Priesthood Jubilees 2018

Diocesan Priests Celebrate 25th Anniversaries

Msgr. Aguggia

Msgr. Steven J. Aguggia, judicial vicar with residence at St. Kevin’s, Flushing, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at St. Kevin’s Church on Sunday, May 27, at 10 a.m.

A native of Jackson Heights, he attended Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament School, Bayside; Holy Cross H.S., Flushing; Georgetown University; and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington.

He was ordained May 22, 1993, by Bishop Thomas V. Daily at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn.

He served as an assistant at Our Lady of Miracles, Canarsie, 1993-98, before post-graduate studies in Canon Law in Rome, 1998-2000.

In 2000, he was named Vice Chancellor with residence at St. Mary Mother of Jesus, Bensonhurst, and later at Queen of All Saints, Fort Greene.

He was assigned as a parochial vicar of St. Rosalia-Regina Pacis, Bensonhurst, in 2005 while remaining Vice Chancellor.

From 2007 to 2016, he served as pastor at St. Margaret’s, Middle Village.

He also is the executive director of National Italian Apostolate and Chaplain to Catholic Lawyers Guild of Queens and Spiritual Director for the NY Pro-Sanctity Movement.

He was named a monsignor in 2009.

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Father William Aguzey, parochial vicar at St. Joan of Arc, Jackson Heights, since 2009, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at the church on Sept. 21, at 7 p.m.

Born in Ghana, he studied Philosophy there and then Theology in Rome.

Ordained in 1993, he worked in various parishes in the Diocese of Techiman in Ghana.

In 2003, he came to the United States and served in the Archdiocese of New York. First assigned in Holy Name of Jesus, Valhalla, and then Sacred Heart in Patterson.

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Father Auguste

Father Jean Miguel Auguste, pastor of St. Pius X, Rosedale, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at the church on Sunday, May 20, at 4 p.m.

Born in Haiti, he attended Ecole Borno Lamarre; Lycie Faustin Soulouque, both in Petit-Goave; College of St. Martial and Franc Seminaire Notre Dame, both Port-au-Prince; and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington.

He was ordained May 22, 1993, by Bishop Thomas V. Daily at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn.

He served as an assistant at St. Therese of Lisieux, East Flatbush, 1993-97; Holy Innocents, Flatbush, 1997-2004; and St. Jerome, East Flatbush, 2004-07.

From 2007 to 2009, he was administrator of St. Jerome and was named pastor there in 2009.

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Father Brophy

Father Edward G. Brophy, pastor emeritus of St. Edmund, Sheepshead Bay, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at the church on Sunday, June 10, at 11 a.m.

Born in Brooklyn, he attended St. John the Baptist School, St. John’s Prep and University, all in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

In 1960, he began teaching English and coaching debate at St. John’s Prep. In 1962, he became the assistant librarian there.

In 1964, he started at Msgr. McClancy H.S., East Elmhurst, teaching English and coaching debate. The following year he was appointed head librarian there, a post he held until 1989, when he entered Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington.

He was ordained May 22, 1993, by Bishop Thomas V. Daily at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn.

He served as an assistant at St. Clare, Rosedale, 1993-2000.

In 2000, he was named pastor at St. Edmund. He also served as the chairman of the board of St. Edmund Prep. He retired in 2014 and continues to live at St. Edmund’s rectory as pastor emeritus.

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Father Cavalluzzi

Father Kevin P. Cavalluzzi, an assistant at St. Saviour’s, Park Slope, since 2015, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving there on Sunday, May 20, at 11:30 a.m. A reception will follow in the parish high school.

Born in Brooklyn, he attended Our Saviour School, Williamsburg; LaSalle Academy, Manhattan; Cathedral College, Douglaston; and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington.

He was ordained May 22, 1993, by Bishop Thomas V. Daily at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn.

He served as an assistant at St. Benedict Joseph Labre, Richmond Hill, 1993-99, and Resurrection-Ascension, Rego Park, 1999-2002.
From 2002 to 2006, he was pastor of St. Peter-St. Paul-Our Lady of Pilar, Cobble Hill.

He then began work in campus ministry, serving at NYC College of Technology and Polytech University, Downtown Brooklyn, while living at St. James Cathedral rectory.

In 2013, he was assigned as parochial vicar at St. Brendan’s, Midwood.

In 2004, he was awarded a doctorate of ministry degree.

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Father Francisco

Father Joey Francisco was born in Davao City, Philippines. He finished his elementary and high school education at the Holy Cross College of Calinan, Davao City. He was accepted at Saint Francis Xavier College and Regional Major Seminary and completed his college education with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Theology.

On April 15, 1993, he was ordained a priest in the Church of Sacred Heart by the late Archbishop Antonio Mabutas, of Davao. After his ordination, he was assigned in several parishes in Davao.

He was sent by his bishop to pursue further studies and finished his degree in Theology at St. John University in Jamaica in 2006. During his studies, he served in various parishes in the Archdiocese of New York. Afterwards, he returned to his home parish of the Archdiocese of Davao.

He returned to the U.S. in July 2011 to serve as parochial vicar at Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Brooklyn for five years until Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio assigned him to the St. Sebastian parish, Woodside, where he began his ministry on Sept 30, 2016.

