Taking on extra duties as pastor 'allows me to really respond to flock,' says Syracuse bishop

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (OSV News) -- Bishop Douglas J. Lucia's latest announcement regarding summer assignments in the Diocese of Syracuse is drawing attention both locally and nationally.

Following the recent departure of Father Joseph O'Connor -- who was appointed to a five-year term as vice rector at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, effective Aug. 1 -- Bishop Lucia announced on Aug. 9 that he will personally assume Father O'Connor's former role as pastor of the Baldwinsville pastoral care area.

This area includes three churches: St. Augustine, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. Mary of the Assumption.

For Bishop Lucia, stepping into a direct pastoral role is nothing new. From 2022 to 2025, he served as pastor of St. Margaret's Church in Mattydale, a role that ended on July 1 when Father Joseph Zareski was appointed administrator of the parish.

"A lot of people don't realize it, but in my background before I came here, I basically commuted 19 miles a day, one way, to the chancery," said Bishop Lucia, reflecting on his time in the Diocese of Ogdensburg. "I was a pastor of a parish. I had a Newman Center. I'm used to having more than one responsibility. Really, for me, when I'm out among the parishioners, caring for the flock, it allows me to really respond to the flock."

Traditionally, the Syracuse Diocese announces new priestly assignments in the spring that take effect on July 1. This routine helps pastoral planning run more smoothly across the diocese. Bishop Lucia noted that he prefers not to make changes midyear.

However, Father O'Connor's unexpected appointment at the seminary in the Baltimore Archdiocese left a gap after all plans were already in place -- forcing the bishop to pivot quickly while keeping the needs of both parishioners and clergy top of mind.

"Part of the challenge for me is that I want people to be ready for when we have to make personnel changes and changes in parish structures," he said, noting that he didn't believe this was the right time to alter what was just set in place.

"As I'm the pastor of the diocese, it means I'm really the pastor of all the churches," he told The Catholic Sun, Syracuse's diocesan news outlet. "So, when I was looking at things, the bigger question for me was simply, ‘Well, can I do this? Can I, with help, just step in?' and that's what I see myself (doing), (stepping) in for the present moment, so that we don't have to make a lot of changes … asking, what's going to be the least disruptive at this point?"

Bishop Lucia currently envisions this new role lasting about one year. Two main motivations guided his decision: his conviction that the bishop's role is fundamentally to be among the people, and his desire to counter the perception that the bishop's office is distant or isolated.

He also pointed to other bishops who have taken on additional parish responsibilities, such as retired Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte, North Carolina, and the late Bishop Kenneth E. Untener of Saginaw, Michigan.

Understandably, his administrative team voiced concerns about him overextending himself.
Bishop Lucia acknowledged their uneasiness but also emphasized the practical reality: younger priests in the diocese still need time to grow into their vocations before taking on larger roles. He stressed that pastoral care is increasingly a collaborative effort.

"I love the term ‘pastoral care area' because I really believe in pastoral teams, that a parish is not just the priests doing everything," Bishop Lucia said. "We have deacons and lay leaders who are meant to help in so many different ways."

He emphasized the importance of understanding each parish's personnel and financial resources -- and caring for the overall health and well-being of priests.

"For many reasons, parishes are meant to come together to share resources and also to build community," he said.

As covered in recent issues of The Catholic Sun, successful pastoral planning depends on the entire church community stepping up to meet current needs. Bishop Lucia's latest move exemplifies this spirit of service.

As he wrote in his letter to the Baldwinsville parish families, openness to God's call remains at the center of this process: "Although I was called to be the Bishop of the Diocese of Syracuse six years ago, it has always been with the hope of continuing to be a parish priest -- and I guess God has taken me at my word!"