New priest appointments announced

Official Appointments and Announcements

The Most Reverend Luis Rafael Zarama, Bishop of Raleigh, is pleased to convey the following official appointments and announcements regarding priestly ministry in the Diocese of Raleigh.

Appointments Effective June 26, 2018

Pastors

Very Reverend Bill John Acosta-Escobar, V.F., Pastor of Saint Therese Parish in Wilson, Dean of the Tar River Deanery, is appointed Pastor of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Wake Forest.

Reverend Mark J. Betti, Pastor of Holy Family Parish in Hillsborough, is appointed Pastor of Saint Brendan the Navigator Parish in Shallotte.

Reverend Jeffrey A. Bowker, Priest Chaplain to the Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Community at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, is appointed Pastor of Saint Therese Parish in Wilson.

Reverend Monsignor David D. Brockman, Vicar General of the Diocese of Raleigh, Pastor of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Wake Forest, remains Vicar General and is appointed Pastor and Rector of the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh.

Reverend Michael J. Burbeck, Administrator of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Ahoskie and its Mission of Saint Anne in Scotland Neck and Administrator of Holy Trinity Parish in Williamston, is appointed Pastor of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Ahoskie and its Mission of Saint Anne in Scotland Neck and remains Administrator of Holy Trinity Parish in Williamston.

Reverend David M. Chiantella, Administrator of Saint Mary Mother of the Church Parish in Garner, is appointed Pastor of Saint Mary Mother of the Church Parish in Garner.

Reverend P. Nicholas Cottrill, Administrator of Holy Family Parish in Elizabeth City and its Mission, Saint Katharine Drexel in Maple, is appointed Pastor of Holy Family Parish in Elizabeth City and its Mission, Saint Katharine Drexel in Maple.

Very Reverend Thomas R. Davis, V.F., Pastor of Saint Egbert Parish in Morehead City, Dean of the New Bern Deanery, is reappointed Pastor of Saint Egbert Parish in Morehead City.

Reverend Roch T. Drozdzik, Pastor of Transfiguration Parish in Wallace and Santa Clara Mission in Magnolia, is appointed Pastor of Saint Mary Parish in Goldsboro.

Reverend John J. Forbes, Administrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Pinehurst and San Juan Diego Mission in Robbins, is appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Pinehurst and San Juan Diego Mission in Robbins.

Very Reverend James F. Garneau, V.F., Pastor of Saint Mary of the Angels Parish in Mount Olive, Dean of the Newton Grove Deanery, Diocesan Director of the Permanent Diaconate, remains Diocesan Director of the Permanent Diaconate and is appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Raleigh.

Reverend John V. Gournas, Administrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Southport, is appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Southport.

Reverend Ryszard W. Kolodziej, Pastor of Saint Brendan the Navigator Parish in Shallotte, is appointed Pastor and Rector of the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary in Wilmington.

Reverend Rafael A. Leon-Valencia, Priest in Residence at Saint Ann Parish in Clayton, is appointed Pastor of Saint James Parish in Henderson and Saint Joseph the Worker Mission in Warrenton.

Very Reverend Scott E. McCue, V.F., Administrator of Saint Thomas More Parish, Chapel Hill, Diocesan Scout Chaplain and Dean of the Piedmont Deanery, is reappointed Pastor of Saint Thomas More Parish in Chapel Hill. Additionally, Father McCue is appointed Administrator of Holy Family Parish in Hillsborough through July 26, 2018.

Reverend Joseph G. Mulroney, Administrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Dunn, is appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Dunn.

Reverend Thanh N. Nguyen, Administrator of Saint Matthew Parish in Durham, is reappointed Pastor of Saint Matthew Parish in Durham.

Reverend Monsignor Joseph K. Ntuwa, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kampala (Uganda), Administrator and Campus Minister at The Doggett Center for Catholic Campus Ministry at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, is appointed Pastor of All Saints Parish in Hampstead and All Saints Mission in Surf City.

Reverend Monsignor Douglas P. Reed, Administrator of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Cary, is reappointed Pastor of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Cary.

Reverend Archie M. Tacay, C.I.C.M., a Priest of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary-Missionhurst, Administrator of Saint Eugene Parish in Wendell, is appointed Pastor of Saint Eugene Parish in Wendell.

