Priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit celebrating milestone anniversaries of their ordination gather for a special Mass with Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron on June 1 at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak. Jubilarians from both 2020 and 2021 were honored during the Mass and luncheon that followed. (Valaurian Waller | Detroit Catholic)
Archdiocese of Detroit honors sacrifice, commitment of 2021 priest jubilarians who’ve shown Christ’s love through their ministries
DETROIT — When a man is ordained a priest, he is, in the words of the sacred liturgy, “a priest forever.”
While forever is a long time, 37 priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit have gotten a pretty good head start, serving the Church for a combined 1,864 years.
The 2021 jubilarians celebrated a special Mass on June 1 with Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, along with their 2020 counterparts, who also celebrated after last year’s Mass was postponed because of COVID-19 concerns.
While Detroit Catholic and the archdiocese annually honor priests celebrating their 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th anniversaries, this year’s list also includes a special honor: Msgr. Robert Monticello, who is celebrating his 70th anniversary to the priesthood. It also includes Auxiliary Bishop Arturo Cepeda, celebrating his 25th jubilee.
Along with “round number” milestones, the local Church also honors all priests celebrating anniversaries greater than 60 years. This year, that includes two bishops — Cardinal Adam J. Maida and Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton — who are each marking 65 years of ordination.
Please join us in congratulating the following priests on their lifetimes of service to God and His people.
70th anniversary — Class of 1951
Msgr. Robert Monticello
Msgr. Robert Monticello
Msgr. Monticello, 94, was born in Detroit and was ordained June 2, 1951.
He served as assistant pastor at St. Alphonsus, Dearborn (1951), then at Madonna Parish in Detroit (1951-55). After completing graduate studies at Fordham University, New York, he founded and directed Catholic Social Services of Macomb/Lenawaee Counties (1957-67).
He was chaplain of the St. Francis Home for Boys, Detroit (1961-71), and also taught at that time at Sacred Heart Seminary (1962-66) and Mercy College, Detroit (1963-66). He was director of Catholic Social Services for the Archdiocese of Detroit (1967-68), director of the archdiocesan Department of Christian Service (1968-70) and deputy delegate for clergy (1970-71).
For most of the 1970s, Msgr. Monticello ministered in Washington, D.C., serving there as executive director for the Campaign for Human Development (1971-73), associate general secretary for the U.S. Catholic Conference (1973), and as assistant treasurer for the conference (1974-78) as well as deputy treasurer for Catholic Relief Services.
In 1979, he returned to Detroit and was made coordinator of planning and services, and an executive assistant to Cardinal John Dearden and Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka. He served as pastor of St. Martha Parish, Dearborn (1981-85); St. Frances Cabrini Parish, Allen Park (1985-88); and St. Clare of Assisi Parish, Farmington Hills (1988-99).
He was named prelate of honor to His Holiness (monsignor) in 1990. He was granted senior priest status in 1999. After Msgr. Monticello’s retirement, he served as a member of the Priests Pension Board (2006-12) and Presbyteral Council (2011-13).
60th anniversary — Class of 1961
Fr. Joseph Gagnon
Fr. Joseph Gagnon
Fr. Gagnon, 85, was born in Detroit and was ordained June 3, 1961.
He served as assistant pastor at St. Suzanne Parish, Detroit (1961-65); St. Anselm Parish, Dearborn Heights (1965-67); St. Benedict Parish, Highland Park (1967-70); and St. Gregory the Great Parish, Detroit (1970-71).
He returned to St. Gregory and became its administrator from 1971-73, then the parish’s pastor until 1976. He then served as administrator of St. Benedict Parish, Waterford (1976-77), associate pastor of St. Hilary Parish, Redford Township (1977) and chaplain of Carmel Hall, Detroit (1977).
He served as pastor of St. Richard Parish, Westland (1977-82), and vicar of the Western Wayne Vicariate from 1979-81. He also was vicarious adjutor at St. Christopher Parish, Marysville, in 1982 and administrator of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Port Huron from 1982 until 1985. He was pastor of St. Christopher Parish in Marysville from 1982 until 1988.
He then became pastor of another St. Christopher Parish, this time in Detroit (1988-89); Presentation/Our Lady of Victory Parish, Detroit (1989-92); and St. Conrad Parish, Melvindale (1992-2005). He was a member of the Presbyteral Council from 2004 until 2006, and in 2010 he was temporary administrator of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Emmett, Sacred Heart Parish in Yale and Sacred Heart Mission in Brown City. He briefly served as administrator of St. Andrew Parish in Rochester in 2012.
