from 1889 to 1995 and at Christ the King in Yonkers from 1979-1889. He was ordained in 1979 and named a monsignor in 2006.

He was out walking around Pelham Bay in early June when Archbishop Dolan reached him on his cell phone and told him he had been named the new pastor at Resurrection, “one of the premier churches in the New York Catholic Archdiocese.”

He was “awed, honored, humbled and inspired,” Msgr. Dwyer said, to have been chosen to replace Rev. Msgr. Patrick J. Boyle who died of cancer Feb, 16, 2011.

Msgr. Dwyer said he was relieved that Msgr. Edward O’Donnell, a retired senior priest who had been Resurrection’s acting pastor/administrator ever since Msgr. Boyle’s death Feb.16, 2011, would be staying on to assist him.

“With 57 years as a priest, Msgr. O’Donnell is one of the most respected priests in the Catholic Archdiocese, and I am glad he will be on hand to help me hit the ground running,” Msgr. Dwyer said. He needed around a month to wind down his career at his old Assumption parish, including being there for the school's graduation.

“We have good reason to believe that the Bronx’s loss is our gain but we can only assume that after 16 years it was with some pain that Monsignor (Dwyer) left the family of faith at Our Lady of Assumption Parish,” said Msgr. O’Donnell in his “Habemus Pastor !” message to the Resurrection parishioners. “We are confident that the family of faith here at Resurrection Parish will receive him with a warm welcome and support.”

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Over at the nearby RPC, where former Pastor Ann De Vries retired June 30 and Associate Pastor Dan Love is away, various transitional moves are taking place.

During a recent Sunday service, for example, Rev. Katherine Stanford, delivered the sermon as guest preacher with a style, depth and flair that showed she was at home at RPC --and with good reason. Rev. Stanford began her call to ministry as a member of RPC, joining the congregation in 2000 and becoming a deacon and Stephen Ministry congregational outreach leader there, in effect, serving as the church’s “eyes and ears” for what is going on in the community.

While earning her Master of Divinity at Yale Divinity School, she served at several churches in the Hudson River Presbytery, including leading confirmation classes at Larchmont Ave. Church, serving as a Seminary Associate at the Bedford Presbyterian Church, and working as Director of Youth Ministries at the Presbyterian church of Mount Kisco.

She has also been serving the First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan as interim associate pastor since 2009, and guest preaching at the Yorktown Presbyterian Church while living with her family in White Plains.

While Rev. Love is away, pastoral care coverage is being handled by local Presbyterian colleagues and members of RPC’s Stephen Ministry team. Should the church office (967-0842) be closed, emergency contacts include Maida Robinson, RPC Chief Administrative Officer (629-2744; e-mail: mrobinson@ryepc.com).