After three years at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middle River, Father T. Austin Murphy will be leaving July 1 to become the new chaplain of the Newman Center at Towson University.
“As a priest you don’t forget your first parish,” said Father Murphy, 34, who is a graduate of University of Maryland Baltimore County. “I know I will leave with their prayers.”
Father Murphy said he has truly enjoyed working with the elementary and high school students and helping with the sacraments.
“I really like working in youth ministry and working with young people,” said Father Murphy who grew up at St. Agnes, Catonsville. “I was really lucky to end up here.”
Father Murphy said he is looking forward to his new position on the Towson campus but he will be learning as he goes along. He said the university is very excited about his arrival since it has been without a chaplain for almost a year.
He said there are many challenges that college students face and keeping them connected to their faith shouldn’t be one of them. Father Murphy wants to help these young adults stay in touch not only with their faith but with their parish communities back home. He doesn’t want them to go home for breaks and feel like an outsider in their own parish, he said.
Father Murphy said he will be focusing on the liturgy first because he doesn’t want to try and create something new when “the richness is already in our faith,” he said.
Young adults are coming to Mass and getting involved because they want to, he added.
“Nothing shocks college students,” said Father Murphy who is open to any and all suggestions that are offered to him at his new job. “The most radical thing they can hear is the truth of our faith.”
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