Bishop announces priest transfers, assignments

Four pastors are retiring this year and one other has chosen to become a senior priest.
Bishop McManus has announced the appointment and transfer of pastors, associate pastors, administrators, and priests in special ministry.
The changes are effective July 1 unless otherwise noted.
Father Joseph M. Nally, pastor of St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish in Clinton, is becoming a senior priest, with residence at St. George Parish in Worcester.
Succeeding him is Father James S. Mazzone, director of the Office for Vocations and Holy Name of Jesus House of Studies in Worcester.
Father Donato Infante III, associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Charlton and associate director of vocations recruitment, is becoming director of the Vocations Office and co-director of the House of Studies.
Also becoming co-director of the House of Studies is Father Hugo A. Cano, who is leaving his ministry as Catholic chaplain at WPI and becoming full-time director of the Office of Hispanic Ministry. Succeeding Father Infante as associate pastor of St. Joseph’s in Charlton is Father Charles Omolo, associate pastor of St. George’s in Worcester.
Father David E. Doiron, pastor of St. Columba Parish in Paxton, is retiring. Father David Cotter, a Benedictine priest serving in Scotland, who grew up in Worcester, is becoming St. Columba’s administrator.
Also retiring is Msgr. Anthony S. Czarnecki, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Webster. Succeeding him is Father Grzegorz Chodkowski, St. Joseph’s temporary administrator since April.
Father Emerito Ortiz, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fitchburg, is retiring for medical reasons and  Father Angel R. Matos, associate pastor of St. Paul Cathedral in Worcester, is succeeding him. Father Diego A. Buritica, associate pastor of St. Leo Parish in Leominster, will move to the cathedral as associate pastor.
St. Leo Parish will receive Father Juan G. Herrera, associate pastor of St. John Paul II Parish in Southbridge. Father Wilmar J.  Ramos, associate pastor of Annunciation Parish in Gardner, will succeed Father Herrera in Southbridge.
Father Miguel A. Pagan, associate pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in Leominster, will move to Annunciation Parish in Gardner.
On Aug. 1 Father Mateus Souza, associate pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Milford, will become associate pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in Leominster.
A priest to be ordained June 22, Deacon Thiago Da Silva, is to be assigned to St. Mary’s in Milford.
Also to be ordained a priest June 22 is Deacon Sagar Gundiga, who is to become associate pastor of St. Gabriel, the Archangel Parish in Upton Aug.1.
Two administrators are becoming pastors of the parishes they now serve: Father Mark S. Rainville at St. Joseph Parish in Fitchburg and Father William C. Schipper at Mary, Queen of the Rosary Parish in Spencer.
Father Daniel J. Becker, pastor of St. Paul and St. Stanislaus parishes in Warren, is taking a three-month sabbatical for personal, spiritual and theological development. Father John F. Hamm is becoming administrator of those two parishes.
As previously announced, effective today is the retirement of Father Thirburse F. Millott for medical reasons. Father Steven M. LaBaire succeeds him as pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in West Boylston.
Succeeding Father LaBaire as pastor of Holy Family and St. Stephen parishes in Worcester is Msgr. Robert K. Johnson, former rector of St. Paul Cathedral, who recently returned from studies in Rome.
    Following are biographies of the priests becoming administrator and pastors.

ADMINISTRATORS
 
Father David W. Cotter

Father David W. Cotter, former pastor of Holy Family Parish in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, Scotland, is to be administrator of St. Columba Parish in Paxton.
He was born in Worcester on March 14, 1952, the son of Paul B. Cotter and Mildred R. (Tierney) Cotter.
He graduated in 1970 from Holy Name Central Catholic High School in Worcester and in 1974 from McGill University in Montreal, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He studied for the priesthood at St. John’s University in New York City, where he earned a master’s of divinity degree and a master’s in New Testament studies.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Francis J. Mugavero in Queens, New York.
As a Benedictine, he was a monk of St. Anselm Abbey in Manchester, New Hampshire, and earned a doctorate in Old Testament at the Gregorian University in Rome, subsequently teaching at St. Anselm College until 1994. Between 1994 and 2003 he was at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, continuing to teach Old Testament in St. John’s University School of Theology.
A long connection to the priests and people of the Diocese of Paisley, in the west of Scotland, took him there in 2003 and he served there for 12 years as pastor of St. Aidan’s Church in Johnstone and for the last three years at Holy Family Church in Port Glasgow. A desire to be closer to family brings him home at this time to the Diocese of Worcester.


