New associate pastor at St. Francis Xavier
Jesuit Father Mark McGregor has begun serving St. Francis Xavier Parish in Missoula as associate pastor. He came to the parish in late July from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., where he served as chaplain and taught film and script writing.

Father McGregor, 48, entered the Jesuit order in 1984 and was ordained a priest on June 15, 1996. He professed final vows as a Jesuit on Oct. 12, 2004.

He graduated from Seattle University in 1984 with a degree in economics and from Gonzaga in 1988 with a degree in philosophy. He received a master of divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif., in 1995, and a master of fine arts degree from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles in 2002.

Father McGregor’s assignments have included teaching at Seattle Preparatory School, serving as retreat director at Loyola Renewal Center in Portland, Ore., and serving in campus ministry at Loyola Marymount as well as at Gonzaga. He has been on the faculty at Fairfield University in Connecticut and at Santa Clara University in California.

Father McGregor ‘s birthplace is Fort Belvoir, Va.


Haggarty receives additional position
Diocese of Helena Superintendent of Schools Patrick Haggarty, Ed.D., will serve temporarily as the school superintendent for the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, as well.

Great Falls-Billings Bishop Michael Warfel named Haggarty to the post for the 2010-11 academic year. While serving in that position, Haggarty will continue as superintendent for the Diocese of Helena, where he has provided leadership since 2002.

“We welcome Patrick to the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings and look forward to his leadership and expertise in working with the principals and School Advisory Boards in this diocese,” said Sister Lynn Casey, SCL, the diocesan chancellor.

Catholic education in the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings includes a high school in Billings and one in Great Falls. There are Catholic elementary schools in Billings, Great Falls, Livingston and Miles City. The private Catholic schools are St. Labre Indian School in Ashland and St. Paul Mission Grade School in Hays.

The six Diocese of Helena schools are in Missoula, Butte, Kalispell and Browning. They include Butte Central High School and Missoula’s Loyola Sacred Heart High School.

Haggarty said schools in the dioceses are “different but very similar in all aspects of our mission and ministry to the Catholic communities of Montana.”


Butte Central girls place third in basketball tournament
Butte Central High School girls placed third in varsity play at the Las Vegas Ultimate Showcase Basketball Tournament held July 22-26.

In their first game, the Maroons fell 42-0 to Bonita High School of La Verne, Calif. The Bonita squad, which included two Division I basketball prospects, later won the tournament. In the Maroons’ second game, they were defeated 34-32 by Drive Elite of Vancouver, British Columbia. The Butte girls then defeated Drive Premier Squad of Vancouver, 39-24, and another British Columbia team, Basketball BC. Playing for Butte Central were Theresa Banks, Mariah Cooney, Brynne Kambich, Danee Leary, Kacie McKeon, Lexie Murphy, Quinn Peoples, Alysea Pica and Taylor Svejkovsky. Shaughn McKeon coached the team.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 26, No. 8, August 20, 2010.