Ten times 50 equals 500 years of ministry

"I love serving God's people as a priest," Rev. Bernard Ahern told The Evangelist. "I thank Jesus and His Blessed mother Mary for the great gifts I have received."

He is one of the priests of the Albany Diocese who are marking their golden jubilees of ordination this year.

A native of East Durham, Father Ahern was assistant pastor at Sacred Heart, Troy, before entering the U.S. Navy as a chaplain in 1960 and serving for 25 years. He spent time in Vietnam and retired as a captain.

Upon his return to the Diocese, Father Ahern was named pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Fort Edward. He retired in 1991.

Father Ahern will mark his jubilee with a Mass of Thanksgiving on June 12 with family and friends in Florida, where he now lives.

* Rev. Paul Antos, a native of Schenectady, served at Blessed Sacrament, Hague; St. Joseph's, Green Island; and St. Francis, Herkimer. Like Father Ahern, he then entered the Navy as a chaplain. In his 20 years in the military, Father Antos was stationed in Antarctica, Okinawa and Vietnam.

After his retirement from the Navy, he was named assistant pastor of Sacred Heart, Lake George, and then pastor of Immaculate Conception, Watervliet.

Through his 50 years of priesthood, Father Antos said that "my most memorable moments were administering the sacraments to the sick and wounded, and assisting the families of casualties. I highly recommend the priesthood to other men so that they may come to know and by excited about the faith of others."

He will celebrate his anniversary Mass at St. Mary's Church, Schenectady, on June 5 at 2 p.m. A reception will follow. He will then offer a Mass at Immaculate Conception, Watervliet, on June 13 at 2 p.m., followed by another reception.

* Rev. Edward Cantwell, who was born in Troy, served at St. Francis, Gloversville; St. John the Evangelist, Schenectady; St. Mary's, Ballston Spa; and St. Mary's, Hudson.

From 1966 to '99, he was a chaplain at the New York State Training School, Hudson Correctional Facility and Brookwood Center State School.

Father Cantwell has no public plans for noting his jubilee.

* "I am very happy and grateful to God for these many years as a priest," said Rev. Paul Cox, a native of Troy. "I pray for good health to be able to continue doing the work I was called to do."

He carried out that work at St. Vincent de Paul, Albany; St. John the Baptist, Walton; Holy Spirit, East Greenbush; St. Mary's, Glens Falls; and Sacred Heart, Lake George. He retired in 1998 but is still a sacramental minister at St. Cecilia's, Warrensburg.

Father Cox will mark his anniversary along with another golden jubilarian, Rev. Nellis Tremblay, at a Mass on June 13, 2 p.m., at St. Mary's Church in Glens Falls. A picnic will follow at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Queensbury.

* To Rev. James Daley, "my greatest joys in priesthood were teaching future priests and pastoring the parish family in Delmar. The truth is that both were easy. God has been very good to me. I've always been content and happy. I never wanted to be anything else."

A native of Albany, Father Daley ministered at St. Patrick's, Troy; taught at Mater Christi Seminary, Albany; and was diocesan vocations director before becoming pastor of St. Thomas parish in Delmar, where he served for more than 30 years. He retired in 2002.

Father Daley will offer a Mass at St. Thomas, Delmar, on June 12, 5 p.m. A reception will follow.

* Rev. John French, a native of Albany, told The Evangelist, "I thank God for the gift of my vocation to the priesthood and would be happy to do it all over again."

He served at Blessed Sacrament, Albany; St. Teresa of Avila, Albany (where he opened the new junior high); and St. Mary's, Glens Falls (where he was principal of St. Mary's Academy). In 1970, he was named the first pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Queensbury. After serving there for 24 years, he was appointed pastor of St. Mary's, Ballston Spa. He retired in 2003.

Father French, who now lives in Williamsburg, Va., plans to mark his jubilee with a Mass at St. Mary's, Ballston Spa, on June 12 at 4 p.m.

* Rev. Peter Nabozny, a native of Hudson, considers himself "fortunate to have worked with young people in Catholic schools for 45 years."

After serving at Immaculate Conception, Corinth, and St. Joseph's, Schenectady, he became a teacher and guidance counselor at Catholic Central High School in Troy and Notre Dame High School in Schenectady. For more than 30 years, he was also pastor of St. Francis de Sales parish in Herkimer.

He will celebrate his anniversary on June 13 with a 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Francis, Herkimer.

* Rev. Cyril F. Pereira, a native of Bombay, India, was ordained as a Redemptorist father and came to the Albany Diocese in 1971.

He has served as an associate at St. Mary's Church, Troy; St. Patrick's, Watervliet; St. Brigid's, Watervliet; St. Cecilia's, Warrensburg; and St. Patrick's, Troy.

Father Pereira, who retired in 2000, will celebrate his anniversary privately.

* Rev. Paul Redmond, a native of Albany, briefly served in the Albany Diocese at St. John the Evangelist parish in Rensselaer before going to Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Md., where he has been since 1955.

"In a half-century of priestly service," he said, "my greatest joy has been two-fold: preaching the Word of the Lord and helping others respond to the graced awareness that they are deeply loved by the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit. With a heart grateful to the Lord, I'd say 'yes' all over again."

Father Redmond will mark his anniversary at Mt. St. Mary's College on June 12.

* Rev. Nellis Tremblay, who was born in Glens Falls, has ministered as an assistant at St. John the Baptist, Schenectady; St. Patrick's, Albany; Our Lady of Mercy, Colonie; and Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Albany.

He was named pastor of Sacred Heart, Cohoes; St. Patrick's, Albany; St. Joseph's, Albany; and St. Cecilia's, Warrensburg.

"As a teacher, guidance counselor and street priest," Father Tremblay said, "my service to the people of God was different. I became concerned about the necessities of life for the poor: clothing, shelter, subsistence living."

He will celebrate his jubilee with another anniversarian, Rev. Paul Cox, with a Mass at St. Mary's, Glens Falls on June 13, 2 p.m. A picnic will follow at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Queensbury.

(5/13/04) [[In-content Ad]]