2024 jubilarian class includes two 70-year priests, first graduating class of Cardinal Mooney Latin School at Sacred Heart
DETROIT — As Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron gave the homily at the Mass for the 2024 presbyteral jubilarians on Tuesday, June 18, he emphasized gratitude for the 1,751 years of ministry and the graces that have grown within each of his brother priests over the years.
“We are here to join in giving God thanks for the fruit that has been borne by your labors,” Archbishop Vigneron said to the jubilarians gathered at Sacred Heart Major Seminary for Mass and a special luncheon. “And also, to give God thanks for what these labors have done in (your) own lives and the fruit that is being borne in them.”
The 34 jubilarians (listed below), not all of whom were present, notably include two priests marking a rather rare milestone — Fr. Francis Weingartz, 95, and Fr. Daniel Complo, 96, each celebrating 70 years of ministry — two of the last Detroit priests to have been ordained by Cardinal Edward A. Mooney, who served as archbishop of Detroit from 1937 to 1958.
The celebration also included 10 priests with more than 60 years of ministry each, including retired Detroit Cardinal Adam J. Maida, 94, who is celebrating 68 years of priesthood.
A priest's ministry is to teach people about the law of the covenant — that is, the law of love, Archbishop Vigneron said, referring to the Gospel reading of the Sermon on the Mount.
“Whether 25, 30, 50, 60 years or more, our jubilarians have labored to teach people how to love, and not only to teach people how to love, but to enable them to live the commandment of love, especially by providing the people of God with the Holy Eucharist,” Archbishop Vigneron explained.
Priesthood is a calling that requires courage, the archbishop added, which is required not just to preach but to remain faithful day in and day out, year after year.
“I am grateful especially to you, the jubilairans, that you let us in and allowed us to enter into this very intimate dimension of your own life story and history,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “Your thanksgiving is amplified and made all the richer because it echoes in our hearts.”
Among those in attendance were three members of the class of 1974, who were part of the first graduating high school class at the Cardinal Mooney Latin School, Sacred Heart Seminary's high school program, which remained open from 1961 to 1971.
Retired Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Donald F. Hanchon, one of the four from that first graduating class, said he was 13 years old when he enrolled in 1961 alongside Fr. Timothy Pelc, Fr. Michael Savickas and Msgr. Robert Sable, who currently serves in Rome as a member of the Roman Rota, the Vatican's highest court.
“We started our high school class with almost 300 high school kids; we were the first class, and we ended with a class of 12,” Fr. Pelc, who serves at St. Ambrose Parish in Grosse Pointe Park, told Detroit Catholic. “This was a serious drop, but if I look back on all the talent and all of the holiness, and if you would have said that we would have been the last 12 standing, I would have laughed. And if you would have said we would be the last of four after half a century still standing, I would say that is a mystery of God’s great sense of humor.”
Fr. Savickas, who serves at St. William Parish in Walled Lake, added that without God's grace, none of them would have made it these last 50 years and that fraternity with one another has been a part of that grace — a sentiment with which Bishop Hanchon agreed.
“The fraternity has meant a great deal to me,” Bishop Hanchon said. “That fraternity we shared because of the things that we went through together, some unforgettable things — difficult and beautiful — that we did together in high school and college and beyond.”
Fr. Jeffrey Day, vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Archdiocese of Detroit, was one of six Detroit priests celebrating 25 years of ordination. Fr. Day said he sees God’s grace at work every day in his life, from parish ministry to his work with clergy and lay coworkers in the archdiocesan Chancery.
“God uses all of us as instruments. In particular, He invites priests to be His instruments to do His will, and I have seen that over the years,” Fr. Day told Detroit Catholic. “It has been a blessing to be able to be that instrument, and for the next 25 years, I hope to continue to be faithful to the call that the Lord gave to me and to be able to persevere despite whatever challenges might come."
70th Anniversary - Class of 1954
Fr. Daniel Complo
Fr. Complo, 96, was born in Monroe and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township.
He was ordained June 5, 1954, by Cardinal Edward A. Mooney and celebrated his first Mass at St. Michael the Archangel Church, Monroe.
