Vol. 2, No. 17 Wednesday, May 15, 2019

You’re invited to pray

Msgr. Raul Trevizo, Father Jorge Farias Saucedo, Sister Gladys Echenique, OP, Sister Jeanne Bartholomeaux, SC, and I recently recorded a recitation of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. The recordings in both English and Spanish now are available at your  for no cost while supplies last.  If you prefer, the recordings also are available as downloadable MP3 files, also at no charge, at our diocesan webpage here. 

As I wrote in a letter to our priests,  “As we journey through the season of Easter, I would like to focus attention on sharing the power of prayer with our brothers and sisters, specifically prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In the sh0rt time that I've been in our Diocese I have come to understand that the need for more priestly vocations is at the top of our most critical issues for the future. Addressing this need first and foremost with prayer is critical, and for that I need your help.”

Each CD or MP3 download includes a very brief introduction to prayer followed by me praying the first decade. The others follow me, each praying a decade or two. I encourage you to join us in prayer for priestly vocations.

Priest Assignments

Here is a list of our annual priest assignments.  A few of the assignments already have become effective. As a rule, the changes take effect on July 1.

Pastors (or  Administrators):

1. Our Mother of Sorrows, Tucson:   Father Arnold Aurillo, Pastor
2. Holy Angels, Globe:  Father Albert Miranda, Administrator
3. St. Joseph, Hayden/Infant Jesus of Prague, Kearney:  Father George Kunnel, M.S.F.S., Pastor
4. St. Therese of Lisieux, Patagonia:  Father Alex Tigga, M.S.F.S., Pastor
5. San Carlos Apache Community: Father John Paul Shea,  Administrator, with Sacramental coverage duties within the Vicariate
6. St. John Neumann, Yuma: Father George Holley, Pastor
7. Our Lady of Grace, Maricopa: Father Jay Luczak, Pastor
8. Sacred Heart, Nogales:  Father Marcos Velásquez, Pastor
9. Our Lady, Queen of All Saints, Tucson: Father Alan Valencia, Pastor
10. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Tucson: Father Richard Awange, C.S.Sp., Pastor
11. Holy Cross, Morenci/Sacred Heart  and St. Mary, Clifton: Father Nathaniel Mma, Pastor
12. St. Joseph the Worker, Wellton: Father Gregory Okafor, Pastor
13. St. Philip the Apostle, Payson: Father Mario (Ricky) Ordonez, Pastor
14. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Solomon, and St. Rose of Lima, Safford: Father Nicodemus Shaghel, V.C., Pastor
15. St. Bartholomew, San Manuel: Father Rudy Rosales, Pastor
16. St. Cyril of Alexandria, Tucson: Father Enrique Varela-Nungaray, O.Carm., Administrator
17. St.  Jude Thaddeus, Pearce-Sunsites:  Father Martin Bosco Ormin, V.C.,  Administrator
18. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Tombstone: Father Gregory Adolf, Supervisory Pastor (while remaining Pastor of St. Andrew, Sierra Vista, Arizona) with assistance from parochial vicars of St. Andrew

Parochial Vicars (“Associate Pastors”)

1. Sts. Peter & Paul, Tucson:  Deacon Justin Agbir, V.C. (to be ordained a priest June 8, 2019)
2. Immaculate Conception, Yuma:  Father Jose Martin Uriarte Guevara
3. St. Mark, Tucson/Oro Valley: Father Rudy Ofori
4. St. Mark, Tucson/Oro Valley:  Father Edson Elizarraras, in residence at St. Christopher, Marana
5. Douglas Parishes and Missions: Father Marco Basulto
6. St. Augustine Cathedral, Tucson:  Father Marco Carrasco
7. St. Anthony of Padua, Casa Grande: Father Callistus Iyorember
8. Sacred Heart, Nogales: Father Martin Moreno
9. St. Andrew, Sierra Vista, pending return from leave:  Father Jesus Acuña Delgado
10. St. Monica, Tucson: Father Eduardo López Romo
11. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Tucson: Father Ramonito Celestial
12. St. Cyril of Alexandria, Tucson: Deacon Jorge Monterroso Merida, O.Carm. (to be ordained a priest May 25, 2019)

Non-Parochial Assignments

1. Father John Arnold:Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Tucson, while remaining Pastor of St. Mark, Tucson/Oro Valley, and  Administrator of St. Christopher, Marana
2. Deacon Jesus Haros-Mendez: to return to Mundelein School of Theology for one year of additional studies (to be ordained a priest June 1, 2019)
3. Msgr. Jeremiah McCarthy: one-year leave of absence to serve as guest Professor of Moral Theology at Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas
4. Father Mohana Bathineni: one-year leave of absence to care for family in India
5. Father Patrick Crino: Director of Seminarians, while remaining Pastor of Sts. Peter & Paul, Tucson
6. Deacon Peter Pedrasa: pastoral year at Immaculate Conception, Yuma

Retirements:

Msgr. Thomas Cahalane (retiring from Our Mother of Sorrows, Tucson)

Father John Friel (retiring from St. John Neumann, Yuma)

Msgr. Al Schifano (retiring from Vocations Ministry for Diocese of Tucson)

Father Matthias Crehan, O.F.M.(retiring from Sacred Heart of Jesus, Tombstone)

Father Ron Oakham, O.Carm. (retiring from St. Cyril of Alexandria, Tucson)

Leaving Diocese:

Father Dennis Bosse, O.F.M.: relocating, leaving from St. Augustine Cathedral, Tucson

See you soon!

Pope Francis this morning named Bishop Peter Baldacchino (currently the Auxiliary Bishop of Miami) to the Diocese of Las Cruces.  He will be installed in Las Cruces on July 23.  At that time Bishop Emeritus Gerald F. Kicanas will be free to return to Tucson.

Let us keep Bishop Baldacchino and the people of Las Cruces in our prayers, as we look forward to having Bishop Kicanas back among us.

Grad time

We now are entering the graduation season for students of our six Catholic high schools.  Congratulations to all of the students and prayers that your futures beyond high school will be fulfilling and bright as you pursue your lifetime goals.  Take the lessons you learned from your family and school experiences along with your faith as your move on; those experiences will prove valuable as you continue your lives.

Today:

Baccalaureate Mass at 2 p.m.  for Lourdes High School at the school chapel, followed by the commencement ceremonies in the auditorium at 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 18

Salpointe Catholic High School:  Baccalaureate Mass at 9 a.m. at St. Augustine Cathedral, followed by graduation ceremonies at the Tucson Convention Center at  11:30 a.m.

St. Augustine High School: Baccalaureate Mass at noon at St. Francis de Sales Church;  graduation ceremonies at the high school gymnasium at 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 23

Immaculate Heart High School: Baccalaureate Mass at St. Odilia Church at 6 p.m., Graduation on Friday, May 24 at the school gymnasium at 6 p.m.

Friday, May 24

San Miguel, Cristo Rey High School: Baccalaureate Mass 6 p.m. at St. Augustine Cathedral; Graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 25 at Centennial Hall at 9 a.m.

Yuma Catholic High School:  Baccalaureate Mass 4:30pm at the gym of Yuma Catholic High School.  Graduation ceremony follows on same day at the stadium at 6:30 p.m.