According to a Church of the Nativity parishioner, the diocese has assigned Fr. Scott Caton to offer weekday Masses at Nativity so as to compliment the sparse weekly offerings by Fr. Ted Auble.
Update: Another reader has stated that Fr. Caton will only be available during the summer months.
Another reader, Interstate Catholic (blog here), has written that an extern priest, Fr. Peter Nkansah Adu-Boaher, will be assigned to Blessed Trinity parish as a Parochial Vicar.
A reader has told us that Fr. Peter Enyan-Boadu has received an assignment as Parochial Vicar at St. Lawrence in Greece. This is a surprising move when one takes into account the fact that there are still six openings with (potentially) no other priests available, and that St. Lawrence presently has three priests on staff (Frs. Falletta, Haycock and O’Brien).
Fr. Falletta is over the diocesan retirement age but appears to be continuing on in his role as pastor of St. Lawrence. I’m not sure about the ages of the other two priests.
Here are openings yet to be filled:
(1) Pastor at Immaculate Conception (Rochester/Corn Hill)
(1-2) Parochial Vicars at Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit)
(1) Parochial Vicar at Blessed Trinity (Waverly, Newark Valley, Apalachin, Owego)
(1) Parochial Vicar at St. Mary (Canandaigua)
(1) Chaplain at Rochester Institute of Technology (Henrietta)
We have learned that the newly ordained Fr. Scott Caton has been assigned to serve in the lion’s den at St. Mary downtown under Anne-Marie Brogan. According to the St. Mary Facebook site, Fr. Caton will be their new assisting priest. It is assumed then, since St. Mary will be sharing priests with Blessed Sacrament and St. Boniface, that he will serve these other cluster parishes as well under Fr. Kennedy.
A new priest may be in the free agent mix. It is possible that Fr. Pat Van Durme has finished his priestly duties overseas in the military. If this is the case, there will be two available priests for assignment. Fr. Eynan-Boadu still has not received an appointment.
As many as six pastoral positions still remain. Time to start moving Parochial Vicars from parishes that presently offer only four weekend Masses with two priests on staff.
Update: A reader has posted that Fr. Paul Gitau, presently serving at Immaculate Conception and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, will be taking over the pastorate of St. Paul in Webster. It is unlikely that he will continue as Pastor of Immaculate Conception while serving a demanding pastorate at St. Paul (over 1,000 weekly attendees).
Appointments known so far (to take place by the end of June):
| Fr. John Yaw Afoakwah from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Trinity parish (Waverly, Newark Valley, Apalachian, Owego) to reassignment in Ghana. | |
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Fr. Ted Auble from Sacramental Minister of St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville) to Sacramental Minister of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brockport). |
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Fr. Timothy Brown from leave of absence, formerly Sacramental Minister of St. Pius X (Chili), to Parochial Vicar at Peace of Christ (E. Irondequoit/Rochester). |
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Ms. Charlotte Bruney from Pastoral Administrator of St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville) to Pastoral Administrator of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brockport). |
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Fr. Joseph Canh from Vietnamese Ministry at St. Helen (Gates) to transfer to Boston Archdiocese. |
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Fr. Scott Caton to Parochial Vicar/Sacramental Minister at Blessed Sacrament, St. Boniface, and St. Mary downtown (Rochester). |
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Fr. Augustine Chumo from Sacramental Minister of St. Michael, St. John, St. Patrick (Clyde, Lyons, Savannah) to Pastor of this community. Sr. Diane Dennie, SSJ will no longer be Pastoral Administrator. |
| Fr. William Darling from Parochial Vicar at St. Mary (Canandaigua) to Pastor of Our Lady of the Snow (Cato, Port Byron, Weedsport). | |
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Fr. William Donnelly from semi-retirement/Sacramental Minister of St. Mary downtown to retirement. |
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Fr. William Endres from Sacramental Minister of St. Mary of the Assumption (Scottsville) to Sacramental Minister of St. Mary of the Assumption/St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville)/St. Columba (Caledonia). |
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Fr. John Gathenya from Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Snow (Cato, Port Byron, Weedsport) to Parochial Administrator or Pastor of Holy Family (Auburn). Fr. Gathenya replaces Fr. Michael Conboy, presently serving as Parochial Administrator. |
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Fr. Paul Gitau from co-Administrator of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester) and Pastor of Immaculate Conception (Rochester) to Pastor of St. Paul (Webster). |
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Ms. Irene Goodwin from Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption (Scottsville) to Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption/St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville)/St. Columba (Caledonia). |
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Fr. Timothy Horan from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster). |
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Fr. Leo Huyen to Vietnamese Ministry at St. Helen (Gates). |
