2015 Jubilees

Nine Priests Observe Their Golden Jubilees

Eight of the nine men who are celebrating their 50th year as priests in the diocese were ordained May 25, 1965, by Bishop Bryan McEntegart at St. James Pro-Cathedral, Downtown Brooklyn. Thirty-three priests were ordained that day to serve in Brooklyn and Queens.

Father Louis Aufiero
Father Aufiero

Father Louis Aufiero, who lives at Queen of Peace Residence, Queens Village, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving in the residence’s chapel on Saturday, July 18, at 10:45 a.m., followed by a luncheon for family and friends.

Born in Williamsburg, he attended St. Nicholas School, Most Holy Trinity H.S., Cathedral College, all Brooklyn, and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington.

He served as an assistant at St. Rita’s, East New York, 1965-66; St. Francis Xavier, Park Slope, 1966-67; St. Malachy, East New York, 1969; Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Ridgewood, 1969-70; and St. Anselm, Bay Ridge, 1970-76.

He served as chaplain at the Abbey of Regina Laudis Monastery, Bethlehem, Conn., and at the Benedictine House of Our Lady of the Rock in the state of Washington.

He was an assistant at St. Ephrem, Dyker Heights, 1992-95, and chaplain at Mary Immaculate Hospital, Jamaica, while residing at Holy Family, Flushing, 2007-14. He retired last year.

Father Italo Barozzi
Father Barozzi

Father Italo Barozzi, a senior priest who resides at St. Mel’s rectory, Flushing, is a native of Roverto, Trent, Italy. He attended the seminaries in Milan and Turin as well as Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, and Colombia University, Manhattan.

He was ordained Dec. 18, 1965 in Turin for the Consolata Society for Foreign Missions. Following ordination, he studied theology at the Urbaniana University, Rome.

In the Diocese of Brooklyn, he has served as an assistant at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Williamsburg, 1972-73; St. Brigid, Bushwick, 1979-80; St. Joseph, Astoria, 1980-86; St. Aloysius, Ridgewood, 1987-89; St. Dominic, Bensonhurst; Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Ridgewood; and St. Mel, Flushing, 2007-14.

From 1976 to 1979, he served in the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. He became a citizen of the U.S. in 1987 and was incardinated as a priest of the Brooklyn Diocese in 1989.

Father George Cowan
Father Cowan

Father George Cowan, who lives at Bishop Mugavero Residence, Douglaston, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston, on Saturday, May 30, at 4 p.m.

Born in Flatbush, he attended St. Vincent Ferrer School; St. Augustine D.H.S., Park Slope; St. John’s University; and St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Pa.

After ordination, he studied Spanish in Puerto Rico and served as an assistant at SS. Peter and Paul, Williamsburg, 1965-68; and St. Joan of Arc, Jackson Heights, 1968-71. He was chaplain at St. Brendan H.S., Midwood, 1971-77; and Nazareth H.S., Flatbush, 1977-83.

He was assigned as part of a team ministry at Our Lady of Miracles, Canarsie, in 1983 and served there until 1989.

He was pastor at St. Rose of Lima, Parkville, 1989-95; St. Mel, Flushing, 1995-2000; and then was a parochial vicar at St. Vincent Ferrer, 2000-07.

Father Cowan also did post-graduate studies at St. John’s University, Postgraduate Center for Mental Health and the New York Theological Seminary.

He also served as a part-time chaplain at St. Agnes H.S., College Point, 2005-07 and as a member of the board at Nazareth H.S., 1985-87.

Father Cowan continues to do weekend ministry at St. Francis Xavier parish, Park Slope, and at St. Agnes H.S., College Point.

Father James Fraser
Father Fraser

Father James Fraser, a retired priest of the diocese, lives at Bishop Mugavero Residence, Douglaston.

Born in Brooklyn and baptized at Holy Name Church, Park Slope, he attended Cathedral College and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington.

He served as an assistant at 14 Holy Martyrs, Bushwick, 1965; Our Lady of Victory, Bedford-Stuyvesant, 1966; Holy Family, Flushing, 1966-80; St. Columba, Marine Park, 1980-85; and Holy Trinity, Whitestone, 1985-2010.

In 2010, he became a senior priest and lived at Holy Family, Flushing, until 2012 when he moved to Douglaston.

He was one of the founding members of the Bishop’s Committee on Alcoholism, and served on the panel from 1972 to 1980.

Msgr. Vincent Fullam
Msgr. Fullam

Msgr. Vincent Fullam, former pastor of Resurrection-Ascension, Rego Park, will celebrate his anniversary later this year.

Born in Queens, he was baptized in St. Teresa’s Church, Woodside, and attended St. Sebastian’s School; Bishop Loughlin M.H.S., Fort Greene; Cathedral College, Brooklyn; and The Catholic University, Washington, D.C.

Following ordination, he attended John Jay College; Catholic University, Ponce, Puerto Rico; Brooklyn Law School; Fordham Graduate School of Theology. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1984.

