Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory celebrated a Mass on May 17 at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine to honor 15 priests of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington who are marking milestone anniversaries in 2022.
Archdiocesan priests marking their 60th anniversaries include Msgr. Joaquin Bazan (a retired parish priest), Msgr. Oliver McGready (retired and serving at St. Peter Parish in Waldorf), and Father Henry Slevin (a retired missionary priest). Also recognized were two priests of the archdiocese who died within the past year who would have marked their 60th anniversaries, Msgr. Henry Otero and Father John Wintermyer.
Marking their 50th anniversaries as priests of the archdiocese are Father Raymond Fecteau (a retired parish priest who continues to serve as the chaplain to the Montgomery County and Maryland State Police and to the United States Secret Service), Father Milton Jordan (a retired parish priest) and Father Raymond Wadas (a retired parish priest serving at Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Hyattsville).
Celebrating their 40th anniversaries are archdiocesan priests Father Stephen Carter, the pastor of Christ the King Parish in Silver Spring; Father Mark Hughes, the pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in Kensington; Father John Hurley, a retired priest serving at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington; Father Thomas Morrow, a retired priest serving at St. Raphael Parish in Rockville; and Father J. Michael Quill, a retired parish priest.
Archdiocesan priests celebrating their 25th anniversaries are retired priests Msgr. Patrick Dempsey and Father Michael Dolan; Father Daniel Leary, who is serving as a missionary priest and chaplain with the Sisters of Mary for the World Villages for Children outreach in Mexico; and Father John Ming Ruan, the administrator for the Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission in Rockville.
In his homily at the Mass for the jubilee priests, Father Hughes who is marking his 40th anniversary said, “We do God’s work.” Noting how priests devote their lives to proclaiming the Gospel, he said, “That’s who we are, that’s what we’re about. It’s the greatest work in the world.”
This summer, the Catholic Standard newspaper and website will provide roundup coverage of those archdiocesan priests who in 2022 are marking milestone anniversaries of their ordinations to the priesthood.
