-
-
PastorFr. John Rooney is a Dominican Diocesan Priest and a professed member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Dominic. He was ordained a permanent deacon in 1986 and a priest in 2001. He grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, the oldest of eight children. His initial formation was with the Eastern Dominican Providence. He is the father of two children and the grandfather of three, all residing in the Houston area. He has a Master of Religious Education with a Specialization in Spirituality from the University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX.
Arriving in Texas in 1979, he served in five parishes: Christ the Good Shepherd (1982 – 1984), St. Frances Cabrini (1984 – 1999); St. Edith Stein (1999 -2001); St. Michael the Archangel (2002-2007) and was founding pastor of St. Angela Merici (2007-2014). Cardinal DiNardo appointed him Director of Spiritual Direction at St. Mary Seminary in July of 2014, and in November of 2020, he became pastor of St. Mary of the Expectation.
-
-
-
Deacon Russell G. Carroll was born on August 22, 1956 in Wichita, Kansas. Russ graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in Wilmington, Delaware. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Wilmington University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He was employed by The Boeing Company for thirty-five years holding Senior Management positions at the Boeing facilities in Wichita, KS., Philadelphia, Pa., Seattle, WA., and Houston, TX. He retired as Executive Director of Supply Chain Management for the Boeing Space Exploration Division in May 2012. He attended the University of St. Thomas School of Theology at St. Mary Seminary completing a Diploma program in Pastoral Theology. Russ was Ordained a Permanent Deacon in the Archdiocese of Galveston on January 31, 2015 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Russ has been assigned to St. Mary Parish since his Ordination. Russ has served as a Chaplain in Prison Ministry, Port of Houston Seafarer Center and Hospital Ministry. Russ and his wife Diana K. Carroll have been happily married for thirty-nine (39) years. They moved to League City in 1993 from Delaware and became members of St. Mary in 1994. Russ & Di have two married adult children Ashley and Nathan and are blessed with eight (8) grandchildren: Adissyn, Cade, Knox, Colt, Grey, Iain, Isla, and Callum.
-
-
-
Deacon Andy DeYoung and his wife Kay have lived and worked in the League City area since 1990. Married for 46 years, they have two children, Jenny and Brad, and four grandchildren. Andy earned his BA from the University of Texas and MBA from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Andy retired from UTMB in 2020 after 30 years in Clinical Administration. He attended the University of St. Thomas School of Theology at St. Mary Seminary from 2010 to 2015, where he earned a diploma in Pastoral Studies, and was ordained into the permanent diaconate on January 31, 2015.
-
-
-
Deacon Steve Stich and his wife Sherry have lived and worked in the League City area since 1990. They have been parishioners at St. Mary of the Expectation since 1992. Married for 29 years, Sherry and Steve have two adult children, Kevin and Jessica, many nieces, nephews, and five great nephews. Steve earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University in 1987 and has worked at the NASA Johnson Space Center for over 37 years. Sherry holds a physics degree and trains astronauts to live on the International Space Station. Steve has had the privilege of leading in various roles at NASA including as a Space Shuttle Flight Director, Deputy Director of Engineering, and as the Manager of the Commercial Crew Program for the last five years. He attended the University of St. Thomas School of Theology at St. Mary Seminary from 2019 to 2024, where he earned a diploma in Pastoral Theology. Steve was ordained into the Permanent Diaconate of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston on February 15, 2025. In addition to serving at St. Mary’s, his assigned social ministry for the archdiocese is young adults and campus ministry at the University of Houston.
-