Over his 70 years as a priest, Fr. Complo served as assistant pastor at the Detroit parishes of St. Catherine (1954-59); St. Elizabeth (1959-63); the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament (1963-67); and St. Matthew (1967-70). He later served as pastor of St. Martin of Tours Parish, Detroit (1970-71), and Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Harper Woods, for almost three decades (1971-98).
Fr. Complo served as vicar of the Detroit/Grosse Pointe Vicariate from 1969-71, and was chairman of the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council. He was granted senior priest status in 1998.
Fr. Francis Weingartz
Fr. Weingartz, 95, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township.
He was ordained June 5, 1954, in Detroit by Cardinal Edward A. Mooney, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Augustine Church in Richmond.
Over his 70 years as a priest, Fr. Weingartz served as associate pastor of St. Mary of Redford Parish, Detroit (1954-59); St. Bartholomew Parish, Detroit (1959-64); and St. Gerard Parish, Detroit (1966-69). From 1964-66, he served as pastoral counselor at the University of Detroit.
Fr. Weingartz served as pastor of St. Daniel Parish in Clarkston (1969-77) and Patronage of St. Joseph Parish, Detroit (1977-78). He was appointed co-adjutor of St. Mary Parish in Port Huron (1978-79), and then was made pastor there (1979-88). He was later pastor of St. Dorothy Parish in Warren (1988-98).
He was granted senior priest status in 1998.
Fr. Weingartz served as temporary administrator of All Saints Parish, Memphis (1998-99); temporary associate pastor of St. Isidore Parish, Macomb Township (1999-2000); administrator of St. Mary Burnside Parish, North Branch, and Sacred Heart Mission, Brown City (2000-01); temporary associate pastor of St. Lawrence Parish, Utica (2001). He served in the Cayman Islands in 2002. He also served as temporary administrator of the parishes of St. Alfred, Taylor (2002); St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Clair Shores (2002-03); St. Charles Borromeo, Newport (2003); and St. Rita, Holly (2003-04).
60th Anniversary - Class of 1964
Fr. Julian Chmura
Fr. Chmura, 89, was born in Rudnik, Poland, and attended the Institute of Theology in Krakow, and SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan.
He was ordained Feb. 25, 1964, in Krakow, and was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1976.
Fr. Chmura served as associate pastor of St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck (1970-76); SS. Peter & Paul Parish, Detroit (1976-82); St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, Madison Heights (1982-84); and St. Cletus Parish, Warren (1984-87). He also was administrator of St. Vincent Ferrer (1982-84) and St. Paul Albanian Parish, Warren (1986-87).
From 1987-2008, Fr. Chmura was pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Detroit, where he was also director of religious education and served in urban youth ministry. After being granted senior priest status in 2008, he continued to help on weekends at SS. Peter and Paul (Westside) Parish, Detroit.
Fr. Lawrence Kaiser
Fr. Kaiser, 86, was born in Dearborn and attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit; the University of Detroit; and St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township.
He was ordained June 6, 1964, at Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit. He celebrated his first Mass at St. Clement Parish, Dearborn.
Fr. Kaiser served as associate pastor at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, Waterford Township (1964-69); St. Angela Parish, Roseville (1969-71); and St. Mary Parish, Redford (1971-73). He was co-pastor at St. Gerard Parish, Detroit (1973-80), then appointed pastor of that parish from 1980-88. He was pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish, Dearborn Heights, from 1988-99.
He was pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Dearborn, from 1999 until being granted senior status in 2008. He later served briefly as administrator of St. Edith Parish, Livonia (2010).
Fr. Kaiser was vicar of the Dearborn Vicariate from 1995-98, and served on the Presbyteral Council (2007-08). He received the Cardinal Mooney Award in 1982, for which he studied in Dublin, Ireland, for three months.
Fr. Ronald Kurzawa
Fr. Kurzawa, 85, was born in Detroit and attended St. Mary’s College, Orchard Lake; St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township; the University of Detroit; and the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. He also studied at North American College in Rome.
Fr. Kurzawa was ordained June 6, 1964, at Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit. He celebrated his first Mass as SS. Cyril & Methodius Church, Detroit.