He served as an assistant at St. Margaret Mary, Astoria, 1965-69; and was chaplain at the Brooklyn House of Detention, 1969-71. He directed the diocesan Prison Ministries for Catholic Charities from 1971 to 1977.

From 1977 to 1980, he was the coordinator of ministerial services for the State Correctional Department in Albany.

He was associate of the Division of Direct Legal Services and Counseling for Catholic Charities, 1980-82, and then served as Episcopal Vicar for Brooklyn West, 1982-88.

He was named pastor of St. Joan of Arc, Jackson Heights, in 1988 and served there until 1995, when he was assigned as rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington. He served there until 2002 when he became pastor of Resurrection-Ascension.

He retired from active ministry in 2011 and lives in residence at Immaculate Conception, Astoria.

He also has served as diocesan moderator of the Legion of Mary, 1975-88; moderator of the Kings County Catholic Lawyers Guild, 1980-94, and a member of the St. Christopher Ottilie Services for Children, the Nursing Sisters Home Visiting Services, the Diocesan Building Commission, and the Bishop’s Ethics Committee.

He was named a monsignor in 1984.

Father Thaddeus A. Grzelak
Father Grzelak

Father Thaddeus A. Grzelak is a senior priest who lives in retirement in Florida.

Born in Coaldale, Pa., he attended St. Michael’s H.S., Sunset Park; St. John’s University, Bedford-Stuyvesant; Queen of Angels Seminary, Dedham, Mass.; and SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, Mich.

He served as an assistant at St. Joseph, Astoria, 1965; Holy Cross, Maspeth, 1965-66; St. Stanislaus, Ozone Park, 1966-70; Holy Innocents, Flatbush, 1970-76; St. Kevin, Flushing, 1976-81; Our Lady of the Cenacle, Richmond Hill, 1981-83; Holy Family, Park Slope, 1983-85; St. Nicholas, Williamsburg, 1985-88; Our Lady Help of Christians, Midwood, 1988-96; St. Charles Borromeo, Brooklyn Heights, 1996-2007; and Our Lady of Hope, Middle Village, 2007-08. In 2008, he retired with senior priest status.

Msgr. Peter Kain
Msgr. Kain

Msgr. Peter Kain, pastor of St. Ephrem’s, Dyker Heights, was born in Flushing. He attended St. Andrew Avellino School; Power Memorial; Cathedral College, Brooklyn; and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington.

After serving as summer camp chaplain at the St. Vincent de Paul Camp, Commack, L.I., in 1965, he was an assistant at St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Albans, 1965-69.

He then was assigned to the Office of Catholic Education, serving as chaplain at Kingsborough Community College, Manhattan Beach, and Queensborough Community College, until 1985.

He was assigned as pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes, Queens Village, in 1985, and served there until 1997 when he went St. Ephrem’s.

Msgr. Kain also served as a member of the Priests’ Senate and was the executive secretary of the Presbyteral Council, 2003-12. He has served on the board of directors of Fontbonne Hall Academy and Xaverian H.S., both Bay Ridge.

He was named a monsignor in 1989. Since 2009, he has served on the Diocesan Board of Consultors.

Father Edward Smith
Father Smith

Father Edward Smith, a senior priest since 2010, is a native of Astoria, who attended Graymoor Minor Seminary, Montour Falls, N.Y.; Cathedral College, Brooklyn; and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington.

He served as an assistant at Our Lady of Lourdes, Bushwick, 1965-74. He was named administrator there in 1974 and pastor in 1980.

He became pastor of St. Matthew’s, Crown Heights, in 1984, and was administrator at Our Lady of Charity, Brownsville, 1996.

Father Charles H. White, a senior priest who resides at St. Mary Star of the Sea-St. Gertrude, Far Rockaway, since 2003, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at St. Mary Star of the Sea on Sunday, June 7, at 1:15 p.m. Born in Queens, Father White attended St. Francis de Sales School, Belle Harbor; Brooklyn Prep; Cathedral College, Brooklyn; and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington.

Father Charles H. White
Father White

He served as an assistant at St. Sebastian, Woodside, 1965-68; Holy Child Jesus, Richmond Hill, 1968-76; American Martyrs, Bayside, 1976-82; and St. Helen, Howard Beach, 1982-94, serving as administrator there from 1986 to 1988.

He was appointed pastor of St. Virgilius, Broad Channel, in 1994 and served in that capacity until 2003.

He also has served as a member of the New York City Race Relations Advisory Board.

2 thoughts on “Nine Priests Observe Their Golden Jubilees

  1. Fr Cowan was at Nazareth when I was a student an at Our Lady or Miracles when I went to get my paperwork to get married. He is a great priest and wonderful Human being. Congratulations and God bless you on this wonderful occasion.

  2. Belated best wishes to father George Cowan, I also grew up in st. Vincent’s’ ; east 37th and farragut road. I am thinking that you were opposite the mcNulty and Murphy families. Dick Murphy was my brother’s best man. Again beat wishes and good health. Betty mulcahy griffin