He currently is a senior priest for the archdiocese.
Fr. Edward Prus
Fr. Edward Prus
Fr. Prus, 92, was born in River Rouge and was ordained June 3, 1961.
He served as assistant pastor at St. Philip Neri Parish, Detroit (1961-64); assistant spiritual director at Sacred Heart Seminary’s high school department (1964-69); and associate pastor at the Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak (1969-75). In 1975, he was made co-pastor of Shrine along with Fr. Ed Belczak, and in 1980 he was made pastor of the parish, which he remained until 1987. From 1987 until 1991, he was pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Recife, Brazil, returning to the archdiocese in 1991 to pastor St. Raphael Parish in Garden City until 1999.
Fr. Prus was granted senior priest status in 1999, but afterward served as temporary administrator of St. Raphael Parish (2000) and on the Presbyteral Council (2001-03, 2015-19). Since 2001, he has served in residence at St. James Parish (now Our Mother of Perpetual Help) in Ferndale.
50th anniversary — Class of 1971
Fr. Salvino Briffa
Fr. Salvino Briffa
Fr. Briffa, 80, was born in Malta and was ordained March 25, 1971.
He served as assistant pastor at St. Mary Queen of Creation Parish, New Baltimore (1991-94); St. Lawrence Parish, Utica (1994-95); and St. Paul on the Lake Parish, Grosse Pointe Farms (1995-96). He was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1995.
He served as pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish, Allenton (1996-98) and Holy Innocents Parish in Roseville (1998-2001) before being named pastor of St. Bernardine of Siena Parish in Westland in 2001. In 2011, the parish merged into St. Damian Parish in Westland, and Fr. Briffa continued as administrator of the new parish, along with St. Theodore of Canterbury Parish in Westland, until 2012.
Fr. Briffa was granted senior status in 2011 and is currently retired.
Fr. Vincent Nguyen an Ninh
Fr. Vincent Nguyen An Ninh
Fr. Nguyen An Ninh, 77, was born in Vietnam and was ordained Dec. 17, 1971, for the Diocese of Xuan Loc in Vietnam.
He served a special assignment at Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson, pastoring the Vietnamese Catholic community there, and he was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1989. From 1999 to 2015, he was pastor of Our Lady of Grace Vietnamese Parish in Warren until being granted senior priest status.
Fr. Dale Redwanski
Fr. Dale Redwanski
Fr. Redwanski, 79, was ordained May 29, 1971. He was a member of the Crosier Fathers, ministering in the Archdiocese of Detroit. He was incardinated into the archdiocese in 2004.
During his priestly ministry in the Detroit area, he served as chaplain at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township (1991-2009) and at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital East in Mount Clemens. He was granted senior priest status in 2009.
40th anniversary — Class of 1981
Fr. Bogdan Milosz
Fr. Bogdan Milosz
Fr. Milosz, 65, was born in Osiek, Poland, and was ordained June 7, 1981, for the Diocese of Plock, Poland.
After his arrival to Michigan, Fr. Milosz served as associate pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Dearborn (1988-89); St. Dennis Parish, Royal Oak (1989-92); and St. Lawrence Parish, Utica (1992-94).
He was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1994 and was named pastor of St. Nicholas Parish in Capac, serving there until 1998. Fr. Milosz served as pastor of Our Lady Queen of Apostles Parish in Hamtramck from 1998 to 2013. In 2013, he was named pastor of St. Faustina Parish in Warren, where he continues to minister today.
Fr. Milosz completed advanced studies at the University of Detroit, Wayne State University, and Ashland Theological Seminary.
Fr. Gary Morelli
Fr. Gary Morelli
Fr. Morelli, 67, was born in Detroit and attended St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth and Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit.
He was ordained Sept. 19, 1981, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Morelli served at St. Philomena Parish, Detroit (1981-82), while also serving on the Metropolitan Tribunal. He was associate pastor of St. Matthias Parish in Sterling Heights (1982-84), chaplain of Bishop Borgess High School in Redford (1984-86), and associate pastor of Christ the Good Shepherd Parish in Lincoln Park (1986-88), St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Allen Park (1988), and Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson (1990-93).
In 1993, Fr. Morelli was named pastor of St. Cyril of Jerusalem Parish in Taylor, serving there until 2003. He later served as associate pastor of St. Paul of Tarsus Parish, Clinton Township (2003-06), and as weekend associate at Holy Family Parish, Inkster and St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, Wyandotte.
From 2007-10, Fr. Morelli was chaplain for Henry Ford Wyandotte General Hospital, and from 2010-20 at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn.