Fr. Kurzawa served as associate pastor at St. Cunegunda Parish, Detroit (1964-68) and St. Bartholomew Parish, Detroit (1968-73). He served as pastor of St. Clement of Rome Parish, Romeo (1973-82); Precious Blood Parish, Detroit (1982-92); and St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, St. Clair Shores (1992-2002).
From 2002-08, he was pastor of St. Aiden Parish, Livonia. He was granted senior priest status in 2008.
Fr. Kurzawa was vicar of the Northwest Detroit Vicariate from 1985-88, and served on the Presbyteral Council from 2009-11.
He also has served as chaplain for the Knights of Columbus Gabriel Richard Council No. 2463; faithful friar for the Rev. Paul M. Onderbeke Assembly No. 1795; and as a member of the Knights of St. Peter Claver.
Fr. Kurzawa has been priest chair for the Archdiocesan Development Fund; a pastoral council representative; speaker and consultant for the Archdiocese of Detroit Worship Department; and a visiting faculty member in liturgical theology for SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, and Sacred Heart Seminary. He was coordinator for Communion for the papal Mass in Pontiac in 1987.
Fr. Kurzawa also received the Archdiocesan Farrell Award in the fall of 1990.
Fr. Thomas Lumpkin
Fr. Lumpkin, 85, was born in Indianapolis, Ind., attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and the University of Louvain, Belgium. He also received a Religious Education Certificate from the Pius XII Center, Detroit.
He was ordained June 27, 1964, in Leuven, Belgium. He celebrated his first Mass at St. Mary of Redford Parish, Detroit.
Fr. Lumpkin served as associate pastor at Our Lady Queen of All Saints Parish, Fraser (1964-69), and St. Louise de Marillac Parish, Warren (1969-73). He was then pastor of St. Brigid Parish, Detroit (1973-78).
In 1978, Fr. Lumpkin was appointed minister of the Catholic Worker Community and Southwest Hospitals. He continued to serve as chaplain of both Day House and Manna Community Meal outreach services in Detroit for many years. In 2019, he was granted senior priest status. He continues to assist at in jail ministry.
Fr. Lumpkin also has served on the Presbyteral Council and the Priests’ Senate.
Fr. Thomas Meagher
Fr. Meagher, 85, was born in Detroit and attended the University of Detroit; Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit; and St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township.
He was ordained June 6, 1964, at Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Mary Church, Milford.
Fr. Meagher served as associate pastor at St. Raymond Parish, Detroit (1964-72), and St. William Parish, Walled Lake (1972-75). He was pastor of St. Christine Parish, Detroit (1975-79), and St. Benedict Parish, Pontiac (1979-87).
In 1987, he was made pastor of St. Patrick Parish, White Lake, where he continued to serve until being granted senior priest status in 2023.
Fr. Meagher served as vicar of the Vicariate of the Lakes in 1974 and the West Detroit Vicariate in 1975-76. In 1991, he received the Cardinal Mooney Award, for which he studied in Dublin, Ireland.
Fr. Raymond Sayers
Fr. Sayers, 87, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit; the University of Detroit; St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township; and Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. He also attended Marygrove College in Detroit.
He was ordained June 6, 1964, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit. He celebrated his first Mass at St. James Parish, Ferndale.
Fr. Sayers served as associate pastor of St. Mary Parish, Wayne (1964-70), and then was made co-pastor of the parish from 1970-75. He was then pastor of St. Mary Parish, Royal Oak (1975-80), and then was director of the archdiocesan Vocations Office from 1980-81. He then was made director of the Office of Pre-Formation from 1981-85. In 1984-85, he was a full-time faculty member at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. Fr. Sayers was associate pastor pro tem at St. Ephrem Parish, Sterling Heights (1985-86), and from 1986 to 2003, he served as pastor of St. Jude Parish, Detroit.
Fr. Sayers was pastor of Holy Name Parish, Birmingham, from 2003-08, when he was granted senior priest status. He has served on the archdiocesan Assignment Board (2004-06); and Pension Board (2010-present).
