Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade

All month long we are going to spotlight our distinguished 2026 Parade Honorees and wonderful Parade Headquarters.

Today we are especially pleased to introduce our Grand Marshal Rev. Kevin Abels.

Father Abels was born in 1976. He is a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn for 22 blessed and fulfilling years. Father Kevin grew up in Middle Village, Queens, with his younger brother John. His parents, Linda and Larry Abels, came from strong Catholic families. As devout and dedicated Catholics, they were very involved in their parish of Our Lady of Hope and instilled the importance of faith and service in their sons’ lives.
Father Kevin attended Our Lady of Hope School for eight years and was very much drawn to the church by great examples of priests around him growing up - Msgr. Nick Sivillo, Fr. Guy Sbordone, Msgr. Grimaldi to name a few. He served as a sacristan in grades 7 and 8 and felt a strong desire to explore formation to the priesthood as a vocation choice.

Upon graduation from our Lady of Hope, Father Kevin was accepted to Cathedral Prep High School, which further deepened his desire to discern a priestly vocation. After graduating Cathedral Prep in 1994, he applied and was accepted to Cathedral Residence and Formation in Douglaston, Queens, while he attending college at St. John’s University. During his time at the college seminary residence, he truly enjoyed pastoral ministry as a catechist in the various parishes in Brooklyn and Queens.

After graduating with a BA degree at St. John’s University, he applied to the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington. Here he felt the Lord’s call to priesthood and gave the best of who he was to the Formation Program. He enjoyed formation and all that it entailed, as well as meeting lifelong friends in ministry.

Fr. Kevin was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 2003, and served as a Parochial Vicar at St. Sebastian Church in Woodside from 2003-2008. He then served on the faculty at Cathedral Prep, as well as in the position of Associate Vocation Director for the Diocese in 2010-2014. During this time, he was humbled to be called by the Lord to assist men determining the Lord’s plan for them in their lives. He enjoyed working with all those discerning a vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life. He also relished visiting various parishes, as well as the Catholic grammar and high schools, where he would share his own vocation story and discernment with those who were discerning as well.

Fr. Kevin returned to serve as pastor of St. Sebastian parish from 2014-2020. Currently, he is pastor of three parishes in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn: Our Lady of Angels, St. Andrew the Apostle, and St. Anselm. Father Kevin loves the people he is called to serve and enjoys working with these three wonderful parishes.

In his free time, Fr. Kevin enjoys being an avid sports fan! His favorite teams are the Patriots, Mets, Knicks, and Rangers. He is also an admirer of classical music, which helps put him in a reflective and contemplative mood.

Father Kevin is honored to serve as the Grand Marshal and is indebted to all the many people who have supported him over the years.

Congratulations, Fr. Abels! See him and all our honorees march down 3rd Avenue TOMORROW Sunday March 22nd!

All month long we are going to spotlight our distinguished 2026 Parade Honorees and wonderful Parade Headquarters.

Today we are pleased to introduce Deputy Marshal Maureen O’Malley-Byrnes!

Maureen O’Malley-Byrnes is the founder and director of the O’Malley Irish Dance Academy,
established in 1994. Raised in a strong Irish tradition, Maureen draws deep inspiration from her heritage. Her father hailed from County Galway, where she spent her childhood summers, and her mother, a native of Park Slope and Maureen’s first dance teacher, nurtured her love of Irish dance from an early age.

A former champion dancer, Maureen has performed at Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, and aboard Carnival Cruise Lines. Today, she instructs more than 150 children and adults in Brooklyn and Queens. Under her direction, students have achieved great success at local, regional, national, and world competitions. Her dancers have performed on television and at iconic venues and events including Ellis Island, City Hall, and for the New York Mets, New York Nets, New York Liberty, and Brooklyn Cyclones. Community service is central to Maureen’s mission. Her dancers volunteer at more than 60
events each year, bringing Irish culture and joy to schools, nursing homes, hospitals, convents, centers for children with special needs, and military bases. The Academy proudly sponsors sports programs at Good Shepherd, St. Francis de Sales, and Blessed Trinity.

A graduate of Good Shepherd Grammar School, Bishop Kearney High School, and Brooklyn College, Maureen earned her B.A. in Economics cm laude, with a minor in Business Management. She enjoyed a successful career with a major Wall Street firm before leaving to focus on raising her family and expanding her dance school. She currently works full-time at the accounting firm VRC & Associates. Married in 1998 to her husband John, a retired New York City MTA employee, Maureen is the proud mother of three children: Katie, 25, who works for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Jack, 24, who lives in Louisiana and works for Tulane University; and Tommy, 21, a United States Marine Corps officer completing his degree at Iona University before commissioning.

Maureen is an active member of the Columbiettes Council 126 and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 9. She previously taught dance programs for ten years at St. Bernard, Good Shepherd, and St. Edmund Catholic Academies. A dedicated parishioner, she has served on the Parents Association at her children’s schools and remains active in numerous community organizations. She serves on the Board of the Irish American Building Society, is a committee member of the Great Irish Fair, and is a member of the Good Shepherd Alumni Board.

Her dedication to Irish culture and community service has earned Maureen numerous honors. She has been named one of the Top 100 Irish Americans and served as an aide to the Grand Marshal of the Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Day Parade and as Deputy Marshal in the Queens County Parade. She has received commendations from the Brooklyn Borough President, the Mayor, and the Comptroller of the City of New York. Her awards include the Community Service Award from the Circle of Hope Cancer Foundation, recognition from the Rockaway Point Volunteer Fire Department for her efforts during Hurricane Sandy, the Good Shepherd Service Award, the Cultural Excellence and Community Leadership Award from the LAOH, and the Irish Culture Award from the Breezy Point Pipe Band. She was honored as one of the 2015 Brooklyn Women of Distinction, named the Brooklyn Cyclones’ “Winning Woman of 2017,” received the Harry Murphy Catholic Action Award from the Queens County AOH, and the Al O’Hagan Community Leadership Award from the Great Irish Fair.

For over three decades, Maureen has proudly “kept the tradition” of Irish dance alive in Brooklyn and Queens. She is deeply humbled to be recognized among her esteemed colleagues as an honoree in this year’s Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Congratulations Maureen! See her and all the honorees marching down 3rd Avenue on Sunday March 22nd!