NEW YORK — The Provincial Council has announced the names of four new pastors — in New York City, Providence, R.I., Tampa, Fla. and Wood-Ridge, N.J. — based on recent approvals received from the bishops in the respective dioceses.
Andrew Reitz, OFM, who has served as pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Tampa for six years, has been appointed pastor and guardian of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Midtown Manhattan, effective May 1.
Massachusetts native Steven Patti, OFM, will become pastor of Church of St. Mary on Broadway in Providence. Since 2003, he has been based at Immaculate Conception Parish in Durham, N.C.
George Corrigan, OFM, a native of Georgia, has been approved as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, where he has been based since his ordination in 2007.
Richard Mucowski, OFM, who has worked at FrancisCare in Elmwood Park, N.J., will serve as pastor of Assumption of Our Blessed Lady Church in Wood-Ridge.
The new assignments of Steven, who was ordained in 2001, Richard and George — all first-time pastors — take effect July 1.
Many other friar assignments were finalized at the March 16 Council meeting, according to Provincial VicarDominic Monti, OFM. “A good part of this Council meeting was following up on the work of the Congressus,” he said.
More than 25 friar assignments were announced to friars on Friday by a fax from Provincial Secretary Michael Harlan, OFM. They and their ministries are:
| St. Francis Chapel, Albany, N.Y. | Gerard Lee, OFM, director |
| UGA Catholic Center, Athens, Ga. | Thomas Vigliotta, OFM, guardian and director |
| St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Beach Haven, N.J. | Kevin Daly, OFM, parochial vicar |
| St. Anthony Shrine, Boston | Brian Cullinane, OFM |
| St. Anthony Friary, Butler, N.J. | Christian Camadella, OFM, retirement Octavio Duran, OFM, in residence (St. Anthony’s Guild) Daniel Lanahan, OFM, in residence (Ministry of the Word) |
| St. Anthony of Padua Friary, Camden, N.J. | Hugh Macsherry, OFM, parochial vicar |
| Immaculate Conception Church, Durham, N.C. | Lawrence Hayes, OFM, parochial vicar |
| Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora, N.Y. | Xavier Seubert, OFM, faculty |
| St. Anthony of Padua Friary, Greenville, S.C. | David Phan, OFM, parochial vicar |
| St. Patrick-St. Anthony Friary, Hartford, Conn. | Cidouane Joseph, OFM, parochial vicar |
| St. Bernardine of Siena Friary, Loudonville, N.Y. | Russel Murray, OFM |
| Franciscan Friary, Margate, N.J. | John Capozzi, OFM, curator |
| St. Francis of Assisi Friary, New York | Christopher Coccia, OFM Anthony Carrozzo, OFM, senior associate friar David Convertino, OFM, St. Anthony’s Guild |
| St. Mary Friary, Pompton Lakes, N.J. | Richard Husted, OFM, parochial vicar |
| St. Anthony Friary, St. Petersburg, Fla. | Joseph Hertel, OFM, retirement |
| Holy Name College, Silver Spring, Md. | Vincent Cushing, OFM |
| St. Camillus Friary, Silver Spring | Erick Lopez, OFM, parochial vicar |
| Sacred Heart Friary, Tampa | Zachary Elliot, OFM, parochial vicar |
| Holy Peace Friary, West Clarksville, N.Y. | Daniel Riley, OFM, guardian, Mt. Irenaeus director John C. Coughlin, OFM |
| Assumption Friary, Wood-Ridge | Julian Jagudilla, OFM, parochial vicar Paul Keenan, OFM |
All assignments are effective as of July 1, except where special arrangements are being made with the parties concerned, said Michael, adding that additional assignments will be forthcoming.
Also at this month’s meeting, the council members decided to close Sacred Heart Friary in East Rutherford, where St. Anthony’s Guild had been based since 2005. The office of the guild will be relocated to New York City, using the office space on West 32nd Street that had been used by the St. Francis of Assisi Counseling Center.