Father John Cregan was born in Bronx, N.Y., Nov. 13
1939, to Christopher and Mary Cregan. He graduated from
Fordham University and then served more than 20 years in the
Marine Corps, serving tours in North Carolina, Florida,
Virginia, Cuba, Japan and Vietnam. He felt the call to the
priesthood in 1969 while lying in a foxhole in Vietnam.
Father Cregan retired early from the Marine Corps to attend
Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., and was
ordained by Bishop John R. Keating May 9, 1987.
His first assignment after ordination was as parochial vicar
of St. Patrick Church in Chancellorsville where he served for
four years, the longest he had ever stayed in one place since
he was 19. He then served as parochial vicar of Church of the
Nativity in Burke, 1991-93 and was made pastor of St.
Elizabeth Church in Colonial Beach in 1993. He was
transferred to Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria in 1996
where he has served as pastor for 19 years.
Starting June 25, Father Cregan will embrace the status of
retired parish priest and begin residence at the St. Rose of
Lima Priests Retirement Villa in Annandale. The former Marine
Lieutenant Colonel has no intention of actually retiring,
however. He loves being a priest too much to do that.
“I’m in the fourth quarter,” Father Cregan said with a laugh.
He plans to continue with his priestly duties by increasing
his time as a spiritual director for the seminarians at Mount
St. Mary’s.
Bishop Loverde also appointed him as deputy state Chaplain to
the Knights of Columbus, which will require a bit of
traveling.
He hopes to celebrate Mass and hear confessions at Blessed
Sacrament Church, while also celebrating Mass at Inova
Alexandria Hospital. He is looking forward to having more
time for quiet prayer and reflection, and while he claims to
have no hobbies that he’s excited about, he does predict he
will get in a couple more rounds at the Marine Corps Quantico
golf course.
As the saying goes “once a Marine, always a Marine.” For
retired Marine Lt. Col. Father Cregan, he will always be a
priest and will always feel blessed that God called him to
the serve His people.
Buyers can be reached at [email protected].
Father Tarsicio Buitrago will retire from active
service effective June 25.
Father Buitrago was born May 23, 1940, in
Tenza-Boyacá, Colombia, to Ramón Buitrago and
Odilia Contreras. He attended primary school in Tenza-
Boyacá, graduating from the Claretian minor seminary
in Bos, in 1961.
After graduation, he was sent to Rome to study theology at
the Pontificia Universita’ Lateranense. He was ordained a
priest in Rome Dec. 19, 1964. He returned to Colombia in 1965
to teach seminarians.
In 1970, the archbishop of Bogotá named him
administrator and secretary general of the Regional
Ecclesiastic Tribunal of Bogotá, a position he held
for 10 years. From 1980 to 1995, he was chaplain at several
state schools in Bogotá and was pastor of Santo Tomas
Apóstol Church, 1978-84, and Santa Juana de Arco
Church, 1985-89. Father Buitrago also studied canon law at
the Pontifical Xavierian University, 1985-90.
In 1995, he arrived in the Arlington Diocese to assist with
the Spanish Apostolate. Father Buitrago has ministered to the
English and Spanish-speaking community as a parochial vicar
of Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria, 1995-2001, and St.
Anthony of Padua Church in Falls Church, 2002-07. He was
incardinated into the Arlington Diocese Dec. 20, 2004.
Father Buitrago was parochial vicar of St. Leo the Great
Church in Fairfax, 2007-09, and of St. John Bosco Church in
Woodstock, 2009-10, with responsibility for the Mission of
Our Lady of the Shenandoah in Basye. He has been serving as a
parochial vicar of St. Philip Church in Falls Church since
2010. He will remain in residence there after his retirement.
He wants to remain active ministering to parishioners.
“I will continue to serve the parish in whatever I can do,”
said Father Buitrago.
After five decades serving as a priest, he is thankful that
he can continue serving in this special status.
Borowski can be reached at [email protected]
or on Twitter @DBorowskiACH.