Fr. Sayers was vicar of the Western Wayne Vicariate (1972-75) and of the Detroit/Grosse Pointe Vicariate (1987-89). He has served as chairman of the Presbyteral Council and of vicars. He also was a recipient of the Cardinal Dearden Award. He received the Wayne Man of the Year Award in 1967.
Fr. William Sinatra
Fr. Sinatra, 86, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township.
He was ordained June 6, 1964, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit, and celebrated his first Mass at Guardian Angels Parish, Detroit.
Fr. Sinatra served as associate pastor of St. David Parish, Detroit (1964-67); St. Rita Parish, Detroit (1967-69); and St. Henry Parish, Lincoln Park (1969-71). He was associate pastor of St. Aloysius Parish, Detroit (1971-72), then made administrator of the parish (1972-74). In the spring of 1974, he was administrator of St. Agatha Parish, Redford. From 1974-75, he was associate pastor of St. Athanasius Parish, Roseville. He was co-pastor of St. Athanasius Parish from 1975-79. Then, he served as pastor at St. Mary Parish, Milford (1979-89), and St. Mary Parish, Royal Oak (1989-96).
He was pastor of St. Ives Parish, Southfield (1996-2007); and St. Alan Parish, Troy (2007-08). He later served as administrator of St. Thecla Parish, Clinton Township (2009) and St. John Vianney Parish, Shelby Township (2010). Fr. Sinatra also has been vicar of the Farmington-Southfield Vicariate (2002-07) and a member of the Presbyteral Council. He was granted senior priest status in 2008.
Fr. Sylvester Taube
Fr. Taube, 86, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township.
He was ordained June 6, 1964, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit, and celebrated his first Mass at Holy Name Church, Detroit.
Fr. Taube served as associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Lapeer (1964-70), and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Detroit (1970-71). He was then pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Monroe (1971-80).
From 1980-86, Fr. Taube received a special assignment as the archbishop’s representative in Marriage Encounter Ministry. He was chaplain at Gabriel Richard High School from 1981-82, and then became pastor of Holy Ghost Parish from 1982-89. From 1986 to 2000, he served as associate director of the archdiocesan Office of Youth, Family and Faith Support.
Fr. Taube was pastor of St. Columban Parish, Birmingham, from 2000-08, when he was granted senior status.
In 1975-76, he served as vicar of the Monroe Vicariate.
50th Anniversary - Class of 1974
Bishop Donald F. Hanchon
Bishop Hanchon, 76, was born in Jackson, and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit; St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township; the University of Detroit; and the University of Notre Dame.
He was ordained a priest Oct. 19, 1974, by Bishop Joseph Imesch and celebrated his first Mass at St. Mary Church in Wayne.
Then-Fr. Hanchon was appointed associate pastor at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit (1974-79) and St. Mark Parish, Warren (1979-81). Fr. Hanchon was also asked to serve as assistant spiritual director at Sacred Heart Major Seminary (1979-81).
In 1981, he became director of priestly vocations for the Archdiocese of Detroit, serving in that capacity until 1986. During this time, he also served as pastor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish in Detroit.
In 1986, he took a full year off for preparation to serve in Hispanic ministry, spending several months in Mexico and Texas to learn the language and culture. He was then appointed pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Monroe (1987-92), and then as pastor of St. Gabriel Parish in Detroit (1992-99). Fr. Hanchon was appointed coordinator for Hispanic ministry in 1992, serving in that capacity until 2007.
In 1997, he was appointed administrator of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Port Huron, in addition to his duties at St. Gabriel. He continued to serve the Hispanic mission community there until 2004. He returned to serve briefly as administrator of St. Gabriel in late 2004.
Meanwhile, Fr. Hanchon was appointed pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in southwest Detroit, the archdiocese’s largest Hispanic parish, in 1999, and served there until being named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2011.
Bishop Hanchon was consecrated a bishop on May 5, 2011, by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. He is titular bishop of Orreomargo, and served as regional moderator and episcopal vicar of the archdiocese’s Central Region of Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park from 2009 until his retirement in 2022.
