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Fr. Dave’s tenure as the pastor of St. Mary began on September 17, 2014. Previously he had been pastor of St. Mary in Marne and St. Michael in Coopersville, after beginning his priestly service as the parochial vicar at St. Mary and St. Paul in Big Rapids in 2010. Fr. Dave was ordained to the priesthood on June 5, 2010 by Bishop Walter Hurley at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew after completing his seminary training at Mundelein Seminary north of Chicago. Prior to studying for the priesthood, he taught physics, math, and freshman science at Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids. While teaching, I also served as the technology director for the school and coached both track and cross country.
Fr. Dave grew up on the Southeast Side of Grand Rapids and attended St. Stephen Elementary School as well as Catholic Central High School. He is the oldest of three children of Leonard and Roberta Gross. His sister Cathy and her husband Eric have five children and live in Grand Rapids, while his brother Doug and his wife Tina have four children and live in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Father’s interests include watching all kinds of sports, but especially basketball, volleyball, and football. He enjoys playing golf and going for power walks. He is also a technology nerd who likes to play around on computers and dabbles in computer systems and networking. Fr. Dave recently completed his licentiate degree in Canon Law through the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and has been appointed to serve part-time as the defender of the bond for the tribunal of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. This means that he serves as an advocate and lawyer on behalf of the marriage bond itself and provides arguments as to why a declaration of nullity should not be granted by the church court. |