Reverend Philip M. Tighe, Diocesan Director of the Office of Vocations and Seminarian Formation, is additionally appointed Pastor and Campus Minister at The Doggett Center for Catholic Campus Ministry at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

Reverend Trent L. Watts, Administrator of Saint Therese Parish in Wrightsville Beach, is appointed Pastor of Saint Therese Parish in Wrightsville Beach.

Reverend R. Aaron Wessman, G.H.M., a priest of the Glenmary Home Missioners, Administrator of Holy Spirit Parish in Windsor and Saint Joan of Arc Parish in Plymouth, is appointed Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Windsor and Saint Joan of Arc Parish in Plymouth.

Administrators

Reverend John J. Granados, a priest of the Diocese of Caldas (Colombia), Parochial Vicar at Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Cary, is appointed Administrator of Saint Mary of the Angels Parish in Mount Olive.

Reverend Fernando Melendez Castañeda, a priest of the Diocese of Chimbote (Peru), Parochial Vicar at Saint Mark Parish in Wilmington, is appointed Administrator of Transfiguration Parish in Wallace and Santa Clara Mission in Magnolia.

Parochial Vicars

Reverend Mr. Michael E. Coveyou, upon ordination to the Priesthood on June 23, 2018, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Bernadette Parish in Fuquay-Varina.

Reverend Francisco Javier Garcia Gonzalez, Parochial Vicar at Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Wake Forest, is appointed Parochial Vicar at the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary in Wilmington.

Reverend Philip G. Johnson, Priest in Residence at Sacred Heart Parish in Pinehurst, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Ann Parish in Clayton.

Reverend John A. Kane, Parochial Vicar at Saint Thomas More Parish in Chapel Hill is appointed Parochial Vicar at the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh.

Reverend Mr. Christopher S. Koehn, upon ordination to the Priesthood on June 23, 2018, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Thomas More Parish in Chapel Hill.

Reverend James M. Labosky, Parochial Vicar at Saint Thomas More Parish in Chapel Hill, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Cary, with continued residence at the Robert Southwell House in Chapel Hill.

Reverend Mr. Marlon A. Mendieta-Rodas, upon ordination to the Priesthood on June 23, 2018, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Patrick Parish in Fayetteville.

Reverend Robert L. Schmid, Parochial Vicar at Saint Patrick Parish in Fayetteville, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Paul Parish in New Bern.

Reverend Michael G. Schuetz, Parochial Vicar at Saint Paul Parish in New Bern, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Raleigh.

Reverend Robert T. Schriber, Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Raleigh, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish in Apex.

Reverend Cesar Torres Martínez, a priest of the Diocese of Nezahualcóyotl (Mexico), Parochial Vicar at Saint Mary Parish in Laurinburg and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Raeford, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Saint Mark Parish in Wilmington.

Appointments Effective July 27, 2018

Administrator

Reverend Ryan W. Elder, Parochial Vicar at Saint Bernadette Parish in Fuquay- Varina, is appointed Administrator of Holy Family Parish in Hillsborough.

Announcements

Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama expresses his sincere appreciation to each of the following priests for their many years of faithful and generous priestly ministry in the Diocese of Raleigh.

Reverend Edward J. Burch, Administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Raleigh, enters full-time retirement, effective June 26, 2018, with residence in Graham, North Carolina.

Reverend John L. Gillespie, Pastor of Saint James Parish in Henderson and Saint Joseph the Worker Mission in Warrenton, retiring from active priestly ministry, effective June 26, 2018, with residence in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

Very Reverend Robert J. Kus, Rector of the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary in Wilmington and Diocesan Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies, U.S.A., retired from active priestly ministry, effective March 30, 2018 and currently serving as Administrator of the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary, is granted permission to serve as a missionary priest in San Francisco de Asis Parish in Reitoca, (Honduras), sister parish of the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary, effective June 26, 2018.

Very Reverend Justin Kerber, C.P., V.F., Rector and Pastor of the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh and Dean of the Raleigh Deanery, has been reassigned to priestly ministry by his Provincial, effective June 26, 2018.

Reverend Edward Wolanski, C.P., Parochial Vicar at the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, is retiring from active priestly ministry, effective June 26, 2018.