Rockville Centre — Bishop William Murphy announced the appointment of new pastors to twelve parishes, along with a number of other assignments and retirements. All are effective as of June 24, 2009, unless otherwise noted.

Father Joseph Baidoo has been appointed pastor of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Roosevelt. Ordained in Ghana in 1985, he served as associate pastor at SS Cyril and Methodius, Deer Park; St. Jude’s, Mastic Beach; and St. Patrick’s, Huntington. He was incardinated in 2006. (Incardination is the permanent transfer of a priest from the jurisdiction of one diocese to another.)

Father Stephen Brigandi has been named pastor of St. Gertrude, Bayville. He has been serving as associate pastor at St. Agnes Cathedral, Rockville Centre. His other assignments as associate pastor include Holy Name of Mary, Valley Stream and Our Lady of Lourdes, West Islip. Father Brigandi was ordained to the priesthood in 1997.

Msgr. Robert Coyle, a decorated Navy chaplain, has been appointed pastor of Corpus Christi, Mineola, effective Sept. 8, 2009. He has been command chaplain aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, an aircraft carrier based out of Norfolk, Va., and has also served on the USS Harry Truman on deployment to the Persian Gulf, and as command chaplain at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. A naval reservist, after his ordination in 1991 Father Coyle was assigned to St. Dominic, Oyster Bay and then St. Patrick’s, Glen Cove, as associate pastor before he was recalled to active duty in 1999. In 2008, he received papal honors and the title of monsignor.

Pallottine Father Peter Devaraj has been appointed pastor of both Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Bridgehampton and St. Andrew, Sag Harbor. Ordained in 1981 in India, he was a pastor in the Diocese of Madurai there before coming to the U.S. to study counseling. In 1993 he became a chaplain at Mercy Medical Center, and in 1995, associate pastor of Our Holy Redeemer, Freeport. He has been very active in Worldwide Marriage Encounter here and returned to India to promote the program there for two years. He came back to Long Island as a summer assistant at St. Mary’s Church, Roslyn, and then was associate pastor at St. Joseph’s in Babylon and St. Joseph’s in Ronkonkoma, before being named administrator of St. Andrew’s in Sag Harbor in 2004.

Father Peter Dugandzic is the new pastor of Blessed Sacrament, Valley Stream. Ordained to the priesthood in 1995, Father Dugandzic has served as associate pastor at St. William the Abbot, Seaford; St. Mary’s, Manhasset; and St. Patrick’s, Smithtown.

Father Gerard Gentleman, who has been chaplain of Holy Trinity Diocesan High School, Hicksville, will now serve as pastor of Holy Family Church, Hicksville. Previously, Father Gentleman was associate pastor and temporary administrator at St. Kilian’s, Farmingdale. An Eagle Scout, since 2001 he has been chaplain of the diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting and active in the national committee as well. He led the St. George Trek program at Philmont Scout Ranch and served as a Philmont chaplain. He also served as a member of the diocesan Priest Senate, master of ceremonies of the diocesan Youth Fest 2004, and Catholic Relief services global fellow. He was ordained a priest in 1997.

Father Robert Hayden has been named pastor of St. William the Abbot, Seaford. He has been pastor of St. Aidan’s, Williston Park since 1997. He was ordained a priest in St. Peter’s Basilica in 1970, after studies at the Gregorian University. After completing his doctoral studies, he served on the faculty of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, where he was vice rector and academic dean. His assignments as associate pastor include St. Rose of Lima in Massapequa, St. Dominic in Oyster Bay, and St. Joseph’s, Garden City. Father Hayden also contributed to “The Word of God” column for The Long Island Catholic.

Father Peter Kaczmarek is the new pastor of St. Francis of Assisi, Greenlawn, a parish he’d previously served as associate pastor. Since 1992 he has been pastor St. Gertrude’s, Bayville; he has also served as associate pastor at St. Hugh of Lincoln, Huntington Station. Father Kaczmarek was spiritual director for six years at St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary, Uniondale, and taught for five years at Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception, Douglaston. After studies at the North American College in Rome, he was ordained in St. Peter’s Basilica in 1969.