Fr. William Siebert
Fr. William Siebert
Fr. Siebert, 78, was born in Detroit and attended Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township, and St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore.
He was ordained Jan. 17, 1981, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Siebert served as associate pastor of St. Lucy Parish, St. Clair Shores (1980-81); St. Clement Parish, Center Line (1981-82); St. Lawrence Parish, Utica (1982-83); St. Michael Parish, Sterling Heights (1983-94); and St. Malachy Parish, Sterling Heights (1994-96). In 1996, he served as temporary administrator of St. Malachy, and later as administrator of St. Athanasius Parish in Roseville from 1997-2006.
Fr. Siebert also served as chaplain to the Michigan State Police from 1986-94, and on the Metropolitan Tribunal from 1981-82. Fr. Siebert was granted senior priest status in 2008.
Fr. Thomas Slowinski
Fr. Thomas Slowinski
Fr. Slowinski, 65, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township.
He was ordained Sept. 19, 1981, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
While serving at St. Agatha Parish in Redford from 1981-82, Fr. Slowinski also served on the Metropolitan Tribunal during that time. He served as associate pastor of St. Sylvester Parish in Warren (1982-85), St. Edith Parish in Livonia (1985-88), and St. Anastasia Parish in Troy (1988-89).
Fr. Slowinski returned to St. Agatha Parish in 1989 as pastor, serving there until 1998. He was then pastor of Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson from 1998 to 2002, and of St. Andrew Parish in Rochester from 2002 to 2011. After a brief leave of absence, Fr. Slowinski served as pastor of St. Thomas a’Becket Parish in Canton from 2012 to 2018. He also has assisted at St. Moses the Black Parish in Detroit and St. Paul on the Lake Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms.
Fr. Slowinski served one term on the Presbyteral Council, from 2008-10.
30th anniversary — Class of 1991
Msgr. Ronald Browne
Msgr. Ronald Browne
Msgr. Browne, 64, was born in Detroit and attended Mercy College of Detroit, Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township. He earned his licentiate in canon law from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, and a doctorate in civil law from the Wayne State University Law School in Detroit.
Msgr. Browne was ordained June 29, 1991, in Detroit and celebrated his first Mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Detroit.
He served as associate pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Grosse Pointe Woods (1991-92) and National Shrine of the Little Flower Parish in Royal Oak (1992-95) before going to Rome to finish his studies in canon law. Upon returning to Detroit, he served as a weekend assistant at Divine Child Parish in Dearborn and St. Colette Parish in Livonia. In 1999, he was named judicial vicar for the Metropolitan Tribunal, serving in that role until 2001. From 2002-04, he served as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Farmington, and later served as pastor of St. Gerald Parish in Farmington from 2004-09. During that time, he also served on the Priests’ Assignment Board (2003-07) and archdiocesan Presbyteral Council (2008-09).
In 2009, he was sent to the Diocese of Marquette to serve as moderator of the curia for then-Bishop Alexander K. Sample. Upon being named a chaplain to His Holiness (monsignor) by Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, Msgr. Browne returned to the Archdiocese of Detroit, serving as director of the Metropolitan Tribunal, weekend assistant at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish in Beverly Hills (2013-14), and temporary administrator of SS. Cyril and Methodius (Slovak) Parish in Sterling Heights (2017) and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Grotto) Parish in Detroit (2019).
In 2015, Msgr. Browne was named judicial vicar for the second time for the Metropolitan Tribunal, and continues to serve as judicial vicar and director of the Tribunal today. In addition to those roles, Msgr. Browne was appointed in 2015 by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron to serve as secretary to the 2016 archdiocesan synod.
Msgr. G. Michael Bugarin
Msgr. G. Michael Bugarin
Msgr. Bugarin, 56, was born in Grosse Pointe and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome before being ordained on June 29, 1991. He celebrated his first Mass at St. Rene Goupil Church in Sterling Heights.
Msgr. Bugarin served as associate pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish in St. Clair Shores (1991-93), before being assigned as priest-secretary to Cardinal Adam J. Maida from 1993-98. From 1998-2004, he studied canon law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning his licentiate in canon law in 2004. While there, he served as director of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, which was under the care of the Archdiocese of Detroit. Upon returning to Detroit in 2004, he was assigned as pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish, where he continues to serve today. In 2005, Msgr. Bugarin was named a chaplain to His Holiness (monsignor) by Pope Benedict XVI. From 2011-12, he served as temporary administrator of St. Isaac Jogues Parish in St. Clair Shores.