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Fr. Stanley Kaczrpak from pastor of St. Paul (Webster) to Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes (Dundee, Naples, Penn Yan, Prattsburgh, Rushville, Stanley). |
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Fr. Robert Kennedy from Pastor of Blessed Sacrament (Rochester) to Pastor of Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface (Rochester) and priestly duties at St. Mary downtown (Rochester). |
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Fr. Steven Lape from Pastor of St. Jerome (East Rochester) to Sacramental Minister of St. Mary of the Assumption (Scottsville)/St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville)/St. Columba (Caledonia). |
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Fr. William Leone from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of St. Jerome (East Rochester). |
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Fr. Michael Mayer from temporary Sacramental Minister of St. Pius X (Chili) to at least one more year in this position. |
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Fr. Mickey McGrath from Pastor of St. Columba (Caledonia) to Sacramental Minister of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester) |
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Fr. William Michatek from Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster) to retirement. |
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Fr. Kevin Murphy from Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford) to retirement. |
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Fr. Thomas Nellis from retirement to temporary Sacramental Minister/weekend Mass assistance at Church of the Transfiguration (Pittsford) during sabbatical of Fr. Michael Bausch. |
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Deacon David Palma from director of deacon personnel to Pastoral Administrator of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester). This appointment may be concurrent with his duties as deacon director. |
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Fr. Robert Ring from Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes (Dundee, Naples, Penn Yan, Prattsburgh, Rushville, Stanley) to Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford). |
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Fr. Laurence Tracy from Sacramental Minister of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester) to “official” retirement concurrent with continued assistance in this parish. |
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Fr. Robert Werth from Parochial Vicar of Peace of Christ (Rochester) to Sacramental Minister of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester). |
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Ms. Damian Zynda, Th.D to temporary Pastoral Administrator of Church of the Transfiguration (Pittsford) during sabbatical of Fr. Michael Bausch. |
“Free agents” – Active priests without an assignment come June, excluding those known to be on leave. Most recent assignment in parentheses.
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Fr. Peter Enyan-Boadu (Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary) |
Total: At least 1 free agent priest. Fr. Van Durme may also be available.
Remaining openings – The following is a list of openings yet to be filled or about which we have little to no information
(1) Pastor at Immaculate Conception (Rochester)
(1-2) Parochial Vicars at Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit))
(1) Parochial Vicar at Blessed Trinity (Waverly, Newark Valley, Apalachin, Owego)
(1) Parochial Vicar at St. Mary (Canandaigua)
(1) Chaplain at Rochester Institute of Technology (Henrietta)
Total: About 6 known openings
We just received word today that Fr. Stanley Kacprzak has been named the successor of Fr. Robert Ring as Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes, starting this September. Fr. K is presently the pastor of St. Paul in Webster, a position he has held for the past nine years (he is currently halfway through his second term). This move creates an opening at St. Paul which, given the low number of available priests, could go to a lay administrator. It is uncertain whether the move will affect the proposed renovation of St. Paul church.
The "Catholic" sanctuary of St. Paul church
I’m not sure how much Fr. K played a role in this, but St. Paul has been anything but orthodox and reverent during his tenure. First, the church itself is devoid of Catholic imagery save for a tiny icon tucked away in the corner. There are abstract shapes for the Stations of the Cross, an octagonal altar on the right side of the sanctuary, and no crucifix to be found anywhere. Additionally, the tabernacle is hidden behind the sanctuary so that a visitor would be unable to find the reserved Blessed Sacrament. Masses at this parish feature street-clothes altar servers and standing throughout the consecration (thanks in large part to the lack of kneelers). To top things off, dissident women’s ordination advocate nun, Sr. Joan Chittister, was invited to speak in the church proper.
Sr. Joan @ St. Paul
St. Paul is a decent-size parish with roughly 1,000 weekly attendees. It will be interesting to see who the bishop appoints to this important leadership position. It is unknown as of now who will lead Our Lady of the Lakes until Fr. K assumes the pastorate.
We have information about a few more “sacramental minister” appointments. More will be posted on the Fr. Auble assignment tomorrow morning.
After the latest appointments there will be two available priests and seven known openings.
