Bishop Duca Announces Additional Clergy Appointments

In consultation with the Clergy Personnel Board, Bishop Michael Duca makes the following appointments effective 01 July 2022:

 

Assignment of Religious Clergy

In February 2021, it was announced that the clergy of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) stationed in Hammond were to be reassigned outside of the Diocese of Baton Rouge effective 01 July 2022 at the request of the previous provincial administration of the Dominican Friars.  

After careful review by the current administration of the Dominicans, and with the approval and consent of Bishop Duca, the Dominican Friars will continue to staff Holy Ghost in Hammond. Thus, Fr. Cayet Mangiaracina, OP, will retain his assignment as Parochial Vicar at Holy Ghost, and Deacon Mauricio Salazar, OP, will retain his assignment as Deacon Assistant at Holy Ghost.  Father Roberto Merced, OP, has been elected Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Martin de Porres and will be in-residence at Holy Ghost.  

Previous announcements made on 14 May 2022 regarding pastoral assignments affecting Holy Ghost and St. Albert the Great Student Center appointing Fr. Jamin David as Administrator, and those affecting Holy Ghost appointing Fr. Mathew Dunn as Parochial Vicar, Fr. Amalraj Savarimuthu as Parochial Vicar, and Deacon Randall Waguespack as Deacon Assistant, are all rescinded immediately.  Bishop Duca thanks these men for their incredible generosity and openness to minister to the people of Hammond, and he thanks the Dominican Friars for their continued work and ministry at Holy Ghost in Hammond.
 

Pastor Appointments

Father Charles (Charlie) Johnson, OP, a priest of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), currently Director of the Catholic Newman Center at the University of Houston, is appointed Pastor of Holy Ghost in Hammond.
 

Parochial Vicar Appointments

Father Mathew Dunn, currently Parochial Vicar of St. John the Evangelist in Prairieville, is appointed as Parochial Vicar of Christ the King at LSU in Baton Rouge.  

Father Nutan Minj, IMS, currently Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Mercy in Baton Rouge, is appointed as Parochial Vicar of St. Aloysius in Baton Rouge.  

Father Amalraj Savarimuthu, IMS, currently Parochial Vicar of St. Anne in Napoleonville, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Plattenville, and St. Philomena in Labadieville, is appointed as Parochial Vicar of Most Blessed Sacrament in Baton Rouge.

Chaplain Appointments

In consultation with the Clergy Personnel Board, Bishop Michael Duca confirms the following appointment:  

Father Michael O’Rourke, OP, a priest of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), will retain his appointment as Chaplain at St. Albert the Great Student Center in Hammond.  
 

Diaconate Appointments

In consultation with the Office of the Diaconate, the Office of Formation for the Permanent Diaconate, and the Clergy Personnel Board, Bishop Michael Duca makes the following appointments effective 15 August 2022:

Deacon Randall Waguespack is appointed as Deacon Assistant at St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland in Albany.
 

Other Appointments

Father Emilio Gomez, a priest of the Diocese of Zacatecoluca in El Salvador, will serve as a visiting priest, assisting with ministry at the Diocesan Hispanic Apostolate at least through 31 December 2022.  


Further announcements from the Bishop’s Office will be forthcoming.  

Congratulations to all these men on their new appointments!

Given at the Chancery of Baton Rouge
18 June 2022, Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

See all of the 2022-2023 assignments