Before becoming a bishop, he was named a monsignor by Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 19, 2005. Bishop Hanchon had also served as a member of the archdiocesan College of Consultors, Presbyteral Council, and as vicar of the Southwest Vicariate. He earned the Cardinal Mooney Award in 2005, and has been a member of the Jesus Caritas Fraternity of Priests since 1975, holding national and international officer positions. He holds master’s degrees in theology, liturgy and ministry.
Fr. Timothy Pelc
Fr. Pelc, 76, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township.
He was ordained June 2, 1974, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Clement Church, Dearborn.
Fr. Pelc served as associate pastor at St. Henry Parish in Lincoln Park (1974) and St. Mary Parish in Wayne (1979). From 1981-82, he served as auditor of the Metropolitan Tribunal. He earned a master’s degree in liturgy from the University of Notre Dame.
Fr. Pelc was later appointed temporary administrator at Presentation-Our Lady of Victory Parish in Detroit (1984), associate pastor of St. Mary of Redford Parish in Detroit (1984-86), and temporary administrator of St. Michael Parish in Pontiac (1985-86). He was appointed pastor of St. Ambrose Parish in Grosse Pointe Park, in 1986, where he continues to serve today as a member of the in solidum team of priests who serve the SERF 3 Family of Parishes. Fr. Pelc also served as administrator of St. Martin of Tours Parish in Detroit (1987-89).
Fr. Pelc served on the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council from 2007-09, and again from 2009-12. He was also an auditor for the Metropolitan Tribunal from 1981-82.
Msgr. Robert Sable
Msgr. Sable, 76, born in Detroit, attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit; St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township; the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome; and the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
He was ordained June 9, 1974, and celebrated his first Mass at the National Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak.
Msgr. Sable served as associate pastor at St. Anthony Parish, Belleville (1974-75). He worked part-time at the Metropolitan Tribunal in 1975, and after earning a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University, served as vice officialis in 1979 and then officialis of the Tribunal from 1981-84.
In 1982, Msgr. Sable was appointed spiritual director for the Catholic Lawyers Society. He was appointed first judicial vicar of the Ecclesiastical Court of Appeal for the Ecclesiastical Province of Detroit in 1983. In 1984, he resigned as judicial vicar to pursue full-time studies for a JCD in jurisprudence.
In 1988, he was released to the Archdiocese of Ottawa for military services. Msgr. Sable was appointed by Pope St. John Paul II to be Defender of the Bond at the Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota in 1989. During that year, he terminated active duty as a captain in the Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. A month later, he took the oath of office before the Collegium Rotale in Rome.
In 1989, he was re-commissioned as a captain in the Air Force Reserves to Aviano, AB, Italy. In 1993-94, he served as a major in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. Msgr. Sable has also served at Wurtsmith AFB, Barksdale AFB, USAF Academy, Dyess AFB, Spangdahlem, Ramstein, as chief of Chaplains Office, Decimomannu Italy, Ghedi, Rimini, and as USAFR liaison for chaplain candidates in Europe.
Msgr. Sable served as chaplain to the USN 6th Fleet at Gaeta, Italy, from 1996-2005. He has served as an auditor at the Tribunal of the Roman Rota since 1993.
Fr. Michael Savickas
Fr. Savickas, 76, was born in Stamford, Conn., and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit; and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township.
He was ordained Dec. 6, 1974, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Ambrose Church, Detroit.
Fr. Savickas served as associate pastor at St. Mary Magdalen Parish, Melvindale (1974-76) — and briefly as administrator there in 1976 — and associate pastor at Guardian Angels Parish, Clawson (1979-85). He was appointed pastor of St. William Parish, Walled Lake, in 1985, where he continues to serve as a member of the in solidum team of priests that shepherds the Northwest Wayne 1 Family of Parishes.
Fr. Savickas also served as vicar of the former Vicariate of the Lakes (2000-04) and two terms as vicar of the current Lakes Vicariate (2004-06, 2006-07).
40th Anniversary - Class of 1984
Fr. Kenneth Chase
Fr. Chase, 67, was born in Ferndale and attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township.