Appointments known so far (to take place by the end of June):
| Fr. John Yaw Afoakwah from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Trinity parish (Waverly, Newark Valley, Apalachian, Owego) to reassignment in Ghana. | |
|
Fr. Ted Auble from Sacramental Minister of St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville) to Sacramental Minister of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brockport). |
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Fr. Timothy Brown from leave of absence, formerly Sacramental Minister of St. Pius X (Chili), to Parochial Vicar at Peace of Christ (E. Irondequoit/Rochester). |
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Ms. Charlotte Bruney from Pastoral Administrator of St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville) to Pastoral Administrator of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brockport). |
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Fr. Joseph Canh from Vietnamese Ministry at St. Helen (Gates) to transfer to Boston Archdiocese. |
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Fr. Augustine Chumo from Sacramental Minister of St. Michael, St. John, St. Patrick (Clyde, Lyons, Savannah) to Pastor of this community. Sr. Diane Dennie, SSJ will no longer be Pastoral Administrator. |
| Fr. William Darling from Parochial Vicar at St. Mary (Canandaigua) to Pastor of Our Lady of the Snow (Cato, Port Byron, Weedsport). | |
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Fr. William Donnelly from semi-retirement/Sacramental Minister of St. Mary downtown to retirement. |
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Fr. William Endres from Sacramental Minister of St. Mary of the Assumption (Scottsville) to Sacramental Minister of St. Mary of the Assumption/St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville)/St. Columba (Caledonia). |
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Fr. John Gathenya from Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Snow (Cato, Port Byron, Weedsport) to Parochial Administrator or Pastor of Holy Family (Auburn). Fr. Gathenya replaces Fr. Michael Conboy, presently serving as Parochial Administrator. |
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Ms. Irene Goodwin from Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption (Scottsville) to Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption/St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville)/St. Columba (Caledonia). |
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Fr. Timothy Horan from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster). |
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Fr. Leo Huyen to Vietnamese Ministry at St. Helen (Gates). |
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Fr. Robert Kennedy from Pastor of Blessed Sacrament (Rochester) to Pastor of Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface (Rochester) and priestly duties at St. Mary downtown (Rochester). |
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Fr. Steven Lape from Pastor of St. Jerome (East Rochester) to Sacramental Minister of St. Mary of the Assumption (Scottsville)/St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville)/St. Columba (Caledonia). |
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Fr. William Leone from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of St. Jerome (East Rochester). |
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Fr. Michael Mayer from temporary Sacramental Minister of St. Pius X (Chili) to at least one more year in this position. |
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Fr. Mickey McGrath from Pastor of St. Columba (Caledonia) to Sacramental Minister of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester) |
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Fr. William Michatek from Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster) to retirement. |
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Fr. Kevin Murphy from Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford) to retirement. |
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Fr. Thomas Nellis from retirement to temporary Sacramental Minister/weekend Mass assistance at Church of the Transfiguration (Pittsford) during sabbatical of Fr. Michael Bausch. |
| Deacon David Palma from director of deacon personnel to Pastoral Administrator of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester). This appointment may be concurrent with his duties as deacon director. | |
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Fr. Robert Ring from Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes (Dundee, Naples, Penn Yan, Prattsburgh, Rushville, Stanley) to Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford). |
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Fr. Laurence Tracy from Sacramental Minister of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester) to “official” retirement concurrent with continued assistance in this parish. |
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Fr. Robert Werth from Parochial Vicar of Peace of Christ (Rochester) to Sacramental Minister of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester). |
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Ms. Damian Zynda, Th.D to temporary Pastoral Administrator of Church of the Transfiguration (Pittsford) during sabbatical of Fr. Michael Bausch. |
“Free agents” – Active priests without an assignment come June, excluding those known to be on leave. Most recent assignment in parentheses.
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Deacon Scott Caton (ordination in June) |
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Fr. Peter Enyan-Boadu (Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary) |
Total: About 2 free agent priests
Remaining openings – The following is a list of openings yet to be filled or about which we have little to no information
(1) Parochial Vicar at Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface and St. Mary downtown (Believed by some to be going to Deacon Caton upon ordination)
(1-2) Parochial Vicars at Blessed Kateri (The status of Fr. Morgan Rice CSB is still uncertain. One week we hear he’s leaving, the next he’s staying. We need a clear answer on this)
(1) Pastor at Our Lady of the Lakes
(1) Parochial Vicar at Blessed Trinity
(1) Parochial Vicar at St. Mary (Canandaigua)
(1) Chaplain at Rochester Institute of Technology
Total: About 7 known openings
Difference: 5 openings remain if all priests listed above are assigned.
I will open Cleansing Fire’s latest pastoral appointments update with a few words from Fr. Norm Tanck, CSB:
He’s right. As we predicted about a month ago, the Diocese of Rochester has arrived at a point where there are more openings than available priests. So what’s going to happen? If you believe what a priest friend of ours has suggested might happen, a large number of parish closings are imminent. There are several possibilities however that Bishop Clark could pursue before carrying out his usual course of action.