Msgr. William Koenig returns to St. Agnes Cathedral, Rockville Centre as rector. He was associate pastor there before his appointment as pastor of St. William the Abbot, Seaford in 2000. Ordained in 1983, he was associate pastor at St. Edward the Confessor, Syosset and St. James, Setauket, where he was also campus minister for Stony Brook University. From 1989-1996, he directed the diocesan vocations office, and in 1990 was also named diocesan director of ministry to priests. In 2007 he received papal honors and the title of monsignor.

Msgr. James McDonald, who has been rector of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington since 2006, is the new pastor of St. Aidan, Williston Park. He has previously served as pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, Center Moriches (1990-2000) and St. Matthew’s, Dix Hills (2000-2006). He was associate pastor at the parishes of St. Matthew’s; St. Aloysius, Great Neck; Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Lindenhurst; St. Joseph’s, Kings Park; and SS. Cyril and Methodius, Deer Park. From 1988-90 he served as administrator of St. John the Evangelist before being named pastor. He has also served the diocese as coordinator of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, associate vocations director, and as diocesan director of the Nocturnal Adoration Society and the Apostleship of the Sea. He was ordained a priest in 1967 and received papal honors with the title of monsignor in 1996.

Father Michael Rieder moves a bit further east to the pastorate of St. Therese of Lisieux, Montauk. He has been serving as chaplain at McGann-Mercy H.S., Riverhead. Ordained in 1994, Father Rieder was associate pastor at Infant Jesus in Port Jefferson, St. John of God in Central Islip, and St. Raphael’s, East Meadow.

RETIREMENTS
Rev. Msgr. Patrick Armshaw to retirement at St. Francis of Assisi, Greenlawn
Rev. James Bowman to retirement at a private residence
Rev. Charles Ehrhart to retirement at St. Frances Cabrini Church, Coram
Rev. Msgr. John Heinlein to retirement at St. Jude, Mastic Beach (effective September 2009)
Rev. John Moore to retirement at a private residence
Rev. William O’Rourke to retirement at St. Catherine of Sienna, Franklin Square
Rev. Msgr. Ronald Richardson to retirement at a private residence
Rev. Joseph Walas to retirement in Poland

SEMINARY
Very Reverend Peter Vaccari has been appointed Rector of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception
Msgr. James Swiader has been appointed Vice Rector of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception while continuing as Director of Seminary Pastoral Formation and Program Coordinator for Ongoing Priestly Formation.

NEWLY ORDAINED
Rev. Michael J. Bartholomew to Associate Pastor at St. Hugh of Lincoln, Huntington Station
Rev. Janusz Mocarski to Associate Pastor at St. Mary, East Islip
Rev. Harold Noviello to Associate Pastor at St. Patrick, Bay Shore
Rev. Gregory Rannazzisi to Temporary Associate Pastor at the Cathedral of St. Agnes, Rockville Centre through September 30, 2009 and then returning to the Pontifical North American College for continued studies.

