New parish appointments

TWO Archdiocesan priests will become parish priests early next year as a result of clergy appointments made by Archbishop Christopher Prowse.

Tumut assistant priest Fr Luke Verrell and Page assistant priest Fr Pale Leota will take on Bega and Pambula / Merimbula parishes respectively.

Fr Verrell takes over at Bega from Fr Michael Lim who will become parish priest of Weston Creek and Holder on February 1. Fr Lim replaces the retiring Fr Kevin Brannelly.

Fr Leota will replace Fr James Antony who is moving to South Tuggeranong as parish priest. It follows Fr Warrick Tonkin’s move to the Cathedral as administrator.

Mgr John Woods is on the move from the Cathedral Parish to the Transfiguration Parish at North Woden.

Temora Mission Parish priest Fr Simon Falk is also city bound after being named parish priest of the newly formed South Belconnen Parish.

The parish encompasses the former Page and Aranda parishes and is to be known as St Matthew’s and St Vincent De Paul, South Belconnen.

Fr Pasquale Pizzofferro will be the new parish priest of Temora from January 3. He is on loan from the Archdiocese of Sydney.

Fr Loi Viovicente will stay in the north-eastern part of Canberra after being appointed parish priest of the newly formed North Belconnen Parish.

It will take in the former parishes of St Monica’s Evatt and St Michael’s Kaleen. Once joined, the new parish will bear the patronage of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Recently ordained Fr Joshua Scott has taken up an appointment as assistant priest at Central Canberra. The parish now encompasses St Thomas More Campbell following Fr Julian Wellspring’s departure to the harbour city in his new role as judicial vicar for the province of Sydney and the Archdiocese.

At St Benedict’s Narrabundah, Missionaries of God’s Love priest Fr Daniel Benedetti is swapping the religious community’s Darwin Mission with Fr Steve Fletcher effective February 1.

Fr Andrew Lotton, who has been an assistant priest at St John Vianney Parish Waramanga for the past 18 months, will soon move to St Christopher’s Cathedral Parish.

Other assistant priests moving are Fr James Onoja (from the Cathedral parish to the Cooma Mission), Fr George Olah (from Cooma to Tumut), and Fr Lolesio Gisa (from Page to Goulburn Mission).

In other parish related news, St Christopher’s Cathedral Presbytery will be located at the Archbishop’s House, Commonwealth Ave, Parkes from January 1.