First, there are a few Parochial Vicars who can and should be reassigned to fill these openings. This includes Fr. Pius Pathmarajah of St. John the Evangelist (Greece) and Fr. Mark Brewer of St. Charles Borromeo (Greece). I realize this recommendation was not popular with some when I made it last time, but something needs to be done to address these needs! Both of these men serve in parishes where four weekend Masses are offered and where two priests are on staff offering two Masses a piece instead of the bishop’s maximum of three. A second possibility is to import additional priests from outside the United States. We have done this before, and it might be time to do it again. My third suggestion is to cluster more parishes. This idea was also unpopular with our readers, but we have little choice with the number of priests rapidly declining in Rochester and the possibility of replacements from ordinations still a few years away. We will continue to lose priests to retirements, and don’t exclude the possibility that priests could be accused of sexual abuse and placed on leave (at least two were suspended in 2010 alone). A number of three-church clusters could be established in the mold of Peace of Christ and the Gates-Chili cluster. These communities could then be run by a priest Pastor and Parochial Vicar. This would reduce the number of priests required for these three-church clusters from three to two, and free up a priest to fill one of the vacancies.
Mass times will need to be reduced with suggestions one and three above.
Difficult decisions will have to be made by Bishop Clark over the next 40 or so days. This is the harvest that his 30+ years at the helm has produced, and now is the time for him to reap what he has sown. Let us pray that his decisions will be good ones and cause minimal pain to the faithful of Rochester.
Without further ado, here are the updated appointments, “free agents” list, and openings.
Appointments known so far (to take place by the end of June):
| Fr. John Yaw Afoakwah from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Trinity parish (Waverly, Newark Valley, Apalachian, Owego) to reassignment in Ghana. | |
|
Ms. Charlotte Bruney from Pastoral Administrator of St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville) to Pastoral Administrator of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brockport). |
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Fr. Joseph Canh from Vietnamese Ministry at St. Helen (Gates) to transfer to Boston Archdiocese. |
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Fr. Augustine Chumo from Sacramental Minister of St. Michael, St. John, St. Patrick (Clyde, Lyons, Savannah) to Pastor of this community. Sr. Diane Dennie, SSJ will no longer be Pastoral Administrator. |
| Fr. William Darling from Parochial Vicar at St. Mary (Canandaigua) to Pastor of Our Lady of the Snow (Cato, Port Byron, Weedsport). | |
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Fr. William Donnelly from semi-retirement/Sacramental Minister of St. Mary downtown to retirement. |
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Fr. John Gathenya from Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Snow (Cato, Port Byron, Weedsport) to Parochial Administrator or Pastor of Holy Family (Auburn). Fr. Gathenya replaces Fr. Michael Conboy, presently serving as Parochial Administrator. |
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Ms. Irene Goodwin from Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption (Scottsville) to Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption/St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville)/St. Columba (Caledonia). |
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Fr. Timothy Horan from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster). |
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Fr. Leo Huyen to Vietnamese Ministry at St. Helen (Gates). |
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Fr. Robert Kennedy from Pastor of Blessed Sacrament (Rochester) to Pastor of Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface (Rochester) and priestly duties at St. Mary downtown (Rochester). |
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Fr. William Leone from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of St. Jerome (East Rochester). |
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Fr. Mickey McGrath from Pastor of St. Columba (Caledonia) to Sacramental Minister of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester) |
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Fr. William Michatek from Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster) to retirement. |
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Fr. Kevin Murphy from Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford) to retirement. |
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Fr. Thomas Nellis from retirement to temporary Sacramental Minister/weekend Mass assistance at Church of the Transfiguration (Pittsford) during sabbatical of Fr. Michael Bausch. |
| Deacon David Palma from director of deacon personnel to Pastoral Administrator of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester). This appointment may be concurrent with his duties as deacon director. | |
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Fr. Robert Ring from Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes (Dundee, Naples, Penn Yan, Prattsburgh, Rushville, Stanley) to Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford). |
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Fr. Robert Werth from Parochial Vicar of Peace of Christ (Rochester) to Sacramental Minister of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Rochester). |
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Ms. Damian Zynda, Th.D to temporary Pastoral Administrator of Church of the Transfiguration (Pittsford) during sabbatical of Fr. Michael Bausch. |
“Free agents” – Active priests without an assignment come June, excluding those known to be on leave. Most recent assignment in parentheses.
