Msgr. Guy Massie is the chairperson for the Ecumenical and Inter-Faith Commission for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. Having studied at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York, Msgr. Massie was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1983. Being a diocesan priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn, he served as a parish priest in the parishes of St. Brendan, St. Patrick, Our Lady Help of Christians and is coming to Sacred Hearts-St. Stephen Parish after being pastor of the Parish of St. Andrew the Apostle in Bay Ridge for 12 years. Msgr. Massie was a high school teacher as well as the Newman Center director at Brooklyn College.
Msgr. Massie's ecumenical and interfaith interests predate his seminary days. Growing up in Brooklyn, he was exposed to a multiplicity of cultures and religious backgrounds. Msgr. Massie is a product of the New York City school system of the 1950's and 1960's. A major component in his background was his interest in Judaism. From his Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg/Greenpoint and his own family he discovered the richness of his own Catholicism as well as the ancient wisdom of Judaism.
His interest in literature and history was enhanced by his study of Sacred Scripture in the seminary. While in the seminary he was encouraged by his professor, Msgr. Michael Cantley, to continue his interest in Catholic/Jewish dialogue. After his ordination he was assigned to the parish of St. Brendan in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. Midwood is known for its Orthodox Jewish population. Msgr. Massie worked with local rabbis for the benefit of peace and understanding. He became involved with the Anti -Defamation League of B'nai Brith and authored a booklet titled: "Confronting Anti-Semitism." As a member of the Catholic/Jewish Relation Committee of the Inter-Faith Commission, he organized local dialogues. It was through these dialogues that he hoped to encourage mutual understanding and appreciation.
Eventually Msgr. Massie was to head the diocesan Catholic/Jewish Dialogue. Thanks to the work of his predecessor Msgr. Martin Geraghty, Msgr. Massie was able to continue to build on a firm foundation. Realizing that mutual education between Jews and Catholics is essential for ongoing dialogue, he organized lectures
and days of study for both clergy and laity.
To better serve as a person of dialogue, Msgr. Massie studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America from where he received a master's degree in Judaic Studies in May 1997. It was at the seminary that he studied Hebrew for four years, Talmud, Bible, Midrash, Jewish history and Jewish literature. He has visited Israel.
