Rev.
Walter J. Paulits, Ph.D.
Founding Pastor |
Father
Walter became our devoted Pastor in 1978, when he came here to begin
the Mission of the Catholic Community of Lake Shore. Father Walter
was born April 24, 1923 in Westmont, New Jersey, and attended
Catholic grammar and high schools in nearby Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. He entered the Christian Brothers in 1942 and took his
final vows in 1948. Father Walter earned a Bachelor's Degree in
English Literature in 1947 from Catholic University of American in
Washington, D. C., and went on to complete a Master’s Degree in
English and American Literature at the University of Pittsburgh. He
completed his doctoral studies in 1955 while teaching high school
literature. He later taught at La Salle College, and in 1969 was
named Dean of the Evening Division there.
On February
12, 1972, after attending Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary, Father Walter
was ordained a priest by the late Cardinal Lawrence J. Shehan of
Baltimore. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Francis of Assisi in
Baltimore from 1972 to 1973 and at St. John’s in Westminster from
1973 to 1978. He left St. John’s to take on the challenge of
bringing a Mission to the Catholic Community of Lake Shore. Soon
after arriving in Lake Shore, Father Walter became a published
author with his book, Listen Lord.
In 1980,
the Mission became the Parish of Our Lady of the Chesapeake. Much
more work was ahead, but on March 16, 1986 our new home on Ventnor
Road, the Church of Our Lady of the Chesapeake, was opened to the
joy of us all through the dedicated efforts of the parishioners and
the leadership of Father Walter.
Although he
formally retired from active ministry in 1991, Father Walter
continues to serve our Catholic Community by celebrating weekend
Masses at Our Lady of the Chesapeake and presenting his famous
"Bible Study" classes.
Rev. John E. McMurry, S.S., S.T.L., Ph.D.
Currently serving as the Director of St. Mary's Spiritual
Center in Baltimore, Fr. McMurry was a parish priest for 12 years in
the Diocese of Nashville
before affiliating with the Society of St. Sulpice in 1969. He has
completed graduate studies in theology at the Gregorian University
and the Graduate Theological Union, as well as certificate programs
for spiritual directors at Shalem Institute and the Center for
Religious Development. He has conducted Intensive Journal
workshops throughout the U.S. since 1978 and has taken part in 30
workshops led by Dr. Ira Progoff, creator of the Intensive
Journal program.
| Rev. Anthony J. Pogorelc, Ph.D.
|
Father Pogorelc is a new member of
the faculty of the Theological College of the Catholic University
of America.
Ordained in 1988, he is a Sulpician Candidate
and a priest of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Father Tony has
served in parish ministry there, and in the diocese of
Lafayette-in-Indiana while he was working on his doctorate in
sociology at Purdue University. He also holds a Master of
Divinity degree from the Toronto School of Theology.
Before
seminary studies, he taught in Catholic high schools served by the
Marianists in St. Louis and East St. Louis, Illinois.
Father
Tony enjoys travel (in the spring of 2002, he visited China) and
sampling various ethnic foods.
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