The ordinaries of six Catholic dioceses in Aotearoa New Zealand have announced the clergy shifts in their respective dioceses for 2024.
Wellington (correction for Ohariu and Te Ngakau Tapu parishes January 31)
Archbishop Paul Martin, SM appointed Fr Dennis Nacorda as parish priest of the Catholic Parish of Wairarapa with Deacon Matthew White assisting him (Fr Nacorda).
Fr Bruce England will be parish priest of St Joseph’s (Levin) while Fr Alan Roberts will serve as parish priest of St Mary’s (Otaki).
Fr Isaac Songa, MF will be parish priest of Holy Family church (Porirua East) with Fr Nicholas Phone Myint, MF as assistant priest.
Msgr Gerard Burns is appointed parish priest at St Francis of Assisi Ohariu Parish, with Fr Alfred Tong as the assistant priest, and pre-seminarian John Quang in residence. Msgr Burns is also appointed as administrator at Te Ngakau Tapu parish with Fr Tong assistant parish priest at Te Ngakau Tapu parish.
Fr Patrick Bridgman will be the administrator of the Sacred Heart Cathedral parish. In residence at the Viard House is Fr Viator Muyuni from the Diocese of Bukoba, Tanzania for studies.
St Teresa’s (Karori-Wilton) parish priest will be Fr Joy Thottankara with pre-seminarian Long Tran in residence.
The Catholic parish of Wellington South will have Fr Ravi Kumar Voliganti as assistant parish priest with pre-seminarian Dyester Abo-abo in residence.
Fr Akuila Taliauli, SVD will be assistant parish priest at Te Wairua Tapu parish (Lower Hutt) while the Society of Divine Word will assume responsibility for the parish of Te Awakairangi (Lower Hutt) with Fr Raja Kommareddy, SVD as parish priest and Fr Uili Uvea as assistant priest.
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart will assume pastoral responsibility for the parish of Te Whetu o te Moana (Marlborough) with Frs Simione Volavola, MSC and Tavita Lemusu, MSC as parish priest and assistant priest, respectively.
The Holy Family Parish (Nelson-Stoke) will have Fr Noel Corcino, CJM as the assistant parish priest. Parish priest Marlon Tebelin will return home in September.
Fr Michael Bellizzi was appointed parish priest of the Our Lady of the Bays parish (Richmond-Motueka-Takaka) with Fr Jaya-Praveen Yenubari as assistant parish priest. Seminarian Emilio Capin will serve his pastoral year in this parish.
Archbishop Martin also announced the following changes in the diocese:
Fr Ron Bennett will retire as parish priest of Otari-Wilton and will become senior-priest-in-residence at the Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland.
Fr Peter Roe, SM will conclude his contract as administrator of the Ohariu parish.
Fr Alliston Fernandes from the Archdiocese of Malta returns to Malta in March.
Frs David Orange and Michael McCabe have retired.
Fr Cirilo Barlis will take a leave of absence for the year and be returning to the Philippines.
Fr Seph Pijfers’ appointment will be announced at a later date.
Auckland
Bishop Stephen Lowe said the following clergy appointments will be effective on the first weekend of February.
Fr Rob O’Brien is appointed parish priest of Coromandel Peninsula and Hauraki Plains parish.
Fr Larry Rustia will become Flatbush assistant priest and Te Unga Waka parish priest.
Fr Pio Fong, SM will be the parish priest of Glenfield. Fr Alfredo Garcia will be on leave.
Fr James Walsh will serve as parish priest of Kaitaia.
Fr Tony O’Connor is appointed parish priest of Manurewa.
Fr Marchellino Park will serve as parish priest of Mt Albert while Fr Thomas Park will become assistant parish priest of Papatoetoe.
Fr Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil will become parish priest of Papakura.
Seminarian Ryan Sy will serve his pastoral placement at the Owairaka parish.
In the meantime, Fr Nathaniel Brazil will return to Palmerston North diocese while Marist priests Patrick Breeze and Peter McAfee will move to Christchurch South Parish.
Hamilton
Newly-ordained Bishop Richard Laurenson informed the parishioners in his diocese of the clergy shifts that will take place soon to fill in the vacancy left by his appointment as bishop.
These appointments will be effective on February 7, 2024.
Fr Eamon Kennedy is appointed pastor of All Saints parish (Papāmoa Coast). Fr Philip Billing will be on weekend duty only as he is completing advanced studies.
Fr Matthew Gibson will be parish priest of St Anthony, St Paul (Huntly/Ngāruawāhia) in preparation for his advanced studies in 2025.
Fr Mark Field is appointed parish priest of St Mary (Gisborne).
Fr Tovio Iusitino will serve as parish priest at Holy Family (Morrinsville, Te Aroha, Paeroa).
Fr Stuart Young will be pastor of St Columba and Holy Name (Frankton/Raglan) while Fr Joseph George will serve as the parochial vicar. Fr Young and Fr George will also serve as pastor and parochial vicar, respectively, for the parish of Holy Cross (Hamilton).
“I would like to thank all of you for your prayers and support as I take on this new role given me by the Holy Father. I am grateful to my brother priests, all of whom whom were willing to accommodate themselves to the needs of the Diocese, especially those who agreed without demur to transfer of assignment,” Bishop Laurenson said.
Palmerston North
Bishop John Adams announced the clergy shifts in his diocese for the New Year, and thanked “all our priests who have agreed to be moved and who have so readily accepted these changes, and to the parishes that are ‘losing’ a priest”.
Fr Vui Hoang is appointed assistant priest of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.
Fr Trung Nguyen becomes assistant priest of the Catholic Parish of New Plymouth.
Fr Vijay Dungdung will be assistant priest of the Catholic Parish of Hastings.
Fr Nathaniel Brazil is appointed parish priest of Immaculate Conception, Stratford, while
Fr Marcus Francis will be parish priest of the Catholic Parish of Hastings.
Christchurch
Bishop Michael Gielen’s appointment of priests will be effective from the first weekend of February, 2024.
Fr Rex Ramos will be administrator of the Hurunui parish.
Fr Huynh Tran will serve as parish priest of Hokitika.
Frs Do Nguyen and John Nixon Tholatt are appointed to Waimakiriri as parish priest and assistant priest, respectively.
Fr Tang Phan will serve as assistant priest at the Cathedral, as well as Vietnamese chaplain and Chatham Island assistant priest. Linh Cao will be on pastoral placement at the Cathedral.
Fr Vincent Barboza will be assistant priest of Timaru parish.
Fr Peter Costello will serve at Ashburton but will be semi-retiring.
Fr Michael Pui was appointed national director of the Pontifical Mission Society.
Dunedin
Bishop Michael Dooley said the following clergy appointments will be effective from the weekend of January 28 and 29, 2024.
Rev Gerard Aynsley is appointed parish priest of Invercargill Central, Georgetown Invercargill, and Western Southland pastoral area.
Rev Michael Hishon is appointed parish priest of the Dunedin South Pastoral Area.
Rev Sani Lam will serve as parish priest of the Gore Pastoral Area, while Rev Brendan Ward will be parish priest of the Alexandra pastoral area.
Rev Jaime Llaguna, MSP is appointed parish priest of Mosgiel/Green Island pastoral area, while Rev Eliseo Sangco, MSP will serve as the diocesan Filipino Chaplain and will reside in the Green Island presbytery.
Rev Jaewoo Lee will be the co-chaplain at the Dunedin Public Hospital and Wakari Hospital, and is appointed parish priest of Ranfurly parish. He will reside at the Kaikorai presbytery.
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