byFather Robert M. O'Grady Pilot Staff
Father Stephen B. Rock Courtesy photo
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From Lawrence to Reading is not too far, maybe 14 miles; Lawrence native and recently retired Christ the King Parish, Reading's pastor, Father Stephen B. Rock has many more miles logged in his priestly ministry -- in the thousands!
He and six siblings, five brothers and one sister, grew up in Lawrence and moved early to North Andover so that he attended St. Michael Parish's grammar school and then went to North Andover High School. Following high school graduation, he entered the archdiocesan seminaries at Cardinal O'Connell, Jamaica Plain, and then across the city, to Brighton, for philosophy and theology studies at St. John.
Humberto Cardinal Medeiros ordained him to the priesthood at Holy Cross Cathedral on May 18, 1974. The cardinal named him an associate at St. Bridget Parish, Framingham, where the pastor was an uncle of one of his seminary classmates. He was appointed an associate at Star of the Sea, Quincy, and in 1979, an associate at St. Mary of the Assumption, Hull. The latter two parishes brought him closer to the sea, of which he was always fond. At this time, he was also a Navy Reserve Chaplain.
In June 1985, Bernard Cardinal Law released him for full-time service in the Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy. During the more than two decades following, he would add thousands of miles to his pastoral service record, with Navy postings on land at sea.
On land, he was in Washington, D.C.; Camp Lejeune, N. Car, with the Marines; in Okinawa, and in Sicily. He was also on land in New London, Conn., as chaplain at the United States Coast Guard Academy. Two postings had him aboard naval ships, the USS Long Beach and the USS Theodore Roosevelt. He recalled his 25th anniversary of ordination in May 1999, when he celebrated his anniversary at a Mass aboard Her Majesty's Ship, the Invincible, off the coast of Kosovo in the Adriatic Sea during peacekeeping operations.
Of his Navy experience, he draws comparisons to parish ministry. People are always in need of the sacraments, especially Mass and penance. Folks seeking guidance and connection, especially to God. A notable difference is that the Navy parishioners are much younger on average, and they are much more mobile with contact changes in assignments or postings.
When he was separated from the Navy in 2007, he returned to the archdiocese and Cardinal O'Malley named him pastor of Reading's St. Agnes Parish. He would remain in Reading for the rest of his active priestly ministry, but added St. Athanasius, Reading, to his responsibilities in 2018 as parish administrator. In 2019, he was named the pastor of both Reading parishes and began the process of merging the two parishes into what would be the new parish of Christ the King, established in 2023.
During his Reading years, he also served as a vicar forane or dean of the North Region Vicariate III; and as a member of the presbyteral council (2009-2010), and of the clergy personnel board (2013 to present).
Father Rock is always ready with a word of support and encouragement to parishioners and fellow priests. He doesn't wallow in or for praise and shakes off applause.
Those thousands of miles between Lawrence and Reading are rewarded with his senior priest status on June 1, 2024.
In retirement, he plans to live in his own residence, closer to the sea than Reading!