North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O’Grady presents a proclamation honoring the Rev. Cornelius Murray for his three decades of service at St. Brendan Parish at a reception Dec. 2. (West Life photo by Kevin Kelley)

Pastor retiring after 34 years at parish
By Kevin Kelley
North Olmsted
Published Dec. 19, 2007

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When the Rev. Cornelius J. Murray arrived at St. Brendan Catholic Church in 1973 to serve as associate pastor, few parishioners could have realized the impact he would have on their parish.

In what turned out to be an unusual career track for a Catholic priest, Murray has spent more than three-quarters of his years as a priest at St. Brendan.

Murray, who turned 70 earlier this month, will retire as pastor of St. Brendan Church on Jan. 2.

“He is going to be sorely missed,” said Christi Kort, who, like her son, graduated from St. Brendan School. “So many people in the parish grew up with Father Murray as their pastor.”

Murray’s tenure as pastor will be remembered in part for his strong support for the various organizations at the parish, said Kort, who is assistant scoutmaster for the parish’s scouting troop even though her son is now grown.

“He’s just loved by everybody in the parish,” Kort told West Life.

A native of Lorain, “Connie” Murray attended St. Mary Grade School and High School before going to Borromeo Seminary. He attended college at St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati and studied theology at St. Mary Seminary.

Ordained in 1963, Murray was assigned to St. Philomena Church in East Cleveland and then St. Dominic Church in Shaker Heights.

According to the practice of the diocese, associate pastors generally receive new parish assignments every five years, and in 1973 Murray came to St. Brendan.

But instead of being rotated to another parish assignment a few years later, Bishop James Hickey placed Murray in charge of the Diocese of Cleveland’s ministry for divorced and separated Catholics, during which time he remained at St. Brendan.

As part of his ministry to divorced and separated persons, Murray began a retreat program called ”The Beginning Experience,” which he said helped people close the door on a past relationship and see a new opening on life.

When the Rev. John R. Kenny, St. Brendan’s founding pastor, fell ill in the early 1980s, Murray was named parish administrator. In December 1983, over 10 years after his arrival at the parish, Murray was named pastor by Bishop Anthony Pilla.

Under Murray’s leadership, parishioners began worshiping in a new church building in June of 1987 after four years of planning.

But Murray, known for his sense of humor and smile, doesn’t see the new building as his main accomplishment at St. Brendan.

“I hope the biggest accomplishments would be spiritual,” Murray said. “After all, that’s what we’re here for.”

He credits his parishioners with their generosity over the years, noting they have adopted immigrant families from Vietnam and Bosnia. In 1996, the parish, in partnership with North Olmsted’s two other Catholic churches — St. Richard and St. Clarence — constructed a Habitat For Humanity house in Cleveland for a single mother.

Such deeds are evidence of spiritual health, he said.

“You’d suggest something like that, then people, whatever you want, they’d give,” he said.

Over his four decades as a priest, Murray said he has noticed society becoming more secular and that God has become less central in people’s lives, he said.

But religious retreats such as those offered at St. Brendan and other churches have been successful in bucking that trend, he said.

“I think (the church wants) to get people to have a deeper realization, a personal relationship with God rather than a ritual relationship or a dogmatic relationship,” Murray told West Life.

When Murray announced in September his intention to retire, parishioners were disappointed, said Sister Mary Ann Phillip, OP, a pastoral minister at St. Brendan for 18 years.

“Everyone in the parish wants him to marry them, bury them, and everything,” she said, referring to a priest’s sacramental duties. “I think because he’s been here so long, he’s like a family member. A lot of people were very sad. But a lot of people said he’s worked hard and deserved to retire.”

Despite his long tenure at St. Brendan, Murray seems at peace with his pending retirement.

“I think it was time to go,” he told West Life. “I think they need new blood.”

The biggest thing he’s looking forward to in retirement is being relieved of the financial responsibilities of running a parish and school.

The Rev. Thomas Woost of St. Leo the Great Parish in Cleveland will be installed as the new pastor on Jan. 6. Murray will move to a Westshore apartment next month, travel and, when the weather gets warmer, occasionally play golf.

“My plans are to help out at parishes that need help — if a priest gets sick, goes on vacation, wants a day off or something...I can always help him,” he said.

As of now, he doesn’t plan to be attached to a single parish as some retired priests are. Instead he intends to help out at different parishes, where he says, “you can get a different viewpoint and meet different people.”

But that doesn’t mean he’s ruled out coming back to St. Brendan from time to time. “If the new guy needs help,” he said, “I’ll be glad to come.”

Murray told West Life he would not have changed anything about his life.

“It’s probably been the greatest joy of my life to be here at St. Brendan.”

(Editor’s note: Kelley is a member of St. Brendan Parish.)