Since 2009, Msgr. Bugarin has served as the archbishop’s delegate for cases involving clergy misconduct, and has served on the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council (2009-12) and three terms as vicar of the SERF Vicariate (2005-12).
Fr. Bradley Forintos
Fr. Bradley Forintos
Fr. Forintos, 65, was born in Lincoln Park and attended Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. He was ordained June 29, 1991, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Forintos served as associate pastor of St. Colette Parish in Livonia (1991-94) and St. Mary Queen of Creation Parish in New Baltimore (1994-97). During his time in New Baltimore, he also served as chaplain to Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Marine City. In 1997, Fr. Forintos was named pastor of St. Mary Mystical Rose Parish in Armada, where he served until 2009. From 2009-18, he served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Trenton, briefly serving as administrator of nearby St. Timothy Parish in 2010.
After brief stints as associate pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Port Huron (2018) and Our Lady on the River Parish in Marine City (2018-19), Fr. Forintos was appointed pastor of Holy Trinity in 2019, where he continues to serve today.
Fr. Marc Gawronski
Fr. Marc Gawronski
Fr. Gawronski, 60, was born in Livonia and attended the University of Michigan, St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township and the University of Notre Dame.
He was ordained June 29, 1991, and celebrated his first Mass at Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson.
Fr. Gawronski served as associate pastor of Christ the Good Shepherd Parish, Lincoln Park (1991-95), and St. Patrick Parish, White Lake (1995-97). Fr. Gawronski was appointed pastor of St. Stephen/Mary Mother of the Church Parish in Detroit, serving there until 2002. He was pastor of St. Mary Parish, Rockwood (2002-05), St. Mary Parish, Monroe (2005-13), and St. Gabriel Parish, Detroit (2013-20), before being appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Grosse Ile, and St. Cyprian Parish, Riverview, in 2020.
In August 2020, Fr. Gawronski assumed the pastoral care of St. Joseph Parish in Trenton after the death of his friend and fellow pastor, Fr. Stephen Rooney. He continues to shepherd all three parishes today.
Fr. Gawronski has served four times on the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council (2008-14, 2018-20), and served as vicar of the Monroe Vicariate (2009-13) and Southwest Vicariate (2016-20).
Fr. David Lesniak
Fr. David Lesniak
Fr. Lesniak, 62, was born in Highland Park and attended Wayne State University and Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
He was ordained June 29, 1991, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Robert Bellarmine Church in Redford.
Fr. Lesniak served as associate pastor of St. Veronica Parish, Eastpointe (1991-92); Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Plymouth (1992-94); Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, Waterford (1994-96); and Immaculate Conception Parish, Lapeer (1996). He was appointed pastor of St. Stephen Parish in Port Huron in 1997, serving there until 2004. He also served as pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish, Dearborn (2004-15), and since 2015 has been pastor of St. Timothy Parish in Trenton.
Fr. James Livingston
Fr. James Livingston
Fr. Livingston, 60, was born in Detroit and attended the University of Michigan and Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. He was ordained June 29, 1991, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Livingston served as associate pastor of St. Alfred Parish, Taylor (1991-95) and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Plymouth (1995-97), before being named pastor of St. Mel Parish in Dearborn Heights, where he served until 2001. From 2001-05, he served as pastor of St. Agatha in Redford.
Following a leave of absence, Fr. Livingston was appointed chaplain of Ascension Providence hospitals in Southfield and Novi in 2020, and he continues to serve in those roles.
25th anniversary — Class of 1996
Fr. Mark Borkowski
Fr. Mark Borkowski
Fr. Borkowski, 56, was born in Kalamazoo and attended St. Mary’s College in Orchard Lake, St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange, Calif., and SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake.
He was ordained May 25, 1996, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Borkowski served as associate pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in St. Clair Shores (1996-99) and St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Allen Park (1999-2002). He served as administrator and later pastor of Sweetest Heart of Mary (2001-02, 2002-10) in Detroit. During that time, he also served as administrator of nearby St. Josaphat (2003-10) and St. Joseph parishes (2004-10). From 2010-13, Fr. Borkowski served as associate pastor of SS. Peter and Paul (Westside) Parish in Detroit, and as pastor of Our Lady of the Scapular Parish in Wyandotte from 2013-19.
Auxiliary Bishop Jose Arturo Cepeda
Bishop Jose Arturo Cepeda
Auxiliary Bishop Jose Arturo Cepeda Escobedo, 52, was born in San Luis Potosi, SLP, Mexico on May 15, 1969, to Jose Cepeda and Maria del Socorro Escobedo.
