Parishioners of St. Dominic Church said farewell to a well-loved priest, Father Gerry Gordon, at a reception in the Social Room, after he performed his last Mass on June 22. Father Gordon is bringing his skillset to a new parish, part of his life journey as a priest. While the loss of a cherished priest is the cost to St. Dominic’s, his new parish, St. Martin of Tours, benefits.
Beverly Zembko, an active member of the St. Dominic Parish explained that, “As Catholics, the parishioners of the Church of St. Dominic are aware of the great need for pastors and priests in our diocese. Bishop Murphy has determined that Father Gerry is needed at St. Martin of Tours in Amityville.
“I am happy for Father Gerry that he is going to be the pastor there. He is very deserving! The parishioners of St. Martin of Tours Church can look forward to Father Gerry’s many gifts—his kindness and humility, his willingness to help others because he cares, his homilies along with his storytelling, and his sense of humor.
“From his first day with us five years ago, he made it his mission to get to know us by name, which is something we appreciated. He is a people person who seemed to genuinely delight in seeing all of us.”
Zembko added, “We attended his reception to thank him and to wish him well in his new assignment. The line to do that was very long. On Sunday, June 29, we met our new priest, Father Scott Daniels, and welcomed him to St. Dominic. Now, after serving in several different locations, he brings his gifts to our parish.
“I already like his clear speaking voice and his addressing us as ‘beloved.’
“I know that it cannot be easy starting over in a different church, leaving what is known and venturing into the unknown, but this is what priests do. These transitions are a large part of their vocation, and we should all be very appreciative of their efforts on our behalf,” she said.
Attending the reception were people with many ties to Father Gordon’s ministry at St. Dominic. Members of the Feret family attended the reception. The father, Lee Feret, worked in maintenance at St. Dominic for many years. Father Gerry married Lee and Celeste’s daughter, Laura, to her husband, John, three years ago and a grandchild is on the way.
Barbara and Stephen Green and their children were among the many guests. The Greens taught CCD and are active in the Family Mass at St. Dominic’s. Zembko was one of a group of parishioners who helped start the Family Mass at St. Dominic’s in 1992 as part of a concept expressed in 1991 to determine the future direction of St. Dominic’s for the next five years. In 2006, she worked with Msgr. Allesandro to begin the Youth Mass for teens on Sundays at 5 p.m. That Mass was the natural outgrowth of the Family Mass as the children aged out of that Mass and wanted their own identity.
She said, “Marie Garcia and Jen Troge were instrumental in helping to develop the Youth Mass into the vibrant and popular Mass it is today.
“Now I am working with Rev. Jeff Prey, Cathy O’Neil, and Dr. Kevin McBride to bring the Vacation Bible School to St. Dominic’s. For the last two summers, we piloted a three-day VBS at St. Dominic’s, which was connected to the very successful VBS week at the First Presbyterian Church. I had been involved with running the VBS programs at the First Presbyterian Church for over 25 years, first with Rev. Reifsnyder and his wife, Lynn and most recently with Rev. Prey and Isa Gutierrez.”
Zembko is the longtime director of the Oyster Bay Cooperative Preschool held at the First Presbyterian Church.
She added that this summer, thanks to the support of Father Kevin Smith, St. Dominic’s will be hosting a weeklong VBS program from July 21 to July 25, also connected to the First Presbyterian Church’s VBS week on July 14 to July 18.
Zembko said, “It has been a great partnership. Our goal is simply to bring children and teens to God in a fun and exciting way.”
