SEATTLE – Archbishop Paul D. Etienne has announced the latest pastoral appointments in the Archdiocese of Seattle, effective July 1, 2021 (additional appointments will be forthcoming).
Special Assignment:
Father Justin M. Ryan has been appointed the archdiocese’s director of vocations. Father Bryan E. Dolejsi, who held that post for 10 years, has been appointed pastor of Holy Family Parish in Kirkland.
Pastor:
Pastors are appointed to lead a particular parish(es). Their threefold mission of teaching, governing and sanctifying (CIC, c. 519) empowers the laity for their mission as light and leaven in the world. The term of office for pastor in the Archdiocese of Seattle is six years.
Priests appointed as pastors and their parishes are:
Father Thomas A. Belleque, St. Anthony Parish, Renton.
Father Martin J. Bourke, Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater, Vancouver.
Father Francisco J. Cancino, St. Joseph Parish, Lynden, and St. Peter Mission, Deming.
Father Anthony K. A. Davis, St. Barbara Parish, Black Diamond.
Father Patrick W. Freitag, St. Mary Parish, Aberdeen; St. Joseph Parish, Elma; Our Lady of Good Help Parish, Hoquiam: St. Jerome Parish, Ocean Shores; Our Lady of the Olympics Mission, Amanda Park; St. John Mission, Montesano; and St. Paul Mission, Westport.
Father Richard K. “Woody” McCallister, Immaculate Conception Parish and St. Therese Parish, both in Seattle.
Father William A. McKee, St. John the Baptist Parish, Covington.
Father Kurt W. Nagel, St. Monica Parish, Mercer Island.
Father Tuan V. Nguyen, Visitation Parish, Tacoma, while continuing to serve as pastor of St. Ann Parish and St. John of the Woods Parish, both in Tacoma.
Father Cody L. Ross, Sacred Heart Parish, Bellingham, while continuing to serve as chaplain of Newman Catholic Campus Ministry of Western Washington University in Bellingham.
Father Ramon Santa Cruz, St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Woodinville.
Father Frank R. Schuster, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Federal Way.
Priest administrator:
A priest administrator is a temporary leader of a particular parish, with the same responsibilities as a pastor. (CIC, c. 540 §1-3). Priest administrators may be seasoned, newly arrived priests or newly ordained priests who require more experience and formation before being assigned as pastors. The archdiocese’s term of office for priest administrator is generally one to three years.
Priests appointed priest administrators and their parishes are:
Father Louis R. Cunningham, Sacred Heart Parish, Enumclaw, and Crystal Mountain Chapel.
Father Arulanandu David, St. Philip Parish, Woodland; St. Joseph Mission, Kalama; and St. Mary of Guadalupe Mission, Ridgefield.
Father Randy A. Guarino, Queen of Angels Parish, Port Angeles; St. Joseph Parish, Sequim; and St. Anne Parish, Forks.
Father Tyler Y. Johnson, Immaculate Conception Parish, Arlington, and St. John Vianney Mission, Darrington.
Father Wankie “Dean” Mbuzi, St. Benedict Parish and St. Catherine of Siena Parish, both in Seattle.
Father Juan Carlos Orozco, Holy Spirit Parish, Kent.
Father Leonardo T. Pestaño, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Vancouver.
Jesuit Father Elias Puentes, Sacred Heart Parish and St. Leo the Great Parish, both in Tacoma.
Father Brian D. Thompson, St. Columban Parish, Yelm, and St. Peter Mission, Tenino.
Father Anh B. Tran, St. Aloysius Parish, Buckley, and Sts. Cosmas and Damian Mission, Orting.
Father Alfredo M. Velázquez Ramírez, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Vancouver.
Pastoral coordinator:
A pastoral coordinator is a deacon, religious or lay ecclesial minister appointed by the archbishop under the supervision of a priest moderator and entrusted with the day-to-day leadership of a parish. (CIC, c. 517 §2). The archdiocese’s term of office for pastoral coordinator is generally one to three years.
Appointed pastoral coordinator is:
Deacon Stephen J. Wodzanowski, St. Joseph Parish, Seattle (effective April 24, 2021).
Parochial vicar
A parochial vicar is a priest who serves in pastoral ministry as a co-worker with the pastor, through common counsel and effort, and under his authority (CIC, c. 545 §1-2). The archdiocese’s term of office for parochial vicar is generally one to three years.
Priests appointed parochial vicars and their parishes are:
- Father Benjamin A. Bray, St. Louise de Marillac Parish, Bellevue.
- Father Jaya Kumar Embeti, St. Joseph Parish, Elma and St. John Mission, Montesano, while continuing to serve as parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish, Aberdeen;, Our Lady of Good Help Parish, Hoquiam; St. Jerome Parish, Ocean Shores; Our Lady of the Olympics Mission, Amanda Park; and St. Paul Mission, Westport.
- Father Clement L. Piruwa, Sacred Heart Parish, Lacey.
- Father José Maria C. Ramirez Briseño, St. Charles Parish, Burlington; Immaculate Conception Parish, Mount Vernon; Sacred Heart Parish, La Conner; Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Sedro-Woolley; and St. Catherine Mission, Concrete.
- Father Showreelu Simham, St. Joseph Parish, Elma, and St. John Mission, Montesano, while continuing to serve as parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish, Aberdeen; Our Lady of Good Help Parish, Hoquiam; St. Jerome Parish, Ocean Shores; Our Lady of the Olympics Mission, Amanda Park; and St. Paul Mission, Westport.
- Father Thomas Tran, St. Michael Parish, Olympia.
The following parochial vicars are transitional deacons to be ordained to the priesthood on June 26, 2021:
- Father Michael A. Barbarossa, All Saints Parish, Puyallup, and St. Martin of Tours, Fife.
- Father Junhoon “Val” Park, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Tacoma.
- Father Kyle J. Poje, St. Jude Parish, Redmond, and Holy Innocents Parish, Duvall.
Parish priest
A parish priest provides priestly ministry in a particular parish in collaboration with the pastoral coordinator. The archdiocese’s term of office for parish priest is generally one to three years. Appointed parish priest is:
Father Dwight P. Lewis, Holy Trinity Parish, Bremerton.
Senior priest
A senior priest has been granted that status by the archbishop and either no longer has a continuous ministry assignment in service to the archdiocese, or has less than a half-time assignment from the archbishop.
Priests granted senior status are:
Father James P. Coyne
Father W.R. Harris
Father David A. Rogerson