He received his elementary and high school education in Catholic schools in San Luis Potosi under the direction of Hermanas and Hermanos Josefinos. Bishop Cepeda then completed a year of spiritual formation, followed by philosophy studies at Seminario Arquidiocesano Guadalupano Josefino in San Luis Potosi.
After moving with his family to San Antonio, Texas, Bishop Cepeda continued his seminary studies at Our Lady of the Lake University, later earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in religious studies with a minor in psychology from the College Seminary of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Returning to San Antonio’s Assumption Seminary, Bishop Cepeda received a Masters of Divinity degree and was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Patricio Flores on June 1, 1996, at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in San Antonio.
After earning a Master of Arts degree in biblical theology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio while assigned as associate pastor of San Antonio’s San Fernando Cathedral, Bishop Cepeda was asked to study at St. Thomas Aquinas (“Angelicum”) Pontifical University in Rome, where he was awarded Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) and Doctorate in Sacred Theology (STD) degrees, defending his dissertation in spiritual theology in 2005. After returning to San Antonio, he fulfilled teaching and formation duties at Assumption Seminary and Oblate School of Theology, served as vocation director and faculty member for the transitional ministry formation program for the Archdiocese of San Antonio, and was a member of the formation faculty for the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Bishop Cepeda was made vice rector of Assumption Seminary in San Antonio in 2009, and in 2010, was installed as the seminary’s rector.
At the time he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Detroit in April 2011, he was the youngest bishop in the United States at the age of 41. He was ordained May 5, 2011, by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, along with Bishops Donald Hanchon and (now Archbishop) Michael Byrnes.
During his time in Detroit, Bishop Cepeda has served as regional moderator for the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Northwest Region, as episcopal vicar for Evangelization, Catechesis and Schools (2013-17), and as a leader in the archdiocese’s V Encuentro process, which sought pastoral input from the Church’s Hispanic community.
At the national level, Bishop Cepeda has served as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs, and as chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity. In 2019, Bishop Cepeda led a U.S. delegation in presenting the results of the V Encuentro process to Pope Francis.
Fr. John Riccardo
Fr. John Riccardo
Fr. Riccardo, 55, was born in Detroit and attended the University of Michigan, Sacred Heart Seminary and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
Fr. Riccardo was ordained on May 25, 1996, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Riccardo served as associate pastor of Divine Child Parish in Dearborn from 1996-99. He then received his S.T.L. from the Pope John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Washington, D.C., before becoming director of the Cardinal Maida Institute at the St. John Center for Youth and Family in Plymouth from 2001-04.
He served as pastor of St. Anastasia Parish in Troy from 2004-07, and as pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth from 2007-19. In 2019, with the permission of Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, Fr. Riccardo founded ACTS XXIX, a nationwide apostolate to help equip clergy, lay leaders and parishes for evangelization in the 21st century. As director of ACTS XXIX, he leads clergy retreats, convocations and workshops in dioceses across the country.
Fr. Riccardo also serves as host of the popular EWTN radio program “Christ is the Answer,” has authored several books on evangelization, and produces a podcast, “You Were Born for This.”
Fr. Robert Spezia
Fr. Robert Spezia
Fr. Spezia, 57, attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit on May 25, 1996, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Fr. Spezia has served as associate pastor of Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson, and as a weekend associate at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in St. Clair Shores and St. Thomas More Parish in Troy.
From 2002 to 2017, Fr. Spezia served full time on the faculty of Sacred Heart Major Seminary as assistant professor of theology, director of undergraduate spiritual formation, and moderator of liturgy. In the latter role, Fr. Spezia supervised the monumental task of rehabilitating the seminary’s main chapel after a ceiling fire caused major smoke and water damage in 2009. He oversaw a team of skilled artists and craftspeople as they cleaned, repaired, and restored canvas ceiling panels, stained glass windows, masonry window surrounds, pews, and religious artwork.
In 2017, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron appointed Fr. Spezia as vicar for clergy and consecrated life for the Archdiocese of Detroit, a role in which he continues to serve today. Fr. Spezia also has served on the Priests Pension Board, Presbyteral Council, and as chaplain and later board president for Camp Sancta Maria in Gaylord.
In 2017, Fr. Spezia helped lead a team of priests and laypeople organizing the liturgy for the beatification of Blessed Solanus Casey at Detroit’s Ford Field.
Other jubilarians this year
In addition to those celebrating milestone jubilee years in 2021, Detroit Catholic and the Archdiocese of Detroit also honor all of those priests celebrating jubilees greater than 60 years. They are:
