Malvernite celebrates 25 years of priesthood
The Rev. Michael J. Morrow, son of Audrey and the late Stewart Morrow, of Malverne, marked the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood with a Mass of Thanksgiving Sunday together with his seminary classmate and pastor, the Rev. Leonard F. Villa, at St. Eugene’s Church in Yonkers, where both priests are assigned.
Two weeks earlier Morrow celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Malverne, where he was baptized and confirmed, served as an altar boy and celebrated his first Mass 25 years ago. His close friend of 50 years, the Rev. Stephen Schenck, SDB, preached the homily, just as he had done at Morrow’s first Mass. The two priests grew up together, served Mass together and were grammar school, high school and college classmates.
Born and raised in Malverne, where his family has lived for 80 years, Morrow, 59, attended Our Lady of Lourdes School, where he was an honor student and played clarinet and saxophone in the school band. Upon graduation in 1966, he began his high school seminary studies at Salesian Junior Seminary in Goshen, and graduated from St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary in Uniondale in 1970. He began his philosophical studies at Don Bosco Seminary in Newton, N.J., the college seminary of the Salesians of St. John Bosco. He entered the Salesian Congregation at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Ipswich, Mass., in 1971, and professed first vows on Sept. 1, 1972, whereupon he returned to Newton to complete his undergraduate seminary studies. After graduating with a B.A. in philosophy in 1975, then-Brother Morrow was assigned to teach at Salesian High School in New Rochelle. He was transferred to Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, N.J., in 1977.
Upon leaving the Salesians in 1978 after six years in temporary vows, he returned to Malverne, where he served as a lector at Our Lady of Lourdes and immersed himself in the political, civic and cultural life of his hometown. He was a member of the Inter-Community Music Association, the Malverne Players and the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Malverne Public Library. He also served two terms as recording secretary of the Malverne Men’s Republican Club and wrote news and feature stories for The Malverne Times.
Morrow commenced his theological studies for the diocesan priesthood at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington in 1980, and transferred to St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers in 1983. During his years in the major seminary he completed a 13-week hospital ministry internship at Nassau County Medical Center in East Meadow and an eight-month pastoral internship at St. Mary’s Church in East Islip. Morrow served as a volunteer at Covenant House in New York City and did pastoral work with the cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point. As a chaplain candidate, second lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserve, he served tours of active duty at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and Loring AFB, Maine.
After serving a six-month deacon internship at Immaculate Conception Church in Stony Point, Morrow was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of New York on Nov. 15, 1986 by John Cardinal O’Connor. Morrow has served as parochial vicar at Holy Trinity Church in Poughkeepsie (1986-88), Assumption Church in Peekskill (1988-94), St. Brendan’s Church in the Bronx (1994-2003) and St. Eugene’s Church in Yonkers since 2003. During his years at Assumption he taught religion at Franciscan High School in Mohegan Lake, where he also served as school chaplain and chairman of the religion department. At St. Eugene’s, Morrow is moderator of the lectors, the Respect Life Society, the Parish Activities Committee and the Altar Guild, and he is in charge of training the altar boys, all of whom learn to serve Mass in both English and Latin. After the celebration of Mass and the administration of the sacraments, Morrow’s greatest concerns are for the Christian education of the young, the protection of human life and the defense of marriage and the family.
Morrow and his mother, Audrey, are members of the Goshen Unit of the Association of Salesian Cooperators, the “third order” of the Salesian Family founded by St. John Bosco, and Morrow serves as the unit’s local delegate. He is a life member of Malverne American Legion Post 44 and the post’s first third-generation member. He is also a member of Peekskill Council 462 of the Knights of Columbus, Bronx County Division 9 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and the Bedford Park Shamrock Club. He is also a past president of the Friends of the Malverne Public Library. Morrow and his mother are co-chairmen of the Books for Veterans program, which each year in conjunction with Malverne’s observance of Memorial Day raises money for the purchase of reading materials for patients at the Northport VA Hospital. Morrow also hosts a weekly half-hour radio program on Radio Maria New York and serves as chaplain of Westchester County Division 18 of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians.
