Syracuse, NY – Most Reverend Robert J. Cunningham, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse has announced the appointments of several priests in the diocese effective July 1. The appointments are as follows:

Rev. John Mikalajunas has been appointed Pastor of Holy Trinity in Utica, effective July 1, 2009. Father Mikalajunas is currently Administrator of St. Vincent Church in Vestal. Prior to his current position, Father Mikalajunas was Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Binghamton, Chaplain to the Broome County Jail and Binghamton General Hospital, and Pastor of St. Joseph Church in Binghamton. He also served as a Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart Church in Syracuse, St. Stanislaus Church in Binghamton, St. Thomas Church in Binghamton, St. Ann Church in Binghamton and St. John Church in Binghamton. He was also a member of the faculty at Catholic Central in Binghamton. Father Mikalajunas is a native son of St. Stanislaus Church in Binghamton. He began his seminary studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Orchard Lake and completed his theological studies at SS. Cyril and Methodius. He was ordained May 17, 1969.

Rev. James Tormey has been appointed Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church and St Vincent DePaul Church in Vestal New York, effective July 1, 2009. Most recently, Father Tormey has been the Temporary Administrator of St. Mary Church in Cortland. Father Tormey has served as Parochial Vicar of St. John the Baptist in Rome, Pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas in Binghamton, Chaplain of Lourdes Hospital, and Temporary Parochial Vicar of St. John the Baptist in Syracuse and St. Cecilia in Solvay. He also served as Parochial Vicar at St. Ann Church in Syracuse, St. Rose of Lima Church, and St. Paul Church in Oswego. Father Tormey is a native son of St. Peter Church in Rome. He is a graduate of Rome Catholic High School. He entered Wadhams Hall Seminary and completed his theological studies at Christ the King Seminary. He was ordained on December 8, 1978.

Rev. Thomas Catucci has been appointed Pastor of the four Eastern Broome Parishes for the Diocese of Syracuse, effective in July 2009. Fr. Catucci has been entrusted the care of St. Joseph Church, Sanitaria Springs, St. Joseph Church in Deposit, St. Mary Church in Kirkwood and Our Lady of Lourdes in Windsor. Father Catucci will have the assistance of four retired priests. Father Catucci currently serves as the Pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Kirkwood, New York. He has also served as Director of Teen Seminar in Binghamton, Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Endicott and Parochial Vicar of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Syracuse. Father Catucci is a native son of St. Patrick Church in Endwell. He attended St. John Fisher (Beckett Hall) in Rochester and completed his theological studies at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora New York. He was ordained on May 15, 1982.

Rev. Ralph A. Bove has been appointed Pastor of St. Bartholomew Church and St. Paul Church in Norwich, effective July 2009. Father Bove is currently the Parochial Vicar of St. James Church in Johnson City. He has also served as a Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart in Cicero. Prior to that, he belonged to the Scalabrini Order and served in parishes in New York City, Rhode Island and Canada. His first assignment as a Scalabrini was at St. Peter Church in Syracuse. He was ordained on May 27, 1978.

Rev. Sean O’Brien has been appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Church in Boonville, St. Patrick Mission in Forestport and St. Mary of the Snows Devotional Chapel in Otter Lake, effective July 2009. Fr. O’Brien most recently served on active duty as a Chaplain in Afghanistan. Prior to that, he was the Pastor of Christ Our Light Catholic Community in Pulaski and Lacona. Fr.O’Brien was the Pastor of St. Mary Mission in Otter Lake and St. Patrick Church in Forestport from 1998-2002. His first assignment was as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Lourdes in Utica. Fr. O’Brien is a native son of Our Lady of Sorrows in Vestal. He attended Herkimer Community college, Lemoyne College and completed his theological studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained June 5, 1993.

Rev. Arthur Krawczenko has been appointed Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Chadwicks and St. Patrick Church in Clayville. Fr. Arthur most recently served as Parochial Vicar at St. John’s Church in Rome, St. Stephen’s Church in Oswego and Our Lady of the Rosary in Hannibal and St. John the Evangelist in Binghamton. He was ordained on May 31, 2003.

Rev. Mark Kaminski has been appointed Pastor of St. Mary Church in Cortland New York, effective July 2009. Father Kaminski will also remain Chaplain at SUNY Cortland and Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church where he has ministered since 2003. Prior to that, Father Kaminski was the Parochial Vicar of St. Daniel Church in Syracuse, Administrator of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Cincinnatus and Parochial Vicar of St. Charles in Syracuse. Father Kaminski is a native of Poland and completed his theological studies at SS. Cyril & Methodius. He was ordained on June 2, 1001.

Rev. Lukasz Kozlowski has been appointed Parochial Vicar of St. St. Mary’s Church in Cortland, effective July 1, 2009. A native of Klobuck, Poland Father Koslowski is a graduate of St. Martin of Tours High School in Poland. He studied for two years in Czestochowa before he met Bishop James M. Moynihan during his visit to Poland in 2002. Lukasz requested to study in the seminaries in the United States and enrolled in St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained on June4, 2009 by Bishop Cunningham.

Rev. James Cesta has been named Temporary Administrator of Blessed Sacrament/St.Mary of Mt. Carmel, effective July 1, 2009. Father Cesta has recently returned from sabbatical. Prior to his sabbatical he was the Pastor of St. Joseph Church in Oswego for twelve years. Earlier appointments include being the Associate at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Endicott, Blessed Sacrament Church in Syracuse, St. Agatha’s Church in Canastota, St. Rose of Lima in North Syracuse, Holy Family in Fairmount and St. John the Baptist in Rome. A native son of Our Lady of Pompei, he attended Wadhams Hall and completed his theological studies at St. Bernards. He was ordained May 18, 1974.

Rev. Jozef Mucha has been appointed Temporary Administrator of Christ our Light Church in Pulaski, effective July 1, 2009. Father Mucha is a native of Rzeszow in Poland where he completed his theological studies. He was ordained June 1, 2001 and came to the Diocese of Syracuse in 2007. He most recently has served as Parochial Vicar of Holy Family Church in Syracuse.

Rev. Amedeo Guida has been appointed Parochial Vicar of St. James Church in Johnson City, effective July 1, 2009. Most recently, Rev. Guida has served as a full time Chaplain to both St. Luke’s Hospital and Faxton Hospital in Utica. He also directs the Charismatic Renewal in the diocese. Father Guida has served in many capacities for the diocese including St. Stephen in Oswego, St. Daniel’s in Lyncourt, Holy Family in Fairmount, St. Peters Church in Syracuse and St. Mary in Binghamton. He has also ministered to the Hispanic Community in the Eastern Region of the diocese. Father Guida was the Assistant Chancellor and Secretary to Bishop Moynihan. A native of Syracuse, he completed his theological studies at Theological College and was ordained on June 8, 1985.

For more information, contact Danielle E. Cummings, Director of Communications, 315.470.1476 or by e-mail, daniellecummings@att.net.