Archbishop Seán P. O’Mal-ley has accepted the resignation as pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Beverly offered by Father Robert Kirchmeyer and has granted him senior priest/retirement status. The effective date was Feb. 2, 2004.

With his ordination on Jan. 10, 1952 by Cardinal Cushing, the Milton native became the first son of his home parish, St. Agatha, to be ordained a diocesan priest.

Before enrolling in the archdiocesan seminaries he attended local schools in Milton and is an alumnus of Boston College High School. After ordination, his first assignment was to St. Stephen Parish in Framingham, where he served until 1956. St. John the Evangelist Parish in Winthrop was the next of his assignments as an assistant. He remained at the parish for 15 years. Subsequent assignments were to St. Gregory Parish in Dorchester, not far from his own home parish, and then in 1975 to St. Joseph Parish, Holbrook.

On June 28, 1983, Cardinal Medeiros named Father Kirch-meyer pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish, Beverly. One of the many parishes of the archdiocese that serves a large section of two towns, the Beverly Parish includes part of the neighboring town of Danvers.

Father Kirchmeyer completed a Master of Arts degree in philosophy at Boston College in 1950 and, following his father’s example as a linguist, maintains fluency in both French and German, the latter of which his father taught for many years at BC High.

In retirement, Father Kirchmeyer will return to his own residence in Milton.