ASSOCIATE PASTORS
Rev. Raymond Akpunonu from Associate Pastor at Church of the Infant Jesus to Associate Pastor at St. Matthew, Dix Hills
Rev. Patsy Amabile (of the Diocese of Camden) to Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes, West Islip (effective September 1, 2009)
Rev. Gregory Breen from Associate Pastor at St. Patrick, Bay Shore to Associate Pastor at St. Joseph, Garden City
Rev. Joseph D’Angelo from Chaplain at Nassau University Medical Center to Associate Pastor at Sacred Heart, North Merrick
Rev. Ryszard Ficek from Associate Pastor at St. Hyacinth, Glen Head to Associate Pastor at St. Isidore, Riverhead
Rev. Agnelo Gomes, sfx (of the Society of the Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier, India) to Associate Pastor at St. Raymond, East Rockaway
Rev. Gerard Gordon from Chaplain at St. Anthony’s High School, South Huntington to Associate Pastor at St. Dominic, Oyster Bay
Rev. Brian Ingram from Associate Pastor at St. Joseph, Garden City to Associate Pastor at St. Lawrence the Martyr, Sayville
Rev. Eden Jean Baptiste from ministry to the Haitian Community in Uniondale to Associate Pastor at St. Anne, Brentwood and also Coordinator of the Haitian Apostolate for the Diocese
Rev. Eddy Julien from Coordinator for the Haitian Apostolate for the Diocese and part-time Associate Pastor at St. Boniface, Elmont to full time Associate Pastor at St. Boniface, Elmont
Rev. Robert Kline from Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Lindenhurst to Associate Pastor at St. John the Evangelist, Center Moriches
Rev. Dariusz Koszyk from Associate Pastor at St. Dominic, Oyster Bay to Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Mercy, Hicksville
Rev. Janusz Lipski from Associate Pastor at St. Hedwig, Floral Park to Associate Pastor at St. Ladislaus, Hempstead
Rev. James Mannion from Pastor at Holy Family, Hicksville to Associate Pastor at St. James, Setauket
Rev. Augustine Oraka from Associate Pastor at St. Patrick, Glen Cove to Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Lindenhurst
Rev. Thomas Pers from Associate Pastor at St. John the Evangelist, Center Moriches to Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Lindenhurst
Rev. Belevendiram Rathinam from Associate Pastor at St. Rose of Lima, Massapequa to Associate Pastor at St. William the Abbot, Seaford
Rev. Msgr. Romualdo Sosing from Associate Pastor at St. Dominic, Oyster Bay to Associate Pastor at Notre Dame, New Hyde Park
Rev. Thomas Tuite from Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Mercy, Hicksville to Associate Pastor at St. Patrick, Huntington
Rev. Paul Vezhaparambil, CMI from Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes, Massapequa Park to Associate Pastor at St. Rose of Lima, Massapequa
Rev. Stanislaw Wadowski from Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Lindenhurst to Associate Pastor at St. Kilian, Farmingdale
Rev. Piotr Wasek from Associate Pastor at St. Ladislaus, Hempstead to Associate Pastor at St. Hyacinth, Glen Head
NON-PAROCHIAL MINISTRY
Rev. Francis Ackah (of the Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana) to Chaplain at South Nassau Communities Hospital with residence at Our Holy Redeemer, Freeport (effective July 1, 2009)
Rev. Benet Uwasomba from Chaplain at South Nassau Communities Hospital to Chaplain at North Shore University Hospital with residence at the Hospital (effective July 1, 2009)

CHAPLAIN/ASSOCIATE VOCATION DIRECTORS
Rev. Gerald Cestare from Pastor at Blessed Sacrament, Valley Stream to Associate Vocation Director and Chaplain at McGann-Mercy HS in Riverhead with residence at Good Shepherd, Holbrook
Rev. Joseph Fitzgerald from Associate Pastor at St. Kilian, Farmingdale to Associate Vocation Director and Chaplain at Holy Trinity HS with residence to be determined
Rev. Irinel Racos from Associate Pastor at St. Matthew, Dix Hills to Associate Vocation Director and Chaplain at St. Anthony HS with residence to be determined

CHANGES OF RESIDENCE
Rev. Richard Viladesau from St. Vincent de Paul, Elmont to St. William the Abbot, Seaford

EXPIRATION OF EXTERN PRIESTS ASSIGNMENTS
Rev. Harris D’Souza to termination of assignment (effective July 1, 2009)
Rev. Michael Galea to termination of assignment (effective July 30, 2009)
Rev. Sebastian Kizhakkeyil, MST to termination of assignment (effective May 30, 2009)
Rev. Joseph Madsen to termination of assignment
Rev. Isaac Mensah to termination of assignment
Rev. Oscar Rodriguez to termination of assignment (effective August 31, 2009)

NEWLY ORDAINED DEACONS
Deacon Hernst Bellevue St. Martha, Uniondale
Deacon Michael Bonocore St. Isidore, Riverhead
Deacon Jean Cantave St. Francis of Assisi, Greenlawn
Deacon William Crosby Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Lindenhurst
Deacon John Newhall Good Shepherd, Holbrook
Deacon Jacques Philippeaux St. Thomas the Apostle, West Hempstead
Deacon Joseph Simeone St. Jude, Mastic Beach
Deacon Douglas Smith Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Lindenhurst
Deacon Mark Wetzel St. Kilian, Farmingdale

TRANSFER OF DEACONS
Deacon Joseph Byrne from St. Joseph, Hewlett to Immaculate Conception, Westhampton Beach (effective October 1, 2005 backdated)
Deacon Frank Bice from St. Dominic, Oyster Bay to the Parish of St. Mary, Manhasset (effective July16, 2008)