From police to priesthood: Former OC officer celebrates 20 years in Wilmington Diocese

From Ocean City police officer to priest?

Steven Hurley finds the two professions more alike than different.

At the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, which oversees Maryland's Eastern Shore, Hurley has risen through the ranks in his 20 years since entering the seminary. He holds the title of monsignor, along with vicar general, where he assists the bishop with governing the diocese. 

Hurley also works in his parish, St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Wilmington, where he performs mass.

Before joining the diocese, Hurley worked in the Ocean City Police Department for almost 10 years, starting as a booking officer and moving up to full-time officer. 

Working with humanity and tragedy every day awakened Hurley to wonder what priesthood would be like. 

“I think being exposed to a lot of those things at such a young age kind of helped me see that there was probably something else, something more that I could be doing," he said. 

This weekend, Hurley will be a part of St. Thomas' Easter festivities. 

The weekend from Good Friday to Easter Sunday is called Tritle Weekend in the Catholic Church. Hurley enjoys the three days, as they only come around once a year. 

While he knows Christmas gets more attention when looking at the two religious holidays, and rightfully so, he calls Easter the "apex of everything." The day reminds us that God became one of us to save us from sin, he said. 

Hurley said sin doesn't make us awful people, but we should know a sin is a selfish act we shouldn't indulge or give in to. Easter is an entire celebration of overcoming sin. 

“Joy conquers despair, light conquers darkness, compassion conquers hatred, mercy conquers cruelty,” he said. 

His biggest message to people this weekend? 

Just to be kind to one another because if we can’t, we’re lost, he said. 

How law enforcement sparked a change

Hurley's time with OCPD started as a summer job. 

He was attending Salisbury University — then Salisbury State University — for his bachelor's degree in computer science.

Between his junior and senior year, Hurley wanted to get a job in Ocean City and decided on OCPD working as a booking officer. 

“Basically I spent all summer long doing fingerprints and mugshots for the most part,” he said.  

That summer sparked an interest in law enforcement, Hurley said. He came back the next year, but this time as a seasonal officer. 

Hurley worked as a seasonal officer for two summers before deciding to go to the police academy to become a full-time officer.

Becoming a police officer in 1990 allowed Hurley to use his computer science degree. It was an advantage during a time when technology improvements were beginning to make waves in law enforcement. 

“We’re going back to the early 90s so the marriage of technology and law enforcement was just starting to happen," he said. 

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Hurley returned to SU for his MBA while working in Ocean City.  He had aspirations to move to state law enforcement and possibly even federal, he said. An MBA was meant to help him stand out among other applicants in the competitive field. 

But around this time, Hurley was getting back to his faith. He said college was when he wasn't practicing as much, primarily due to sheer laziness, but being an adult on his own he realized the need to connect with his church and God again. 

Hurley said it wasn't one thing that made him become interested in the priesthood. Instead, it was a combination of elements including becoming a police officer at a young age and reconnecting with his faith. 

“There was no one single event that made me change," he said. "There was no 'aha' moment.”

While Hurley enjoyed working for OCPD and the camaraderie he had with fellow officers, he knew there was something more he could do.

While Hurley recognizes Ocean City is a town where the daily policing is different compared to large cities, he was still working with people in need and seeing people in trouble. His fondest memories from his time in uniform are when he was able to talk and listen to those in need of help.  

“It’s not all about the stuff we see on TV — it’s a lot of talking to people and offering them a word of encouragement, a word of hope," he said. "Because sometimes a police officer might be the only person that’s going to have a kind word for something for someone on a particular day.”   

Spiritual journey 

 Although Hurley wondered what priesthood would be like, he didn't immediately act on it. 

He continued to think and pray on it for about two years.  

“It just got to a point where it was clear to me that I needed to at least explore this a little more formally or I’d never really be at peace with it,” he said. 

Giving himself an ultimatum pushed Hurley to reach out to the Wilmington Diocese. He joined the seminary in 1998 and was ordained in 2003, according to the Maryland Catholic Conference. 

Just like when he was a police officer, Hurley continues to listen and encourage his churchgoers that everything will be OK. 

He says his own spiritual journey is ongoing, especially as he reaches two decades in the church and his 50th birthday. With age, Hurley said he begins to see the world differently. 

“Just in my years of being a priest and active ministry, I guess the one thing I would say is you learn that life is too short," he said. 

He believes life should be joyous and people should let go of grudges or burdens. They should also trust in God as that unconditional love and connection can help on life's journey. 

Hurley calls the Wilmington Diocese offices the administrative arm to the parishes of Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore. It handles various duties including finance, human resources and development. 

It also provides outreach to the parishes including the ones along the Shore from Cecil to Worcester County. However, Hurley said the diocese's goal is to be more present on the Shore, especially with its Catholic Charities program.  

“We really want to have a stronger presence on the Eastern Shore,” he said. 

But while Hurley enjoys his time on the administrative side, he said he enjoys being with his parish and his churchgoers more. He said he's been a pastor for the past seven years and it's taught him what it means to be a priest and connect to people more than anything else. 

He said he's learned his duty as a priest is to shepherd people. Hurley knows all of his churchgoers either by face or name. He feels it's a privilege to be a part of their lives and be a part of some of their most monumental moments. 

“It’s a privilege because they ask you to bury their dead, they ask you to marry their children, they ask you to baptize their babies and they tell you their most intimate secrets and burdens. It’s an honor and a privilege to serve,” he said.  

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