Deacon Conway was born and raised on Long Island attending primary and secondary education in the Patchogue-Medford School District. With the constant support of his parents, family and the parish community of St. Sylvester, Medford, he completed high school and went on to the Cathedral Seminary Residence of the Immaculate Conception for four years, studying Philosophy. With the support of Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone, Ordinary of the Diocese of Charleston; Bishop Octavio Cisneros, Auxiliary of the Diocese of Brooklyn; and Monsignor Joseph P. Granata, Pastor in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, he continued on to the Major Seminary in Huntington, the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, where he continued his formation for another five years as he studied for the priesthood.

 

After leaving the seminary Deacon Conway began his teaching career at St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, Long Island. It was at St. Dominic’s that his life took a completely different direction. He met his future wife, Kristen, and two years later they were married and preparing for the birth of their two children, Emma and Owen.

 

Deacon Conway continued to study in the field of education becoming a principal and serving on committees within the Diocese of Rockville Centre’s Superintendent’s Office. After he and his wife reflected on their life they decided it was time to make a major move and they decided to follow the Yankees to Tampa for Spring Training. This was a good move for the family and especially for their children.

 

After working in the Diocese of St. Petersburg for a short time a priest had the ear of the future deacon. Very Rev. Michael Suszynski was always there confirming the call that was in the heart of the future cleric. The Deacon’s call to public ministry never left him when he left the seminary. As they say God kept calling and he kept hiding. He approached the Diocese of St. Petersburg and Bishop Robert N. Lynch for a conversation on the possibility of Holy Orders. The Bishop took time out of his busy schedule to meet with Deacon Conway, which led to his ordination after some time preparing under the direction of the Diaconate Office of the Diocese. After serving as Principal at Notre Dame Catholic School at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish God called him in another direction.  Deacon was honored to receive a call from Bishop Estevez, Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine, on May 21, 2015 appointing him the new Superintendent of Schools.

 

Like all of us Deacon thought he knew the direction that he was going in, but God always seemed to have different plans. A lesson Deacon Conway learned along his journey is that God writes straight with crooked lines. This statement means that things do not always turn out the way that the Deacon would have planned them to, rather they happened the way God thought it was best for him. Knowing this we must always put our trust in the Lord and accept the difficulties that life sends our way and to accept the changes and blessings that come along the journey.