Quartet notes golden jubilee

REV. WALTER CZECHOWICZ, a native of Schenectady, has been assistant pastor of Sacred Heart, Sidney; St. Patrick's, Troy; St. Patrick's, Catskill; St. Marie's, Cohoes; St. Mary's, Glens Falls; Sacred Heart, Lake George; St. Stanislaus, Amsterdam; St. Casimir's, Amsterdam; and St. Ambrose, Latham.

He has also served as chaplain at St. Vincent's Home for the Aged in Troy and at The College of Saint Rose in Albany. He taught at St. Patrick's Academy in Catskill and Catholic Central High in Troy, and was associate principal at St. Mary's Academy in Glens Falls.

For the past 22 years, Father Czechowicz has been pastor of St. Stanislaus in Amsterdam.

(Father Czechowicz will mark his anniversary with a Mass of Thanksgiving on June 3, 3 p.m., at St. Stanislaus. A dinner will follow.)

***

REV. PETER KRANCH, who was born in Lawrence, Mass., has been associate pastor at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Schenectady; St. John the Evangelist, Rensselaer; St. Michael's, S. Glens Falls; St. Francis de Sales, Herkimer; St. Patrick's, Troy; and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany.

After a brief stint as pastor of St. Ambrose in Unadilla, he served for nearly 30 years as pastor of Holy Cross Church, W. Taghkanic.

(Father Kranch will mark his jubilee privately.)

***

REV. THOMAS PHELAN, a native of Albany who served as a naval officer in the Pacific Theater during World War II, ministered at St. Paul's, Hancock, and St. Francis de Sales, Herkimer, before pursuing a doctoral degree at Oxford University in England.

Since 1959, he has been stationed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy as chaplain and pastor of Christ Sun of Justice parish. At RPI, he is also a professor of history. He was dean of its School of Humanities and Social Sciences from 1972-1995, and is currently Institute dean, Institute historian and senior advisor to the president.

He has also served the Diocese as chair of its Architecture and Building Commission for the past 30 years and chair of the diocesan Orthodox/Roman Catholic Dialogue for 30 years.

(Father Phelan will celebrate his anniversary with a Mass on June 5 at the RPI Chapel + Cultural Center; a reception follows.)

***

REV. THOMAS VAIL, a native of Little Falls, served at St. Mary's, Gloversville, before teaching at Mater Christi Seminary in Albany from 1954-69. He was then named secretary to Bishop Edwin B. Broderick and vice chancellor of the Albany Diocese.

From 1973-84, Father Vail was pastor of St. Gabriel's parish in Rotterdam. He then was named pastor of St. Peter's Church in Saratoga Springs, where he remained until his retirement in 1992.

(Father Vail will mark his jubilee privately.)

(05-03-01) [[In-content Ad]]