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Father Gill

Father Ilyas A. Gill, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Windsor Terrace, since 2015, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at the church on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 11:45 a.m. He will celebrate with classmate Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad, Pakistan, and other classmates on Monday, Dec. 10, in Pakistan.

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, he attended St. Francis H.S., and the Government Islamia College, both in Lahore; Christ the King Seminary, Karachi, Pakistan; All Hallows College, Dublin, Ireland. He was ordained as a Franciscan priest by Bishop Armando Trindade Dec. 3, 1993.

He served as a parish priest of Nawabashah parish in the Diocese of Hyderabad. In addition, he was appointed youth chaplain to the Diocese and administrator of St. Anthony’s Boys’ Hostel, Nawabashah. Twice he was elected a consular to the advisory Council of the Franciscan Order of St. John the Baptist province of Pakistan. He also served as a parish priest at Immaculate Conception, Kotri, and St. Philip in Karachi, and administrator of six schools in the parish.

He came to the Brooklyn Diocese in 2006 and served for the summer at St. Rosalia-Regina Pacis, Bensonhurst and then was assigned as parochial vicar at Mary Queen of Heaven, Mill Basin, 2006-14; and St. Bernard’s, Mill Basin, 2014.

Since 2009, he has served as coordinator of the Ministry to Pakistani Immigrants. He also has ministered as chaplain to Mount Sinai Beth Israel Brooklyn Hospital and New York Community Hospital, Brooklyn.

He was incardinated as a priest of the Brooklyn Diocese in 2011.

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Father Hirten

Father Timothy Hirten is a U.S. Air Force chaplain stationed in Korea.

Born in Mercy Hospital, Rockville Centre, he attended Holy Spirit School, New Hyde Park; Holy Name of Mary School, Valley Stream; St. Barnabas School, Bellmore; St. John the Baptist H.S., West Islip; Franciscan University, Steubenville, Pa.; North American College, Rome; and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome.

He was ordained Oct. 9, 1993 by Bishop Thomas V. Daily at St. James Cathedral-Basilica, Downtown Brooklyn.

Prior to entering the seminary, he was a professional basketball player, travelling the world with the Washington Generals, the opponents of the Harlem Globetrotters.

He served as an assistant at St. Joan of Arc, Jackson Heights, 1993-97, and Sacred Heart, Bayside, before entering the Air Force. He served in Europe and was activated following the Sept. 11 attacks on America. In 2006, he was assigned to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. He did several tours in the Mideast while assigned to bases in Oklahoma and Delaware.

He also holds a degree in social work from Fordham University, specializing in alcohol abuse prevention.

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Father O’Connor

Father John O’Connor, pastor of Incarnation, Queens Village, since 2009, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at the church on Sunday, June 3, at 10:30 a.m.

A native of Brooklyn, he attended Holy Innocents School, Flatbush; Cathedral Prep, Brooklyn; Cathedral College, Douglaston; and North American College, Rome.

He was ordained in Rome on June 26, 1993.

He served as an assistant at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Williamsburg, for the summer of 1993 and returned to Rome for post-ordination studies at the Lateran University.

He was assigned as parochial vicar at St. Athanasius, Bensonhurst, and St. Clare, Rosedale.

In 2012, he was named Associate Director of the Diocesan Liturgical Office while remaining pastor of Incarnation. In 2014, he became the director of the office and executive secretary of the Liturgy, Art and Architectural Commission. That same year, he was named Dean of Queens No. 7 with the title of Very Reverend.

He also served in the Chaplain Candidate Officer Program of the U.S. Navy achieving the rank of Lieutenant. He ministered in four assignments with the Sixth Fleet of the U.S. Marines.

He also served as a master of ceremonies to Bishop Gerald Barbarito and Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan.

As a member of the Permanent Diaconate Faculty, he taught dogma and liturgy. He was a part-time chaplain at St. Edmund’s H.S., Sheepshead Bay, and a member of the Presbyteral Council.

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Father Michael Udoh, chaplain at St. John’s Cemetery, Middle Village, was born and raised in Uyo Nigeria.

He studied at Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugu, Nigeria, and worked in various churches in the Uyo Diocese.

He arrived in the U.S. in 2005 and studied Education Administration at Fordham University.

He has served at Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament Bayside; Our Lady of Fatima, East Elmhurst; St. Bernadette’s, Dyker Heights; and St. Margaret’s, Middle Village.

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Father Volertas

Father Vytas Volertas, parochial vicar at Transfiguration, Maspeth, since 1998, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving at the church on Sunday, June 10, at 12:30 p.m.

Born in Philadelphia, Pa., he attended Holy Cross H.S., Delran, N.J.; Burlington County College, Pemberton, N.J.; LaSalle University, Philadelphia; and Pontifico Collegio Beda, Rome.

He worked in bookkeeping jobs before beginning studies for priesthood.

He was ordained in Philadelphia by Bishop Paul Baltakis for the Archdiocese of Vilnius, Lithuania, on June 26, 1993.

He served at the Lithuanian Martyrs Church, Ontario, Canada, 1993-98.

He came to the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1998 and was assigned as parochial vicar at Transfiguration parish, Maspeth.

Since 1999, he has been serving as parochial vicar at Annunciation, Williamsburg, where he celebrates the Mass in Lithuanian every Sunday.

He was incardinated as a priest of the Brooklyn Diocese in 2004.

He also has been serving as coordinator of the diocesan ministry to Lithuanian immigrants since 2003.

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