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Fr. Ted Auble (St. Vincent De Paul) |
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Deacon Scott Caton (ordination in June) |
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Fr. William Endres (St. Mary of the Assumption) |
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Fr. Peter Enyan-Boadu (Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary) |
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Fr. Steven Lape (St. Jerome) |
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Fr. Michael Mayer (temporarily at St. Pius X during absence of Fr. Timothy Brown) |
Total: About 6 free agent priests
Remaining openings – The following is a list of openings yet to be filled or about which we have little to no information
(1) Parochial Vicar at Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface and St. Mary downtown
(2) Sacramental Ministers at St. Vincent DePaul/St. Columba/St. Mary of the Assumption
(1) Sacramental Minister at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(1) Pastor at Our Lady of the Lakes
(1-2) Parochial Vicars at Blessed Kateri
(1) Parochial Vicar at Blessed Trinity
(1) Parochial Vicar at St. Mary (Canandaigua)
(1) Chaplain at Rochester Institute of Technology
Total: About 10 known openings
Difference: 4 openings remain if all priests listed above are assigned.
Changes to free agent list since last edition: Fr. Tracy and Fr. Brickler have been removed from the free agent list. Both appear to be retiring from active ministry. Fr. Brickler’s Catholic Courier article confirms his retirement. The fact that Fr. Tracy was not appointed to St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, a parish with a large Spanish-speaking population, strongly suggests his retirement as well. Fr. Tracy has had difficulty standing in recent years.
A reader sent us a message today saying that it was announced that Deacon David Palma will become the pastoral administrator of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini parish (St. Michael, Corpus Christi, Annunciation). The sacramental ministers, according to our reader, will be Fr. Robert Werth of Peace of Christ and Fr. Mickey McGrath of St. Columba.
There is no official confirmation of this information yet, so if you hear anything different, please contact us as soon as possible.
Here is the latest Diocese of Rochester pastoral appointment update. If you notice an error or have information to share, please contact us at: contact@cleansingfiredor.com
Appointments known so far (to take place by the end of June):
| Fr. John Yaw Afoakwah from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Trinity parish (Waverly, Newark Valley, Apalachian, Owego) to reassignment in Ghana. | |
|
Charlotte Bruney from Pastoral Administrator of St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville) to Pastoral Administrator of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brockport). |
|
Fr. Joseph Canh from Vietnamese Ministry at St. Helen (Gates) to transfer to Boston Archdiocese. |
| Fr. William Darling from Parochial Vicar at St. Mary (Canandaigua) to Pastor of Our Lady of the Snow (Cato, Port Byron, Weedsport). | |
|
Fr. Augustine Chumo from Sacramental Minister of St. Michael, St. John, St. Patrick (Clyde, Lyons, Savannah) to Pastor of this community. Sr. Diane Dennie, SSJ will no longer be Pastoral Administrator. |
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Fr. William Donnelly from semi-retirement/Sacramental Minister of St. Mary downtown to retirement. |
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Fr. John Gathenya from Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Snow (Cato, Port Byron, Weedsport) to Parochial Administrator or Pastor of Holy Family (Auburn). Fr. Gathenya replaces Fr. Michael Conboy, presently serving as Parochial Administrator. |
|
Irene Goodwin from Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption (Scottsville) to Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption/St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville)/St. Columba (Caledonia). |
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Fr. Timothy Horan from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster). |
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Fr. Leo Huyen to Vietnamese Ministry at St. Helen (Gates). |
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Fr. Robert Kennedy from Pastor of Blessed Sacrament (Rochester) to Pastor of Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface (Rochester) and priestly duties at St. Mary downtown (Rochester). |
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Fr. William Leone from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of St. Jerome (East Rochester). |
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Fr. William Michatek from Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster) to retirement. |
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Fr. Kevin Murphy from Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford) to retirement. |
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Fr. Robert Ring from Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes (Dundee, Naples, Penn Yan, Prattsburgh, Rushville, Stanley) to Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford). |
“Free agents” – Active priests without an assignment come June, excluding those known to be on leave. Most recent assignment in parentheses.
