BRIGHTON -- Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap. has announced the appointment of Father David C. Goodrow, who is presently parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish, Stoneham as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Wrentham. Father Goodrow’s appointment to Wrentham will be effective on June 12.

Father Goodrow is the youngest of six children and grew up in St. Joseph Parish in Needham. He attended the parish grammar school and Needham High School. After he was graduated from Suffolk University with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1988, he worked for several years as a stock trader with Fidelity Investments. He also pursued post-graduate work at Bentley College working towards a master’s degree in business administration.

At the time of his ordination in 2000, Father Goodrow said that the Sisters of Charity of Halifax who were his elementary school teachers and the pastor of his home parish, Msgr. James Haddad were notable influences on his vocation. He also said that his vocation to the priesthood “more unfolded gradually” than came as any kind of “dramatic revelation.”

Father Goodrow attended St. John’s Seminary for his theological studies and Cardinal Bernard Law ordained him to the priesthood at Holy Cross Cathedral on May 27, 2000. He had spent his diaconate year at St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Westford. Following his ordination he was assigned as parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Franklin and on completion of that assignment he was named parochial vicar at St. Patrick’s in Stoneham.

The parishes where Father Goodrow served as deacon and then as priest are three of the largest in the archdiocese and three of the busiest. Each has a large Sunday attendance, many young families and a large variety of parish activities. His new assignment in Wrentham will draw on many of Father Goodrow’s own personal gifts and talents, but more on the experiences he had in those three parishes. St. Mary’s is on the very edge of the archdiocese and as with many of the outlying parishes has been experiencing some demographic growth.

Perhaps the words he spoke at ordination give some hint of his enthusiasm for priestly life and ministry and especially as he assumes his new responsibility in Wrentham; “It will be a blessing to serve God and His people.”