OLPH Church Gets New Pastor

Monsignor Joseph DeGrocco is set to take over as the new pastor of in Lindenhurst on Wednesday as Father Anthony Trapani - turned in his resignation at the beginning of this year - is set to leave.

Father Trapani wrote in his letter to the parish in last week’s bulletin, “Monsignor Joe is looking forward to his new assignment, and anxious to begin new ministry with his new team of priests who're being assigned to the parish.”

The new priests include:

• Father John Sureau: Newly ordained, as of December 3, 2011. He’s a full-time associate pastor and assigned for five years.
• Father Ignace Lolecke: A priest from the Diocese of Tsumbe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He’s a full-time associate pastor, and is assigned for one year.
• Father Michael Holzmann: To be a resident, helping with weekend Masses and occasionally weekday Masses. His full-time assignment is Chaplain at Saint John the Baptist Diocesan High School.

Father Trapani wrote in his final bulletin to the parish this week, “I go now in peace, in love and in forgiveness. Keep up the good work with your new team of priests: Monsignor DeGrocco, Father John, Father Ignace and Father Mike, Father Moise and Monsignor Hamilton.”

He continued, “As I leave you this Wednesday, I leave knowing God knows what’s best for me and for you. I leave knowing and believing my work for Christ and his Church here at OLPH is completed, and that it's time for ‘new beginnings.’”

To read Father Trapani’s full letter in this week’s bulletin, click here.

To read more about his resignation, click the links: