On LI, priests get ready for new assignments

The Rev. Christopher Nowak spent the past three years at St. Mary of the Isle in Long Beach, but when the pastor of St. John of God in Central Islip died in December, that parish was in need of a new leader. So Nowak stepped into the void.

On Monday, he finished packing his bags at St. Mary, drove down scenic Ocean Parkway and across the Great South Bay Bridge, and pulled up to the rectory in Central Islip.

It was a scene being played across the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Nowak is among 16 priests who gathered their belongings this week in what is commonly known as "moving day" in the diocese and were transferred to new assignments. They must all be at their new locations by noon Wednesday.

It is a process filled with both sadness and regret at leaving the old place, and excitement and joy at arriving at the new. "It is difficult. You build up connections with people," Nowak said. But "all ministry is a blessing when you go to a new place. You know there will be hardships and blessings."

Moving is a constant for Roman Catholic priests. Pastors are appointed for a six-year term, which can be renewed for another six years. But under recently enacted church rules, it is rare for a term to be renewed a third time.

The pastor Nowak replaced at St. Mary was there 27 years, but the diocese is moving away from having priests serve so long in one parish, said diocesan spokesman Sean Dolan.

Nowak, 45, said he wasn't fazed by moving after three years at St. Mary. "I'm a professional at moving," he said.

Nowak attended a religious novitiate in Wisconsin, did seminary studies in Washington, D.C., and served at parishes in the Bronx, Huntington Station, Peru and the Dominican Republic, where the diocese runs a mission near the Haitian border.

Monday happened to be his birthday, so his old parish staff held a combination birthday/goodbye barbecue for Nowak. The parish is a mix of Anglos, Latinos and Filipinos who will miss their Spanish-speaking priest.

"I'm kind of upset he is leaving," said Maryann Specht, the parish's director of religious education. "He had a joy and brought the parish together in a very unique way. He was able to cut away some of the jealousies. We had language barriers and cultural barriers. He broke down those barriers."

Nowak's replacement at St. Mary will be Msgr. Robert Brennan, the vicar general of the diocese who is in charge of running the diocese's day-to-day operations.

Brennan will commute from St. Mary to diocesan headquarters in Rockville Centre to do both jobs.

Nowak succeeds Msgr. James Kissane, the popular pastor at St. John who died after a one-month bout with cancer at age 44. After Kissane's death, Nowak wrote to Bishop William Murphy offering to take his place if needed. Nowak had served at St. John from 2001 to 2003.

One Saturday morning in May, Murphy called him and said, "Chris, I need you to go to St. John's."

When he arrived at St. John on Monday afternoon, associate pastor the Rev. Humberto Contreras greeted him with a lighthearted ribbing. "The people of Long Beach are so sad the sea level rose from their tears," he said in Spanish.

No, Nowak, joked back in Spanish, "they're dancing for joy."