Catholics bid farewell to Augustinians

They may be gone, but their gentle, Christ-like ways will never be forgotten.

Catholics say that is the legacy of the Augustinian priests who recently departed Washington County parishes where representatives of their order had served for more than a century.

The Augustinian order withdrew from several parishes in the Albany Diocese recently due to dwindling vocations and increasing needs in other apostolates.

Tributes

Parishioners of St. Joseph's Church in Greenwich and St. Patrick's parish in Cambridge reflected upon the qualities that so endeared Revs. David Kelley, Joseph Getz and Roger Hanouille to their hearts.

Father Kelley received accolades for his quiet contributions as pastor of St. Joseph's while Father Getz was showered with praise for his service as pastor of St. Patrick's. Father Hanouille, meanwhile, earned respect as the Cambridge church's associate pastor. All three Augustinians were reassigned to other duties by their superiors earlier this month.

Also paying tribute to the Augustinian clerics were members of Holy Cross Church in nearby Salem, which has close ties with St. Joseph's and St. Patrick's. The three rural parishes comprise the Washington County Deanery. (Rev. Liam Condon continues to serve as Holy Cross pastor. A second diocesan priest, Rev. Thomas Konopka, has assumed pastoral duties at St. Joseph's and St. Patrick's.)

Historical connection

"As far as we know, St. Joseph's is the only parish in the Diocese that has been totally Augustinian since its inception in the mid-1800s," noted parishioner Mary Anne Brown. "Our first resident pastor, Father Thomas Field, OSA, was appointed in August 1879, and we have been exclusively Augustinian ever since."

The first record of Augustinians ministering in Washington County dates back to 1861-1869, when the priests celebrated Masses and otherwise served the congregation of Holy Cross in Salem. St. Patrick's, founded in 1856, also enjoyed the influence of Augustinians at various times in its lengthy history.

Ms. Brown noted that Father Kelley, the most recent Augustinian pastor at St. Joseph's, had impressed her as being "very Christ-like in his homilies and in the way he celebrated the liturgy."

Describing Father Kelley as having "an endearing nature," Ms. Brown said he "did a lot of quiet, behind-the-scenes things" that resulted in the maintenance of "a real spiritual presence in the parish."

Farewell

Parishioners turned out en masse recently to bid farewell to Father Kelley, and the original pump organ that had been used when St. Joseph's first opened was polished and primed so it could be used to play the closing hymn at a special ceremony honoring "the strong heritage of the Augustinians" in the area.

Alice Gaul, wife of St. Joseph deacon, William Gaul, described Father Kelley as "a dream, just the nicest, most loving, most compassionate human being you could ever hope to meet."

Mrs. Gaul, who is studying to become a lay member of the Dominican Third Order, said she has long been impressed by the "great loyalty Father Kelley and other Augustinians have to each other" as well as their "deep and awesome devotion to Our Lady and to the Eucharist."

Reverence

Prior to joining St. Joseph's in Greenwich, Mrs. Gaul and her husband attended services at St. Mary's in Waterford, where Rev. John Byrnes and Rev. Joseph Keffer were a constant presence. Those two Augustinian priests have also relocated.

"Everything I've said about Father Kelley was also true of the other Augustinians I've met," said Mrs. Gaul. "Their love of the Lord is so evident. It makes for a very reverent Mass."

Deacon Gaul agreed that the family's experiences at the Waterford and Greenwich parishes have reinforced their view of the Augustinians as priests who have "a great love of and devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Blessed Sacrament.

"And it's not just these two parishes," stressed the deacon. "Over the years, I have noticed that in other Augustinian parishes as well there is a great respect by the congregation for the Blessed Sacrament. They are aware of the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and are quiet in prayer. I've also been incredibly impressed by the respect they have for one another."

Of Father Kelley, now staying at Assumption/St. Paul in Mechanicville, the deacon noted that "besides being a holy man and a compassionate man, he is really solid in his understanding and interpretation of Vatican II."

'Priestly'

Father Getz, now the senior priest in residence at Assumption/St. Paul, is fondly remembered by St. Patrick's trustee George Swoboda as "an extremely decent and humble man who truly believed in his vows of humility and poverty."

Mary Swoboda, secretary at the Cambridge parish, described Father Getz as "a priestly priest very devoted to the Church and the parishioners." Mrs. Swoboda added that Father Getz had "a special way with the children" with whom he interacted and that he "was liked by everyone in town -- regardless of their religion."

She noted that Father Getz will also long be remembered for his warm sense of humor and for the pride he took in the parish grounds and the upkeep of the cemetery.

Scholar

Both Mr. and Mrs. Swoboda described Father Hanouille, who has gone to Lawrence, Massachusetts, as "a scholarly priest" who was a prolific reader and had an impressive vocabulary.

"He is a genius in theology. In fact, he's writing a book," noted Mrs. Swoboda. His other contributions to the parish included visiting those to confined to hospitals and nursing homes.

Rosemary Boyd of Holy Cross in Salem said she gained respect for the Augustinian fathers in her area while working with them recently in her capacity as cluster leader of the Washington County Deanery.

"I got to know Father Getz the best and found him to be just extraordinary. I am very appreciative of the rapport we developed, and I will miss him tremendously," said Mrs. Boyd, adding that Father Getz was "wonderfully hospitable" and demonstrated a "genuine love of youth."

(Other Augustinian priests affected by recent transfers include Rev. John Sheridan and Rev. Daniel Menihan, both of whom had been serving at Immaculate Conception Church in Hoosick Falls. Father Sheridan has gone to Florida while Father Menihan has replaced Father Byrnes at St. Mary's in Waterford. Father Byrnes has also relocated to Florida.)

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