Meet the Priests

Rev. Nelson Adjei-Bediako, SMA, is originally from Ghana and was ordained to the priesthood there in 1998. He is a member of the Ghana Province of the Society of African Missions. He holds a degree in Theology from Grand Seminaire St. Coeur de Marie, Anyama, in the Ivory Coast. He also holds a master’s degree in international Relations and Conflict Resolution from the American Public University Systems, Charles Town, WV.

Rev. Edward Aigner, Jr., a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington (DE), was ordained in May, 1972.

Fr. Chris Arockiaraj, P.S.S. is a member of the U.S. Province of The Sulpicians and was ordained in 1995. He is the Vice-Rector of Theological College in Washington, DC. He is fluent in 8 languages.

Rev. Msgr. David H. Benz, was ordained May 19, 1975 in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He joined the Air Force as a Chaplain in 1986 and served until his retirement from military service in 1999.

Rev. Msgr. Ted Bertagni, was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1978 in Omaha, NE, and was invested as Prelate of Honor (Monsignor) by Pope St. John Paul II in 1999. He graduated from St. Louis University and is presently incardinated into the Diocese of Mandeville, Jamaica. In 2016, he was commissioned as a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis.

Fr. Alan Bower is a 28 year Navy veteran.  He transitioned to the Naval Reserve as a Navy Chaplain the day of his ordination, May 20, 1989.

Rev. Stephan Brown, S.V.D., M. Div., was born in, Cleveland Ohio. He now resides in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida. He is a priest of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), order. He attended Divine Word College; the only undergraduate Roman Catholic seminary in the United States.

Rev. Nghia Cao, C.Ss.R., was born in Vietnam and has been in the United States for 37 years. He is a Redemptorist priest of the Denver Province and was ordained in 2005.

Fr. Brian Carpenter, S.T.D., was ordained a priest in 2009. He earned his Doctorate in Systematic Theology in 2021, and currently serves at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend, Indiana.

Rev. Carlos Chavez was ordained at St. Francis Cathedral, Sante Fe, New Mexico in 1984. His ministry has served the Catholic Church in New Mexico for 30 years.

Rev. Charles Collins was ordained to the priesthood on August 19, 1972 for the Diocese of Rochester, and later became an incardinated priest for the Archdiocese of Boston, from where he recently retired as Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Cambridge.

Rev. Patrick Collins, is incardinated in the Diocese of Peoria, IL which is also his birthplace.

Rev. Lenin “Lenny” Delgado C.Ss.R., is from New York City. He was ordained in 1991.

Rev. David Denny is a native of Indiana and lives in Colorado. He is a priest of the Diocese of Killala, Ireland.

Rev. James “Joshe” Duplissey is the Parochial Vicar at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Roswell, New Mexico.

Rev. James J. Durkin was ordained as a priest in May of 1968 in the Camden Diocese.

Fr. Tom Edelen was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Tyler, TX in 2001. In addition to preaching for Cross Catholic Outreach, Fr. Edelen is a Chaplain in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Rev. Paul Farin grew up in the New York City area and is incardinated in the Diocese of St. George’s in Grenada.

Fr. John Farley is a priest of the Diocese of Pueblo, ordained in 1993. He is a graduate of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a former pastor at several parishes in Colorado.

Rev. John P. Fischer ordained as a member of the Comboni Missionaries on July 17, 1976 has worked Kenya East Africa. In 2016 he was commissioned as a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis.

Rev. David Andrew Fisher – Fr. Fisher was ordained in May of 1984 after receiving formation for the priesthood at the North American College in Rome, Italy.

Rev. Msgr. David Fulton, born in Philadelphia, PA, and ordained on May 20, 1967 in Trenton, NJ. Msgr. Fulton now lives in suburban Philadelphia.

Fr. Leonard J. Gajardo is a priest from the Diocese of Gary, ordained in 2006. He completed licentiate in Canon Law at The Catholic University of America in 2010 and a doctorate in Liturgical Theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome in 2019.

Rev. Robert Hazel is a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul/ Minneapolis. He lives in Plymouth, MN.

Rev. Francesco Iacona is a priest of the Diocese of St. George’s in Grenada, and was ordained to the priesthood in 2002. Since 2011, he has served several parishes in the Diocese of St. Augustine. Fr. Iacona joined Cross Catholic Outreach in 2016.

Fr. Victor Ibhawa was ordained to the priesthood on August 28, 2010, for the Diocese of Auchi, Nigeria. Fr. Ibhawa is pursuing his doctorate in public administration.

Rev. John Jamnicky is a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, ordained in 1972 and was a pastor at St. Martin Church and School in the Englewood community on Chicago’s south side. He now resides in the Diocese of Austin.

Rev. George Kintiba, S.V.D. was ordained on July 21, 1996 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo and is a member of the Society of the Divine Word. He is an Adjunct-professor of History at Howard University and lectures at the University of Maryland.

Rev. James Kramper was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Omaha on May, 26 1973. He served in thirteen parishes before he retired in 2017. Fr. Kramper was a teacher as well as a Vocation Director for 4 years.

Rev. Pascal Kumanda, C.I.C.M, is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was ordained in 2013 in San Antonio, Texas, and is a missionary of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Rev. Richard Kunzman is a priest of the Diocese of Camden, NJ. He resides in Washington, DC.

Rev. Steve LaCanne was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis in 1976.

Rev. Philip Ley, OFM, Conv., was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He joined the Franciscans, OFM, Conv., in 1978.

Rev. John L. Longbucco was ordained in 1990 in the Diocese of Marquette. Fr. Longbucco is the former pastor at the parishes of St. Francis, St. Kateri, and Holy Family and was deployed in Iraq as a US Army Chaplain.