He was ordained on Dec. 15, 1984, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Chase served as associate pastor of St. Germaine Parish, St. Clair Shores (1984-85); St. Mary Queen of Creation Parish, New Baltimore (1985-88); Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Grosse Pointe Woods (1988-91); and St. Frances Cabrini Parish, Allen Park (1991-94). He served briefly as administrator of St. Frances Cabrini Parish before being appointed pastor of St. Hedwig Parish in Detroit (1994-98).
Fr. Chase later served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish, South Lyon (1998-2010); Resurrection Parish, Canton (2010-13); and Sacred Heart Parish, Dearborn (2013-present), where he continues to serve as a member of the in solidum team of priests who pastor the West Wayne 1 Family of Parishes.
Throughout his ministry, Fr. Chase has served as vicar of the Southwest Vicariate (1995-97) and West Wayne Vicariate (2016-18), and as a member of the archdiocesan Assignment Board (2007-09).
Fr. John Kiselica
Fr. Kiselica, 68, attended Boston College, the Weston School of Theology and Madonna University before he was ordained a priest on June 23, 1984, for the Society of Mary (Marists).
He taught at Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods from 1984 to 2000, and then served as principal of Divine Child High School in Dearborn from 2001-06, while assisting at the parish. Fr. Kiselica was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2004.
From 2006-11, Fr. Kiselica taught at St. Mary’s Preparatory in Orchard Lake. He joined the faculty of De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren from 2012-16. Over that time, he assisted on weekends at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Waterford (2007-09), St. Paul of Tarsus Parish in Clinton Township (2009-17), St. Blase Parish in Sterling Heights (2001-18), and St. Anne Parish in Warren (2015-18).
In 2017, he was asked to become administrator of St. Anthony Parish in Belleville, eventually becoming the community’s pastor the next year. He served there until 2022, when he became a member of the in solidum team of priests pastoring the Central Macomb 5 Family of Parishes, with primary responsibility for St. Paul of Tarsus Parish in Clinton Township.
Earlier this year, Fr. Kiselica was granted senior priest status.
30th Anniversary - Class of 1994
Fr. David Burgard
Fr. Burgard, 59, was born in Toledo, Ohio, and attended Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio, and Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. He later continued his education at the Institute for Priestly Formation for spiritual direction.
Fr. Burgard was ordained a priest on June 25, 1994, in Detroit.
He served as associate pastor of Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson (1994-95), and St. Patrick Parish in White Lake (1997-99), before serving his first pastorate at Immaculate Conception Parish in Ira Township (1999-2008). Fr. Burgard later served as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Wayne (2008-13), while concurrently serving as administrator of Holy Family Parish in Inkster.
Fr. Burgard became pastor of St. Mary Parish in Monroe in 2013, later adding responsibility as pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Monroe in 2019; he continues to serve both communities as moderator of the in solidum team of priests who pastor the Monroe 2 Family of Parishes.
Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton
Bishop Monforton, 61, was born in Detroit and attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and the Pontifical North American College and Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning licentiate and doctorate degrees in sacred theology.
He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit on June 25, 1994, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
His first assignment out of seminary was serving as associate pastor of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak (1994-96). During that time, he also taught religion at Shrine High School.
In 1998, Cardinal Adam J. Maida invited then-Fr. Monforton to serve as his personal priest-secretary. During this time, he assisted on weekends at St. Paul on the Lake Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms (1998-2002) and St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish in Sterling Heights (2002-05). He also served as a member of Sacred Heart Major Seminary's faculty from 2002-05. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI named Fr. Monforton a "chaplain to His Holiness," which carried with it the honorary title of "monsignor."
In 2005, Cardinal Maida named then-Msgr. Monforton pastor of St. Therese of Lisieux Parish in Shelby Township. From 2005-06, he was asked to serve as an apostolic visitor for the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education, evaluating U.S. seminaries and houses of formation. At the conclusion of his service, Cardinal Maida appointed him the 12th rector and president of Detroit's Sacred Heart Major Seminary on Aug. 24, 2006. While serving as Sacred Heart's rector from 2006 to 2012, then-Msgr. Monforton also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Madonna University in Livonia.
In 2012, he was named pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Rochester. Two months later, Pope Benedict XVI called him to the episcopate, appointing him the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, on July 3, 2012.
