Monsignor Guy Massie to be installed as pastor of Sacred Hearts & St. Stephen

Brooklyn’s oldest Italian parish at Sacred Hearts and St. Stephen RC  Church officially welcomes its new pastor, Reverend Monsignor Guy Massie, at 10 a.m. mass this Sunday, February 24.

Massie will be the first monsignor to be appointed pastor to the parish in 15 years.

A native Brooklynite who grew up in Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Massie has served as parish priest in several parishes throughout Brooklyn — including St. Brendan, St. Patrick, Our Lady Help of Christmas, and, most recently, St. Andrew the Apostle in Bay Ridge.

He is described as a well-respected and energetic leader who has been Parish Administrator at Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen — located at 125 Summit Street — since June 2012 and has already brought back cherished traditions while also increasing the parish’s outreach to the community.

For example, this past Christmas season, the church revived the Star Lighting tradition, which hadn’t been practiced in almost 11 years, and brought people old and new back to see it lit. “[Parishioners] use it as a beacon of Christmas and a symbol of hope,” said John Heyer II,  development officer at the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens.

“The parish has been very excited [at the news of Massie’s appointment as pastor] because he’s brought a lot of energy, as well as compassion, to the parish,” explained Heyer. “There’s always trepidation when someone new comes in [and] he’s not that at all. He was just ‘these are your traditions and how can we make them even better?'”

Under Massie’s guidance, Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen has built on its long-standing presence in the community, becoming a resource and rest center for Sandy relief throughout Carroll Gardens and Red Hook, as well as becoming a temporary second home for parishioners and daycare center of the neighboring Episcopal Congregation of Christ Church — which was struck by lightning last July.

“He’s been very cognizant of trying to fill up our calendars with events both social and spiritual, feeding both parts of the person,” said Heyer. “He’s also been helping us try to build up the community more. He was a great help during [and after Hurricane] Sandy, helping parishioners collect and donate food and clothing.”

As mentioned by Heyer, upcoming events, programs, and projects at Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen include:

• the Good Friday procession on Friday, March 29, at 7 p.m.
• a first-ever Taste of South Brooklyn event, likely some time in April. The event is a restaurant tasting event modeled after the Taste of Bay Ridge held annually as a fundraiser for St. Patrick Church in Bay Ridge.
• renovations to the church post-Sandy, such as replacing the clock that was damaged during the storm.
• a parish mission on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – a renewal of an old tradition.

In addition to his work in the parish, Massie will continue as the chairperson and Vicar for the Ecumenical and Inter-Faith Commission for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.