By Alexander Dworkowitz
With many jokes and little reference to his church’s recent troubles, the Rev. Steven Ferrari was officially installed as the new pastor of St. Elizabeth Church in Ozone Park Saturday.
“As many of you are aware, this is a trying time to be a pastor,” Ferrari told the worshipers, who filled every pew in the church.
Ferrari replaces the Rev. John Thompson, who resigned from the Atlantic Avenue church on March 24. The Queens district attorney has impaneled a grand jury to investigate accusations that Thompson had taken money from the church and given it to his 19-year-old male lover.
Last week the principal of the St. Elizabeth’s School, Barbara Samide, filed suit against the Diocese of Brooklyn, saying the vicar for southeast Queens, Monsignor James Spengler, ignored her complaints about Thompson.
Spengler installed Ferrari as Samide sat quietly in the audience.
“Remember, my brother Steven, always be a loving father, a gentle shepherd and a wise teacher of your people,” Spengler said.
In his speech given in both English and Spanish, Ferrari drew rounds of applause and laughter, telling jokes and parables of birds with too many or too few legs.
“Those who know me will say that I am an avid, some may say fanatic, bird watcher,” Ferrari said.
Ferrari later suddenly paused.
“My heart is so full,” he said. “I thank God for my newfound home, the wonderful welcoming people of St. Elizabeth’s.”
Before the installation, parishioners gladly spoke of their new pastor, who had conducted mass several times before the official installation.
“He’s got a wonderful personality,” said Antoinette Perrera. “It’s just a pleasure to come to church.”
Perrera said she preferred Ferrari to Thompson.
“I wasn’t too crazy about him,” she said of the former priest.
Others, however, were less critical of Thompson.
“I don’t know what to believe,” said Jamile Ali. “I feel sorry for him. He upgraded the church. He was a nice man.”
Gaby Armani came to the church to give her blessing to Ferrari, whom she met in a meeting of a Ridgewood Italian-American group known as Club Trentino.
“We have to support the good ones,” Armani said. “That’s the sad part.”
Reach reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 141.