Bishop Monforton was ordained and installed as bishop of Steubenville on Sept. 10, 2012, and served in that capacity until Pope Francis called him back to his home diocese on Sept. 28, 2023, appointing him the 32nd auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
As a bishop, Bishop Monforton has served as a member of several U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops committees, including as chairman of the Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. He also served as a member of the board of governors of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and on the boards of St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa., and the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He is a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus and a member of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Bishop Monforton currently serves as episcopal moderator for the Archdiocese of Detroit’s South Region.
25th Anniversary - Class of 1999
Fr. Paul Ballien
Fr. Ballien, 54, was born in Pontiac and attended Michigan Technological University in Houghton and Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.
He was ordained May 22, 1999, by Cardinal Adam J. Maida at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Ballien’s first assignments post-ordination included serving as associate pastor of St. Paul on the Lake Parish, Grosse Pointe Farms (1999-2002), and Holy Family Parish, Novi (2002-04). He was appointed administrator of St. Edith Parish in Livonia (2004-05) before being given his first pastorate at St. Basil the Great Parish in Eastpointe (2005-07).
In 2007, Fr. Ballien was asked to become pastor of St. Ignatius Parish in Grand Cayman, part of the Archdiocese of Detroit’s pastoral responsibility to the Cayman Islands, serving there until 2011. Returning to Michigan, he served as pastor of St. Linus Parish in Dearborn Heights from 2011-18. In 2018, he became pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Canton, where he continued to serve along with the other parishes in the Northwest Wayne 4 Family of Parishes.
In 2023, Fr. Ballien became director of the Archdiocese of Detroit’s chapter of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which assists the missions worldwide. During his priesthood, Fr. Ballien has also served as a member of the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council (2011-23) and as vicar of the West Wayne Vicariate (2011-16) and Northwest Wayne Vicariate (2018-21).
Fr. Brian Cokonougher
Fr. Cokonougher, 54, was born in Warren and attended Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit for his priestly formation. He later earned a certificate in spiritual direction from the Institute for Priestly Formation.
Fr. Cokonougher was ordained May 22, 1999, by Cardinal Adam J. Maida at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
He served as associate pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish, St. Clair Shores (1999-2002); Presentation/Our Lady of Victory Parish, Detroit (2002-03); Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Detroit (2002-03); and St. Gerard Parish, Detroit (2002-03).
Fr. Cokonougher served for two years as pastor of St. Jude Parish, Detroit (2003-05), before being given pastoral responsibility for St. Stephen Parish, St. Joseph Parish and Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, all in Port Huron. In 2007, he oversaw the merger of all three communities to become Holy Trinity Parish, serving as pastor of the combined parish until 2016.
He later served as pastor of St. Thecla Parish in Clinton Township (2016-21), and as moderator of the Central Macomb 5 Family of Parishes. In 2022, Fr. Cokonougher was named a member of the in solidum team of priests pastoring the Paint Creek 1 Family of Parishes, with primary responsibility for St. Andrew Parish in Rochester, where he continues to serve.
Fr. Cokonougher has also served multiple terms as a member of the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council, and one term as a member of the College of Consultors (2017-22). He has also served as vicar of the Blue Water Vicariate (2014-16) and Paint Creek Vicariate (2023-present).
Fr. Jeffrey Day
Fr. Day, 51, was born in Southfield and attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.
He was ordained a priest on May 22, 1999, by Cardinal Adam J. Maida at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Day’s first assignments after ordination were to serve as associate pastor of Divine Child Parish in Dearborn (1999-2002) and St. Isidore Parish in Macomb (2002-03). Four years after ordination, he was given his first pastorship in 2003 at St. Sebastian Parish in Dearborn Heights, serving there until 2011.
In 2011, Fr. Day was named pastor of St. Fabian Parish in Farmington Hills, serving in that role until 2017. Concurrently, he also served briefly as administrator of St. Colman Parish in Farmington Hills from 2012-13.