|
Fr. Ted Auble (St. Vincent De Paul) |
 |
Fr. Richard Brickler (St. Boniface) |
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Deacon Scott Caton (ordination in June) |
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Fr. William Endres (St. Mary of the Assumption) |
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Fr. Peter Enyan-Boadu (Nativity Blessed Virgin Mary) |
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Fr. Steven Lape (St. Jerome) |
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Fr. Michael Mayer (St. Pius X) |
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Fr. Mickey McGrath (St. Columba) |
 |
Fr. Laurence Tracy (St. Frances Xavier Cabrini) |
Total: About 9 free agent priests
Remaining openings – The following is a list of openings yet to be filled or about which we have little to no information
(1) Parochial Vicar at Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface and St. Mary downtown
(2) Sacramental Ministers at St. Vincent DePaul/St. Columba/St. Mary of the Assumption
(1) Sacramental Minister at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(1) Pastor at Our Lady of the Snow [Update: This position has been filled. A new opening may now exist at St. Mary in Canandaigua]
(1) Pastor at Our Lady of the Lakes
(1-2) Parochial Vicars at Blessed Kateri
(2) priests in unknown roles at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
(1) Parochial Vicar at Blessed Trinity
(1) Chaplain at Rochester Institute of Technology
Total: About 12 known openings
Status unknown –
-Fr. Morgan Rice, CSB (Blessed Kateri)
Notes and commentary:
-With approximately 12 (known) openings and only 9 (known) available priests, there are not enough priests to fill each vacancy. More clustering could soon take place.
-List of openings above does not include hospital/prison/nursing home chaplaincies, so there may be even more positions to fill.
-The structure of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is a mystery at this point. Will a lay administrator be assigned or a priest pastor? Will Fr. Tracy stay on or retire? Where is the diocese going to find two Spanish speaking priests for this parish now that Fr. Panepinto has been suspended?
-Fr. Brickler, the former Pastor of St. Boniface, is a few years over 70. Will he retire? His retirement would mean one less available priest in “free agency.”
-Fr. Morgan Rice, CSB was supposed to stay in Rochester for one more year. Well, that year is up. Will the Basilians assign him elsewhere, or will they let him stay a little longer? If he is reassigned, Fr. Tanck will be the only active priest in Blessed Kateri parish. Also, since Christ the King no longer exists as a parish, do the Basilians still have an affiliation with that community? Do they even need to supply priests for CTK?
-There are a few parishes in the area with more than one active priest on staff who could probably get by with one less. Peace of Christ has 3 priests offering 6 Masses, St. Charles Borromeo has 2 priests offering 4 Masses, and St. John the Evangelist (Greece) has 2 priests offering 4. It is possible that Bishop Clark will move one of these Parochial Vicars and, in the case of the two Greece parishes, request that the parishes cut their Mass offerings from 4 to 3.
-Deacon Scott Caton is expected to be ordained to the priesthood in June. Remember, his situation is unique in that he is a former Protestant minister with a wife and children. It is unlikely that he will be given a pastorate since he will continue with his teaching job to support his family. Expect for him to be assigned close to home so that he doesn’t have to relocate. Possible assignments include: Nativity as Sacramental Minister, Blessed Kateri as a Parochial Vicar, or Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface and St. Mary downtown as a Parochial Vicar.
It’s official — The controversial pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes, Fr. Robert Ring, has been named by Bishop Clark to be the pastor of one of the largest and wealthiest parishes in the Diocese of Rochester, St. Louis church in Pittsford. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since our bishop has a long history of appointing only the most loyal party-line men to the prominent east side parishes in Pittsford, Fairport, and Penfield. What’s most disturbing about this appointment is that we knew it was going to happen so far in advance (Feburary 3rd, before a member of the priest personnel board even met with the St. Louis staff!). Why did the diocese bother to solicit applications for this post if the appointee was already known? The pastoral application process in Rochester is a joke.
So St. Louis readers, what will you be getting from your new Pastor? First and foremost, we are told that Fr. Ring has been pushing for controversial wreckovations at St. Januarius church in Naples. The parishioners of this community have been fighting the proposed changes that Father wishes to make to the church and to the sanctuary. There also has been some disagreement over where the money will come for these changes. We will go into more details about this situation in the coming months, but suffice to say that the people are very unhappy about Father’s proposed changes.
Various loopy activities at Fr. Ring’s parish have also been brought to our attention. Below are a couple examples. First, his parish has endorsed a number of “Enneagram” sessions led by Sr. Margaret Mattle, RSM. For those unfamiliar, Enneagram is a New Age practice, like Reiki, that has received disfavor from the Vatican (see #7.2). These sessions have been occurring once a month and run through May.
Father’s parish is also playing host to the “Women of the Well,” a performance troupe where more than half of the performers (including their leader) have demonstrated public support for the ordination of women to the priesthood, contrary to the definitive teaching of the Church. Then again, Fr. Murphy has invited them as well.
There are still a number of openings throughout the diocese, so keep checking in for updates.
