Pastoral Assignments for 2015-2016: Round 1

Pastoral Assignments for 2015-2016: Round 1

The new assignments for 2015-2016 are coming out much later than usual. This may be due in part to the transition from one provincial to another with some consequent shaking-up in the wider field of province leadership. In some cases, bishops also have to be consulted, and at least in the case of Port Chester, N.Y., the archdiocese is still evaluating the SDB proposal for serving the Catholics of that village, where the present 4 parishes are to be consolidated into 1 under SDB leadership.

Fr. Mike Conway

The 1st new pastoral assignment was announced by Fr. Tom Dunne, provincial, on May 5. Fr. Michael Conway will succeed Fr. Steve Shafran as president of Don Bosco Cristo Rey HS and Corporate Work Study Program in Takoma Park, Md. Fr. Steve will become provincial on July 1. The selection of Fr. Mike was made by the SDBs and the archdiocese of Washington, which share responsibility for DBCR.

Fr. Mike, from Winthrop, Mass., has been president of St. Petersburg Catholic HS and director of the SDB community there since 2008. He has previously been principal at Abp. Shaw HS in Marrero, La., and Don Bosco Tech in Paterson, N.J., and CYM at Salesian HS in New Rochelle, St. Pete Catholic, and Abp. Shaw and been executive director of the Salesian Boys & Girls Club of East Boston. He was ordained in 1992 by then-Bishop Oscar Rodriguez.

Fr. Tom's announcement noted Fr. Mike's "cheerful and encouraging presence in every phase of school life" at St. Pete Catholic and his diligent work "to animate the Salesian charism and infuse Don Bosco's educational system throughout the entire school environment."

Today the St. Petersburg Diocese announced Fr. Mike's replacement as president of St. Peter Catholic: Fr. Richard Rosin, who has been director of guidance there for the last 5 years. That appointment, of course, was made jointly with the SDBs.


Fr. Rich Rosin

Fr. Rich is a native of Queens, N.Y., and was ordained in 1995. He earned an M.S. in psychology from the College of New Rochelle in 2008. He has taught at Salesian HS in New Rochelle and Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., been principal of Abp. Shaw HS, and assistant pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Etobicoke, Ont.

In a statement for St. Petersburg Catholic, Fr. Tom described Fr. Rich as "a Salesian priest who lives the charism of Don Bosco and can foster that charism among the educational community." He added that Fr. Rich "is well equipped to continue the implementation of a strategic planning process that has already been formulated by Fr. Michael Conway and members of the St. Petersburg Catholic High School administration."

At this time no SDB director (local superior) has been named for either the Takoma Park/Silver Spring community or the St. Petersburg one.