Throughout his priesthood, Fr. Day served in numerous roles and assignments serving the archbishop of Detroit, including as ecumenical and interfaith relations liaison from 2010-17, and as a member of the Presbyteral Council, Assignment Board, Pension Board, Catholic Services Appeal Steering Committee, as vicar of the West Wayne Vicariate (2009-18), and as a member of the archdiocese’s Synod 16.
In 2017, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron appointed Fr. Day as deputy moderator of the curia, and a year later as moderator of the curia and vicar general for the Archdiocese of Detroit, a role in which he oversees the operations of the Archdiocesan Central Services on behalf of the archbishop.
While serving as moderator of the curia and in other roles, Fr. Day continues to assist in parish ministry, including at St. John Neumann Parish in Canton. He also serves as chaplain to the newly formed Confraternity for Holy Souls, an apostolate devoted to praying for souls in purgatory.
Fr. Timothy Laboe
Fr. Laboe, 59, was born in Monroe and attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.; the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.; Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit; and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.
Fr. Laboe was ordained to the priesthood on May 22, 1999, by Cardinal Adam J. Maida at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Immediately following ordination, Fr. Laboe served as associate pastor of St. Joseph, St. Michael and St. Vincent de Paul parishes in Pontiac (1999-2001), becoming administrator of all three parishes from 2001-04. He served as pastor of St. Valentine Parish in Redford from 2004-07 before being appointed to live and serve at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.
In 2012, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron appointed Fr. Laboe as dean of studies at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, a role in which he continues to serve in addition to his role as professor of theology. During this time, Fr. Laboe has continued to assist in parish ministry on weekends, including at the Basilica of Ste. Anne and the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Laboe has also served two terms on the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council.
Fr. Robert Shafer
Fr. Shafer, 70, was born in Detroit and attended the University of Michigan, Harvard University, the University of Detroit and Sacred Heart Major Seminary, in addition to obtaining a teaching certificate from the state of Michigan.
Fr. Shafer was ordained a priest on May 22, 1999, by Cardinal Adam J. Maida at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Shafer’s first assignment after ordination was as associate pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Rochester (1999-2002), while also serving as chaplain to Marian and Brother Rice high schools in Bloomfield Hills (2001-02). He later served as associate pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish in St. Clair Shores (2002-03), and briefly as administrator of St. Cyril of Jerusalem Parish in Taylor (2003).
Fr. Shafter later served as pastor of St. Angela Parish in Roseville (2003-04); associate pastor of Holy Family Parish in Novi (2004-06); administrator of St. Victor Parish in Rockwood (2009-10); and as pastor of St. Timothy Parish in Trenton (2006-18).
Fr. Shafer has been granted senior priest status as of July 1, 2024.
Fr. Richard Treml
Fr. Treml, 79, attended Wayne State University, the University of Detroit, and Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.
He was ordained a priest on May 22, 1999, by Cardinal Adam J. Maida at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Treml’s priestly service began as associate pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in St. Clair Shores (1999-2002), before he was named pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish and St. Patrick Mission in North Branch in 2002. The next year, he became administrator of St. Mary Burnside Parish in North Branch, becoming its pastor in 2005.
Fr. Treml has continued to lead all three communities, picking up additional responsibility for Sacred Heart Mission in Brown City in 2012. When the communities came together as the Thumb 3 Family of Parishes in 2021, Fr. Treml continued in his pastoral role.
Over the years, Fr. Treml has continued to serve the Thumb community and the archdiocese as vicar of the Thumb Vicariate (2007-21), and as a member of the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council (2009-16, 2018-23).
Other jubilarians this year
In addition to those celebrating milestone jubilee years in 2024, Detroit Catholic and the Archdiocese of Detroit also honor all of those priests celebrating jubilees greater than 60 years. They are:
- Cardinal Adam J. Maida (68 years)
- Fr. Leo Sabourin (66 years)
- Fr. Donald Walker (66 years)
- Fr. Arnold D'Achille (65 years)
- Fr. John Leo Phalen (65 years)
- Fr. Thomas Sutherland (64 years)
- Fr. Joseph Gagnon (63 years)
- Fr. Donald Worthy (62 years)
- Fr. Stephen Reckker (61 years)
- Fr. Joseph Romano (61 years)
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