Appointments so far, to take place by June:
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Charlotte Bruney from Pastoral Administrator of St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville) to Pastoral Administrator of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brockport). | |
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Fr. Joseph Canh from Vietnamese Ministry at St. Helen to transfer to Boston Archdiocese. | |
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Fr. Augustine Chumo from Sacramental Minister of St. Michael, St. John, St. Patrick (Clyde, Lyons, Savannah) to Pastor of this community. Sr. Diane Dennie, SSJ will no longer be Pastoral Administrator. | |
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Irene Goodwin from Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption to Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption/St. Vincent De Paul/St. Columba. | |
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Fr. Timothy Horan from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster). | |
| Fr. Leo Huyen to Vietnamese Ministry at St. Helen. | ||
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Fr. Robert Kennedy from Pastor of Blessed Sacrament (Rochester) to Pastor of Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface and priestly duties at St. Mary downtown (Rochester). | |
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Fr. William Michatek from Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster) to retirement. | |
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Fr. Kevin Murphy from Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford) to retirement. | |
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Fr. Robert Ring from Pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes (Dundee, Naples, Penn Yan, Prattsburgh, Rushville, Stanley) to Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford). |
If you notice an error, or have information about an appointment not listed here, please contact us at: contact@cleansingfiredor.com
Official source Re: Ring appointment-
Appointments so far, to take place by June:
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Charlotte Bruney from Pastoral Administrator of St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville) to Pastoral Administrator of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brockport). |
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Fr. John Gathenya from Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Snow (Cato, Port Byron, Weedsport) to Parochial Administrator or Pastor of Holy Family (Auburn). Fr. Gathenya replaces Fr. Michael Conboy, presently serving as Parochial Administrator. |
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Irene Goodwin from Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption to Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption/St. Vincent De Paul/St. Columba. |
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Fr. Timothy Horan from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster). |
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Fr. Robert Kennedy from Pastor of Blessed Sacrament (Rochester) to Pastor of Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface and priestly duties at St. Mary downtown (Rochester). |
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Fr. William Michatek from Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster) to retirement. |
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Fr. Kevin Murphy from Pastor of St. Louis (Pittsford) to retirement. |
If you notice an error, or have information about an appointment not listed here, please contact us at: contact@cleansingfiredor.com
I am refraining from adding ‘Fr. Robert Ring to St. Louis’ until I receive notice of some official announcement from the pulpit, bulletin, or otherwise.
Mardi Gras is coming to Brockport
A reader has sent an e-mail informing us that Charlotte Bruney, pastoral administrator of St. Vincent De Paul in Churchville since 1998, has been named the future Pastoral Administrator of Nativity in Brockport.
Perhaps her position on the priest’s personnel board played at least a small part in her getting another administrator job. By the way, what is a lay person doing on the priest personnel board to begin with? If anyone in Brockport is displeased with the news, keep in mind that we will likely have new a bishop as soon as next year, and that he may decide to do away with lay pastoral administration in this diocese.
Update: A reader claims that Irene Goodwin, presently administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption, will assume leadership of the new cluster which will also include St. Vincent De Paul and St. Columba.
Appointments so far, to take place by June:
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Charlotte Bruney from Pastoral Administrator of St. Vincent De Paul (Churchville) to Pastoral Administrator of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Brockport). |
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Irene Goodwin from Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption to Pastoral Administrator of St. Mary of the Assumption/St. Vincent De Paul/St. Columba. |
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Fr. Timothy Horan from Parochial Vicar of Blessed Kateri (Irondequoit) to Pastor of Holy Trinity (Webster). |
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Fr. Robert Kennedy from Pastor of Blessed Sacrament (Rochester) to Pastor of Blessed Sacrament/St. Boniface and priestly duties at St. Mary downtown (Rochester). |
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Fr. William Michatek from Pastor of Holy Trinity to retirement. |
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Fr. Kevin Murphy from Pastor of St. Louis to retirement. |
TBA: Nativity [Brockport] (Sacramental Minister), St. Vincent DePaul/St. Columba/St. Mary [SW Monroe], St. Louis [Pittsford], Holy Family [Auburn], and St. Michael/St. John the Evangelist/St. Patrick [Lyons, Clyde, Savannah]. Others to watch because of priests around 70 years of age: St. Lawrence [Greece], Mother of Sorrows [Greece], and Holy Cross [Charlotte]. Sr. Joan Sobala at St. Anne is over 70, but you know she is not going anywhere because of diocesan politics. St. Rita’s leader has served the maximum 12 years, or two terms. St. Pius X’s Sacramental Minister may be open if Fr. Tim Brown does not return. We are uncertain whether the new city northeast parish of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini will experience any leadership changes at either the priest and/or administrator positions. If new priests are appointed, they will most likely be bilingual.
