After more than a quarter century, a local pastor is leaving his Brighton-area congregation.

The Rev. David Howell presided over his final Sunday service at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Brighton and will be retiring after 26 years leading the church. On Tuesday, he will leave for St. Mark Parish in Goodrich to serve as a Sacramental Minister. The Rev. Shaun Lowrey, an associate priest at St Francis of Assisi Parish in Ann Arbor will replace Howell to become the new pastor at St. Mary Magdalen.

In a message on the church’s website, Howell said that while many will have expectations of Fr. Lowery, they should not expect him to be the same and that he, “is not ‘my replacement.’ He is a talented, energetic and gifted minister who will bring his own abilities to this community of faith, helping it continue to grow.”

The 68-year-old Howell was named pastor of St. Mary Magdalen in 1993, the year it was created. (JK)