Rev. Gabriel Lormeus, was ordained on July 20, 1986 for the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and serves various roles in the Archdiocese of Miami and Diocese of Palm Beach. His experience includes working in trauma centers and he is completing his CPE at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He is fluent in French, Creole and English.

Fr. Jerome Magat, P.S.S. is a member of the U.S. Province of the Sulpicians and was ordained in June of 2002.  He is in residence at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, TX, as he completes his doctoral dissertation in Moral Theology at the Accademia Alfonsiana.  He is fluent in 4 languages.

Fr. Matthew Malek, OFM Conv, was ordained as a Conventual Franciscan priest for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in 2013, serving as an Associate pastor in Terre Haute, IN for 3 years before relocating to Minneapolis, MN to serve as a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Fr. Nicholas Mansell is a retired priest of the Diocese of Savannah, was ordained in 1984 and served in high school, parish and retreat ministries. He came to the Diocese of Savannah in 2003 where he served as pastor until his retirement in 2019 working in Hispanic ministry, adult and youth education.

Rev. Msgr. Andrew Martin is from Camden, NJ. He was ordained for the Diocese of Camden in 1967 in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Rev. Patrick McCormick was born and raised in Erie, PA, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Atlanta in December 1968.

Rev. Farrell E. “Mac” McLaughlin was ordained on May 22, 1971, in the Diocese of Providence, RI.

Fr. Hugo Montero, Ph.D. is a priest of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1992.  He is the Assistant Vice President for Mission and Ministry/Director of Hispanic Ministry at Saint Mary’s University in Minneapolis

Rev. James Nash is a priest in the Diocese of Wilmington, DE. He lives in Newark, DE.

Rev. Robert Nee Fr. Robert E. Nee, LICSW, BCC – Fr. Nee is from Boston, MA and was ordained in April of 1971.

Rev. William O’Brien – grew up in Wisconsin. He was ordained at the age of 48 and has never once regretted his decision to answer God’s call.

Fr. Theophilus “Theo” Okpara, Ph.D. is a priest of the Diocese of Orlu, Nigeria, ordained on August 24, 1996 and is currently a Staff Chaplain at the Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts.  Fr. Theo holds degrees in Philosophy, Theology, Community Counseling and his degree is in Counselor Education.

Rev. Bernard Olszewski is a priest of the Diocese of Saint George’s in Grenada and was ordained in 1979. He earned his doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University and is currently Associate Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Erie College. In addition to his role as an Sr. Outreach Priest, Fr. Olszewski provides invaluable support across departments at Cross Catholic Outreach, as well as priest-to-priest communication. In 2016, he was commissioned as a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis.

Rev. John O’Malley, O.P. is from Chicago, and was a Chaplain in the U.S. Air Force and has served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.

Rev. Tim O’Toole is a priest of the Diocese of Palm Beach. A native of New Jersey, Fr. Tim is a graduate of Seton Hall Prep and University. Prior to his ordination in 1989, Fr. Tim taught high school and was a realtor before entering the Seminary. In 2016, he was commissioned as a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis.

Rev. John Phelps, C.Ss.R., a native of St. Louis, MO, attended St. Joseph Preparatory College. He is also a graduate of Mt. St. Alphonsus Seminary in New York where he pursued graduate studies. After he was ordained a Redemptorist Priest in 1968, his mission to the poor truly began. He has ministered in Detroit, Chicago, Tucson, Missouri, Oregon, and Indiana and several universities throughout the country. He has also served overseas.

Rev. Carlos Piedrahita, S.T.L., was ordained in 2013 for the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut. He earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology at Boston College in 2018. He is currently supporting the pastoral work of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, as director of Prison Ministry.

Msgr. Jean Pierre was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1988, as the first Haitian priest for the Archdiocese of Miami where, until his retirement in 2022, he served four parishes. He completed language and theological studies in New York, Toronto, and Guadalajara, Mexico.

Rev. James Quinlan was ordained in the Archdiocese of Chicago. He was pastor of a multi-cultural parish in Illinois for 21 years.

Canon John Quinn, incardinated in the Archdiocese of New York, was ordained at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1962.

Fr. Tulio Ramirez, mxy, was born in Medellin, Columbia. He was ordained in October 1989 in the Archdiocese of Medellin. He is a priest of the Yarumal Mission Society, a society of apostolic life founded and based in Colombia.

Rev. Hilario Rivera was ordained in June 1976 in the Diocese of Caguas, Puerto Rico, which is also his place of birth. He is fluent English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Rev. Eloy Romero-Rojas was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and was ordained in the Military Diocese of Venezuela on March 17, 2000.

In 2016 he, along with more than 900 priests from around the world, was commissioned as a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis. Fr. Romero-Rojas is also a chaplain at the New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.

Rev. Antony Savarimuthu is from South India and is a priest of the Diocese of Tiruchirappalli in India. He lives in Bronx, NY.

Rev. Robert Sherry grew up in Holy Angels Parish in Aurora, Illinois, and was ordained in 1966 as a priest for the Diocese of Rockford.

Rev. Charles Smiech, O.F.M., was born in Niagara Falls, NY, and was ordained in 1981. He lives in Chicago.

Rev. Augustine Temu was ordained in the Diocese of Tanga in Tanga/Tanzania, East Africa in 2007. He resides in Pittsburgh, PA and is working on his Masters of Arts in Pastoral Ministry at Duquesne University.

Rev. Thomas Wantland, born in Kokomo, Indiana, was ordained at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Marquette, Michigan.

Rev. Joseph Westfall was ordained in 1993. He is currently the Chief of Chaplain Services for the VA Hudson Valley in New York.

Rev. Mark Zittle, O. Carm. Father Mark was ordained May 19, 2012, as a Carmelite Friar of the North American Province of St. Elias.