About

Fr. Austin was ordained in 1973 and his first assignment was Saint Ann Parish in the Wollaston section of Quincy. After 5 years there he went to the University of Notre Dame where he received an MA in liturgical studies, served as Director of Diocesan Formation at Moreau Seminary at ND and worked in campus ministry for three years. Returning to Boston he was in campus ministry at Northeastern University and Emerson College for 9 years. Then it was back to parish life with three years at Saint Joseph Parish in Medway followed by 25 years as pastor in Concord at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish (10 years) and Holy Family Parish (15 years). Most recently he has served as a senior vicar at the New Roads Catholic Community, a collaborative of Saint Luke and Saint Joseph Parishes in Belmont. Along the way, in addition to campus and parish ministry, he has written several small books related to parish worship, weddings and personal prayer. He has been blogging for the past 14 years at ConcordPastor.blogspot.com where he writes a daily Pause for Prayer and Night Prayer. One of the things he looks forward to in retirement is more time to write!

"I’m grateful to Fr. O’Leary and Fr. Hennessey for welcoming me into their home at Saint Ann’s. I trust that you know that your parish staff has a very fine reputation in the archdiocese, and I look forward to meeting them and sharing in the life and prayer of the people of Good Shepherd. You’re already in my prayer - please keep me in yours!"