Bishop LaValley
 

About Bishop LaValley



Bishop LaValley, the second of six children of Ronald (deceased) and Doris LaValley, is a native of Mooers Forks, NY and was raised in St. Ann’s Parish.  He was born on March 26, 1956 and completed his primary and secondary education at Mooers Central in Mooers, NY and Northeastern Clinton Central School in Champlain, NY.  He received a B.A. from the University of the State of New York and a Certificate of Studies in Philosophy from Wadhams Hall Seminary-College.  Prior to his entrance into Wadhams Hall Seminary-College in January 1983, Bishop-elect LaValley served a six-year tour of duty with the United States Navy.  He completed the Pre-Theology Program at Wadhams Hall in May 1984 and received his Master of Divinity degree from Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora in May 1988.  The bishop-elect was ordained to the Diaconate on February 27, 1988 and to the Priesthood on September 24, 1988 by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana.  Upon ordination, he served as deacon and parochial vicar at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Massena.  During this time, he was named as the Associate Secretary of the Marriage Tribunal and was elected to serve on the Council of Priests.  In 1992, the bishop-elect began studies in Canon Law at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada where he was awarded his M.C.L. and J.C.L in May 1994.

Upon the completion of his graduate studies, Bishop-elect LaValley was named as Administrator of St. Peter’s Church in Hammond and St. Patrick’s Church in Rossie and was appointed Adjutant Judicial Vicar.  In 1996, Bishop Paul S. Loverde named him Episcopal Vicar for Diocesan Services and Chancellor of the Diocese of Ogdensburg with residence at Wadhams Hall Seminary-College. 

In January 1998, in addition to his diocesan responsibilities, the bishop-elect was named Pastor of St. Raphael’s Church in Heuvelton. In June 1999, he became Administrator of St. James Church in Gouverneur while continuing to serve in his diocesan positions.  In June 2000, he returned to St. Raphael’s Church in Heuvelton as Pastor and continued to serve as Episcopal Vicar and Chancellor for Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito.  In July 2003, Bishop-elect LaValley became Rector of St. Mary’s Cathedral while retaining his diocesan offices.  

In August 2004, Bishop-elect LaValley was relieved of his duties as Episcopal Vicar and Chancellor by Bishop Robert J. Cunningham, and appointed the Bishop’s delegate to implement and oversee compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.  In this capacity, he continued to serve as Chairperson of the Diocesan Review Board.  On May 28, 2009, the College of Consultors elected Bishop-elect LaValley as Diocesan Administrator, upon the installation of the Most Reverend Robert J. Cunningham as Bishop of Syracuse. 

 
 

February 2012


Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

On January 20th, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an unprecedented ruling that negatively impacts the Catholic Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith.  The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people—the Catholic population—and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception.  Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write.  Almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

In spite of many appeals, the current Administration also refused to broaden the religious exemption to these rules – an exemption limited to groups that hire and serve people primarily of their own faith.  Consequently, most churches and church-run institutions do not qualify because of their very openness to serving the common good of society and all people regardless of creed.  In so ruling, the Obama Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty.  As a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics must be prepared either to violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so).  The Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply and “adapt” to this new rule.

You must know that we cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law.  Even those who may disagree with the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of human life recognize that the government has no business forcing religious institutions to sponsor and pay for procedures which violate those teachings.  People of faith cannot be made second class citizens.  Our ancestors in faith did not come to these shores to help build America’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, only to have their descendants stripped of their God-given and constitutional rights.  In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect the Church’s sacred rights and duties.  I hope and trust it can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same.  Our future generations deserve nothing less.

Therefore, I would ask of you three things.  First, as a family of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored.  Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible.  Secondly, I urge you to contact your representatives in Congress seeking their support of legislation that would reverse the Administration’s decision.  Thirdly, I would invite you to learn more about this unprecedented assault on religious liberty in our nation and what is at stake with this ruling by visiting the U.S. Bishops’ website at www.usccb.org/conscience.

United in prayer and in our defense of human dignity, I am

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Terry R. LaValley

Bishop of Ogdensburg

From the Bishop

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