Father John F. Hamm

Father John F. Hamm, former pastor of St. Denis Parish in Ashburnham since 2017, is to be administrator of St. Stanislaus and St. Paul parishes in Warren.
John Frederick Hamm Jr. was born May 9, 1958, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, son of John F. Hamm and Bernadine (Troisi) Hamm. He graduated from Lenape High School in Medford, New Jersey, in 1976 and attended George Mason University and Assumption College. He complete studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
He was ordained to the priesthood June 29, 2013, by Bishop Robert J. McManus at St. Paul Cathedral. He was assigned to be associate pastor at St. Bernadette Parish, Northborough, effective July 1, 2013.
On July 1, 2014 he was assigned as associate pastor of St. Augustine Parish in Millville and Good Shepherd Parish in Linwood.
In 2015 he was named administrator of St. Denis Parish in Ashburnham and St. Anne Parish in South Ashburnham. Bishop McManus merged the two parishes under the name of St. Denis on Jan. 3, 2016, after St. Anne Church was declared unsafe and demolished. Father Hamm was named pastor in 2017, but later that year was assigned to special ministries to parishes.       
 
PASTORS

Father Grzegorz Chodkowski

Father Grzegorz Chodkowski is to be pastor of St. Joseph Basilica Parish, Webster, where he has served as administrator since April.
He was born on April 2, 1978, in Krzyzewo Borowe in the northern Mazovia region of Poland, the youngest son of Barbara and Henryk Chodkowski. After graduating from high school in 1997, he began his studies at the seminary in Lomza.
On May 31, 2003, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Stanislaw Stefanek. His first assignment was assistant pastor in St. Bruno Parish in Lomza, then he was assigned to help the recovering pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Zbójna.
In October 2007, Father Chodkowski was sent to Cameroon as a missionary where he served for 18 months. In May 2009, he returned to Poland due to health problems. His next assignment was assistant pastor at St. Jacob Parish in Jedwabne.
In November 2010, Father Chodkowski began his pastoral work as associate pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Webster. At that time, he also became known as Father Gregory to his American friends.
On March 2, 2017, he was incardinated as a priest of the Diocese of Worcester by Bishop Robert J. McManus.
 

Father William C. Schipper

Father William C. Schipper is to be pastor of Mary, Queen of the Rosary Parish in Spencer. He has served as administrator of the parish since 2017. He came to the diocese as a Benedictine priest from St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota.
On May 15, 2019, he was incardinated as a priest of the Diocese of Worcester by Bishop Robert J. McManus.
Father Schipper was born June 20, 1952 in Batesville, Indiana, and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.
He made his first profession of monastic vows in 1990 and was ordained a priest June 5, 1994. He taught, had administrative duties and was a faculty resident in residence halls at St. John’s University in Collegeville.


Father Mark S. Rainville

Father Mark S. Rainville is to be pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Fitchburg, where he has served as administrator since 2016.  
Father Rainville, son of Robert D. and Sharon (Harriman) Rainville, was born Aug. 22, 1969, in Worcester. He graduated from Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Marlborough in 1987, and took courses at Anna Maria College, Paxton, and Quinsigamond Community College.
He joined the U.S. Army, where he was a mechanic in the 25th Infantry in Hawaii from 1989 to 1993.
He returned home, framed houses and did remodeling.
He studied for the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania; St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, and the Angelicum (the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas) in Rome, where he got his bachelor’s in sacred theology in 2012. That year he was ordained a transitional deacon in St. Peter’s Basilica. He got his master’s of divinity degree in 2013 at North American College in Rome.
He was ordained a priest June 29, 2013, in St. Paul Cathedral by Bishop Robert J. McManus.
In 2013 he became associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Charlton and in 2014 associate pastor of St. Leo Parish in Leominster.  


Father James S. Mazzone

Father James S. Mazzone, former director of vocations, and director of Holy Name of Jesus House of Studies, is to be pastor of St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish, Clinton.
He was born Oct. 16, 1967, in Worcester, the son of Anthony M. Mazzone and Eleanor E. (Laukaitis) Mazzone.
He graduated in 1985 from David Prouty High School, Spencer. He studied for the priesthood at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, earning a bachelor’s degree in theology in 1995, and at St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore, earning the master’s of divinity and baccalaureate in sacred theology degrees in 1999.
He was ordained on June 4, 1999, by Bishop Daniel P. Reilly at St. Paul Cathedral.
 He served as associate pastor at Christ the King Parish, Worcester until 2001, while teaching Biblical Theology at Anna Maria College, Paxton.
From 2001 to 2004 he served as an instructor in pastoral theology, and earned a licentiate in sacred theology at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore.
Bishop McManus appointed Father Mazzone recruiter of vocations in 2004, and director of vocations in 2005, while serving as associate pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish, Worcester.
In 2007, he was appointed temporary administrator of Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Worcester, and director of the Holy Name of Jesus House of Studies. He was appointed diocesan chaplain of the Boy Scouts of America in the Diocese of Worcester in 2008.

