50 Years a Maryknoll Priest

Father Kenneth Joseph Sullivan, M.M., a native of Astoria, celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination as a Maryknoll missionary priest on Sunday, June 24.

Following his ordination to the priesthood on June 8, 1957, Father Sullivan was assigned to the Musoma Diocese in Tanzania, East Africa, where he has worked for 42 years.

Along with his pastoral work at nine different parishes, he concentrated on working with catechists to enhance their leadership abilities and to help in the development of small Christian communities.

Father Sullivan, M.M.

He took time out from his work in Africa on two occasions to do mission education and promotion work, spending a total of eight years in Florida, St. Louis, Mo., Chicago, Ill., and Seattle, Wash. (1978-83 and 1986-89).

Retired since 1997, Father Sullivan currently assists at an outstation of Mwisenge parish on weekends, and spends his weekdays visiting HIV/AIDS patients.

“The greatest challenge facing the people with whom I work is their constant state of poverty. They are without the greatest needs in life – food and medicine,” he reflected. “And yet they are serene and always happy.

“The lesson we can learn from the people and the Church of Tanzania is the importance of the people in our lives. When you are poor and don’t have many things, you find out that people are important.”

Father Sullivan grew up in Astoria. He attended Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, Astoria, and La Salle Academy, Manhattan, before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1944. After nearly two years of service as a hospital corpsman, he entered Maryknoll.

back to top