Please continue to inform us of pastoral changes in your local parishes.
Reportedly, this coming week is the final week for priests and persons in the mythical “lay administrator pool” to apply for pastoral openings in the Diocese of Rochester. We should be learning about the bishop’s appointments in the coming weeks and, in cases where there is little applicant interest, months. The assignments usually go into effect around June.
Stay tuned.
Here are the latest pastoral appointments made by Bishop Clark this past week:
-Fr. Jeffery Tunnicliff to parochial vicar of Our Lady of the Lakes (St. Michael in Penn Yan, St. Theresa in Stanley, St. Patrick in Prattsburgh, St. Mary in Rushville, and St. Januarius in Naples) from parochial vicar of St. Mary Southside in Elmira. Source: http://renewaloffaith.org/blog/?p=210
-Fr. Jim Hewes to parochial vicar of Holy Ghost/St. Jude the Apostle/St. Helen from parochial administrator of St. Joseph in Rush. Source: EandKmom
I don’t know much about Fr. Hewes. Anybody have something to share?
Fr. Michael Upson, the Sacramental Minister of St. Agnes in Avon, has been assigned as the Sacramental Minister of the new cluster of St. Agnes, St. Paul of the Cross, and St. Rose. From what we hear, Fr. Upson is a solid priest who has been put in the unfortunate situation of having to serve under a preaching nun. Please pray for this servant of God.
Another assignment involves Fr. William Spilly, pastor of St. Elizabeth Anne Seton in Hamlin. He has been given a second six year term as pastor of that parish.
Further pastoral appointments will be posted here as the information becomes available.
The Catholic Courier today published a list of the pastoral appointments thus far for 2010. As stated a couple of days ago, more appointments (mostly Parochial Vicars and “Sacramental Ministers”) will be made around mid to late May. There should be no surprises in the following list, as most of these appointments were already known:
“Bishop Matthew H. Clark has announced the following pastoral appointments, which become effective June 29, 2010:
* Sister Karen Dietz, SSJ, to pastoral administrator, St. Agnes in Avon, St. Paul of the Cross in Honeoye Falls, and St. Rose in Lima, from pastoral administrator of St. Agnes only.
* Father Scott Kubinski to pastor, Christ the Redeemer Catholic Community, Elmira, from pastor, All Saints, Lansing; Holy Cross, Freeville/Dryden; and St. Anthony, Groton.
* Deacon David LaFortune to pastoral administrator, St. Gabriel, Hammondsport, concurrent with his duties at St. Mary, Bath.
* Father Joseph Marcoux to pastor, St. Catherine of Siena, Ithaca, from assisting priest, St. John the Evangelist, Clyde; St. Patrick, Savannah; and St. Michael, Lyons.
* Father Michael Schramel to pastor, Holy Ghost and St. Helen, both in Gates, concurrent with his duties as pastor, St. Jude the Apostle, Gates.
* Barbara Swiecki to pastoral administrator Good Shepherd, Henrietta, and St. Joseph, Rush, concurrent with her duties as pastoral administrator, Guardian Angels, Henrietta. “
Sr. Karen Dietz, the Pastoral Administrator of St. Agnes in Avon, has been appointed as the Pastoral Administrator of a new cluster which will include St. Agnes, St. Paul of the Cross, and St. Rose. Previously, Fr. Lawrence Gross served as the pastor of the SPotC/SR cluster.
Below is the announcement:
So far, the pastoral appointments have been:
-Barbara Swiecki to Pastoral Administrator of Good Shepherd, Guardian Angels, St. Joseph (Rush) from Pastoral Administrator of Guardian Angels alone. Priests to be named later.
-Fr. Michael Schramel to Pastor of St. Jude, Holy Ghost, and St. Helen from Pastor of St. Jude alone. Parochial Vicar to be named later.
-Sr. Karen Dietz to Pastoral Administrator of St. Agnes, St. Paul of the Cross, St. Rose from Pastoral Administrator of St. Agnes alone. Priests to be named later.
Is anyone aware of any other pastoral openings in the Diocese of Rochester aside from these ones which have already been filled?
Three situations to watch in the coming months: 1) The Irondequoit clustering and possible closures, 2) Sr. Joan Sobala reaching age 70 in one month, 3) Charlotte Bruney appears to have served the maximum of three 4 year terms as Pastoral Administrator of St. Vincent DePaul (she was appointed back in 1998).