 
Father Angel R. Matos

Father Angel R. Matos, associate pastor at St. Paul Cathedral since 2004, is to be pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fitchburg.
Father Matos was born Sept. 20, 1961, in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, son of Ramon and Fulgencia (Rosario) Matos. He studied at Dr. Jose Gandara High School in Aibonito from 1976 to 1979; at the Technological Institute of Puerto Rico from 1980 to 1983; and at Pontifical University of Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 1989 to 1992.
He is a 1996 graduate of Anna Maria College, Paxton, and earned his master’s of divinity degree in theology from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida.
He was ordained to the priesthood June 14, 1997 by Bishop Daniel P. Reilly at St. Paul Cathedral.
He was assigned to St. Francis of Assisi and Holy Spirit parishes in Gardner, with ministry in the Spanish Apostolate.
In June 2004 he was assigned as associate pastor at St. Paul Cathedral.




Bishop McManus  announced the transfers of two priests as pastors, effective May 24. It is the first of several transfers to be announced.
Msgr. Robert K. Johnson, former rector of St. Paul Cathedral Parish, has been named pastor of Holy Family and St. Stephen parishes on Hamilton and Grafton streets in Worcester. St. Stephen’s also includes St. Stephen Elementary School. The former pastor there, Father Steven M. LaBaire, will move to Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in West Boylston, whose pastor, Father Thirburse F. Millott is retiring.

Msgr.  Robert K. Johnson

    Msgr.  Robert K. Johnson, former rector of St. Paul Cathedral Parish, has been named pastor of Holy Family and St. Stephen parishes.
Msgr. Johnson was born Oct. 10, 1961, in Worcester, the son of Robert H. and Dorothy K. (Mahoney) Johnson.
   He graduated in 1979 from Worcester Vocational Technical High School. He studied for the priesthood at St. John Seminary in Brighton from 1982 to 1986, earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, and at St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore from 1986 to 1990, earning a master of divinity degree and a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology.
  He was ordained a priest on June 2, 1990, by Bishop Harrington at St. Paul Cathedral.
He served as associate pastor at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Worcester; St. Rose of Lima Parish, Northborough, and St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Milford.
On June 16, 1995, while still at St. Mary’s, he was named director of the diocesan Office for Divine Worship. The next year he was appointed to that office full time. In January 2002, Bishop Reilly presided at a ceremony conferring pontifical honors and the title of monsignor on Msgr.  Johnson.
On Jan. 1, 2011, he was appointed temporary administrator of St. Paul Cathedral. That year, on July 1, he was named rector of the cathedral parish while remaining director of the Office for Divine Worship and diocesan master of ceremonies.
On Jan. 1 this year he began studies at the Institute for Continuing  Theological Education of the North American College in Rome.

Father Steven M. LaBaire
Father Steven M. LaBaire was born April 8, 1961 in Worcester, the son of Philip M. and Jacqueline M. (Fleurant) LaBaire.  
He graduated from Tahanto Regional High School, Boylston. He earned his bachelor’s degree in religious studies, cum laude, from Assumption College.  He earned his master’s degree in theology while completing his priestly studies at the Theological College of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Timothy J. Harrington on June 6, 1987 in St. Paul Cathedral.
Following ordination he served as associate pastor of  Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Worcester and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Webster, before being named associate pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Westborough on June 29, 1992.
Father LaBaire was named pastor of St. Mary Parish in Uxbridge on June 30, 2007.
He was appointed pastor of Holy Family Parish on July 6, 2013, and of St. Stephen Parish, which twinned with Holy Family Parish, July 1, 2017.

Father Thirburse F. Millott
  Father Thirburse F. Millott, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel, West Boylston, will retire effective May 24.
He is the son of Thirburse F. and Margaret (Shaughnessy) Millott. He was born June 25, l946 in Worcester.
 He attended St. Peter Central Catholic High School, Worcester, and the College of the Holy Cross. He also studied at Worcester State College, and at Glastonbury Monastery Latin School in Hingham. In 1987 he was a Merrill Fellow at the Divinity School at Harvard University.
  He completed his studies for the priesthood and earned his master of divinity degree from St. John’s Seminary, Brighton. He was ordained a priest in St. Mary Church, Jefferson, on May 9, l975, by Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan.
  Following ordination he served as associate pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Worcester, and St. Mary Parish, North Grafton, before being named to campus ministry at Clark University, Worcester, and Nichols College, Dudley, in July l983.
  In June l989, he was assigned to St. Peter Parish, Worcester, as half-time associate pastor, while remaining campus minister at Clark University. He has also been chairperson of the diocesan Ecumenical Commission and a former diocesan Consultor.
He was appointed pastor of St. Anne Parish, Southborough, on June 29,1990, pastor of Christ the King Parish, Worcester, on July 1, 2009, and pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel on July 1, 2011.