By Chris Valley

On Sunday, March 2, over 300 parishioners and friends of Our Lady of the Assumption pastor Father Edward J. Murray, S.M., honored him on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

Father Murray concelebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving along with the parochial vicars and assisted by the permanent deacon of the parish. Following the Mass, a reception was hosted by the women of Our Lady’s Guild in the new Parish Activities Center.

“I’m a firm believer in Providence,” said Father Murray. Recalling his ordination day, and reminiscing about the countless babies baptized, penitents absolved, and hands held facing death, he continued, “It’s incredible how my life has been endowed by the grace of God. He’s been with me through everything. I’ve come to learn to trust in Providence.”

Born in Pittsburgh, into a family of six children, Father Murray served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Upon completion of his term of service, he worked for a life insurance firm until he entered the preparatory seminary of the Marist Fathers at the age of 24.

After ordination at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in 1961, his first assignment was at Chanel High School, staffed by the Marist Fathers in Bedford, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.

Father Murray returned to Washington, D.C. in 1964, to complete his graduate studies at Catholic University. While there, he also taught English and was a spiritual director at the Marist Seminary near the Catholic University campus.

In 1968, the Marist Fathers appointed Father Murray to the Marist Mission Band, conducting parish renewal programs throughout the eastern United States. In 1975, he was named diocesan coordinator of Worldwide Marriage Encounter for the Diocese of Cleveland.

Parish duties followed in 1980 in Lafayette, Louisiana. Since 1981, he has been assigned to Our Lady of the Assumption Church in northeast Atlanta, serving as pastor since 1982.

Besides his many pastoral duties, Father Murray launched and successfully completed a parish capital drive which provided funds to build the Parish Activities Center where the anniversary reception was held.