In consultation with the Clergy Personnel Board, Bishop Michael G. Duca announced the following appointments effective July 1:
Father David Allen, currently pastor of Holy Family Church in Port Allen, will retire from active parish administration. He will retain his diocesan assignment as Clergy Health Minister.
Father Paul Counce, currently pastor of St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge, will retire from active parish administration. He will retain his diocesan assignment as Judicial Vicar.
Father J. Cary Bani, currently pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in St. Francisville, was appointed pastor of St. Joseph Cathedral. Father Bani will retain his diocesan assignment as Director of Continuing Formation for Priests.
Father Christopher Decker, currently pastor of St. Frances Cabrini Church in Livonia, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Maringouin and St. Joseph Church in Grosse Tete, was appointed pastor of St. Mary of False River Church in New Roads. Father Decker will retain his diocesan assignment as Secretary for Communications.
Father Brad Doyle, currently parochial vicar of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland Church in Albany, was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel while also providing priestly ministry to the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.
Father Ryan Hallford, currently parochial vicar of St. Aloysius Church in Baton Rouge, was appointed pastor of Holy Family. Father Hallford will retain his diocesan assignment as Secretary for Evangelization.
Father Joseph Vu, currently parochial vicar of Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant, was appointed pastor of Holy Rosary.
Father Arun John IMS was appointed administrator of St. Frances Cabrini, Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Joseph.
Father Paul Gros, currently parochial vicar of St. George Church in Baton Rouge, was appointed parochial vicar of St. Margaret. Father Gros will retain his diocesan assignment as co-director for the Office of Formation for the Permanent Diaconate.
Father Joshua Johnson, currently pastor at Holy Rosary, was appointed parochial vicar of Christ the King Church and Student Center in Baton Rouge. Father Johnson will retain his diocesan assignment as Vocations Director.
The bishop also announced the parochial vicar appointments of Father David Dawson, Father Danny Roussel and Father Taylor Sanford, who are scheduled to be ordained May 22.
Bishop Duca appointed Father Dawson to St. George Church in Baton Rouge, Father Roussel to St. Aloysius Church in Baton Rouge and Father Sanford to Immaculate Conception Church in Denham Springs.
The bishop also made the following appointments for those scheduled to be ordained permanent deacons Aug. 14. The appointments are effective Aug. 16.
Deacon Glenn Farnet was appointed deacon assistant at St. George with his assigned Ministry of Charity to assist the Missionaries of Charity at St. Agnes Church in Baton Rouge.
Deacon Glenn Hymel was appointed deacon assistant at St. Philip Church in Vacherie, St. James Church in St. James and Our Lady of Peace Church in Vacherie with his assigned Ministry of Charity to minister to the incarcerated at the St. James Parish Prison.
Deacon Michael Parker was appointed deacon assistant at Holy Rosary with his assigned Ministry of Charity to serve as assistant chaplain at St. Michael the Archangel Diocesan Regional High School in Baton Rouge.
Deacon Eulis Simien was appointed as deacon assistant at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge with his assigned Ministry of Charity to the poor and disenfranchised at the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Deacon Paul Soileau was appointed deacon assistant at St. Thomas More Church in Baton Rouge with his assigned Ministry of Charity to minister to the infirm at Oschner’s O’Neal Campus.
Deacon Robert Templet was appointed deacon assistant at St. Anne Church in Sorrento and St. Anthony Church in Darrow with his assigned Ministry of Charity to minister to the infirm at Our Lady of the Lake – Ascension.
Father Allen, a native of Baton Rouge, was ordained April 28, 1978 at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Baton Rouge by Bishop Joseph J. Sullivan. He served as an associate pastor at Ascension of Our Lord Church in Donaldsonville, St. Jean Vianney Church in Baton Rouge, St. Clement of Rome Church in Plaquemine, administrator at Immaculate of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Lakeland, St. Frances Xavier Church, St. Isidore the Farmer Church in Baker and St. Pius X Church in Baton Rouge.
Father Allen served as pastor at St. Jude the Apostle Church in Baton Rouge.
Baton Rouge native Father Bani was ordained May 26, 2007 at St. Joseph Cathedral by Bishop Robert W. Muench. He has served as parochial vicar at St. John the Evangelist Church in Prairieville, Christ the King, and pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Father Counce, who is a native of New Orleans, was ordained Aug. 24, 1979 at Our Lady of Mercy by Bishop Sullivan. Father Counce has served as parochial vicar at St. Theresa of Avila Church in Gonzales, St. Joseph the Worker Church in Pierre Part and pastor at St. Pius X.
Father Counce, who has served as judicial vicar since 1994, was also administrator at St. Theresa of Avila, St. Gabriel Church in St. Gabriel. He also served as adjutant judicial vicar and vice-chancellor for the diocese.
Father Decker, who was born in Metairie, was ordained May 26, 2007 by Bishop Muench at St. Joseph Cathedral. Father Decker, currently the Secretary for Communications, served as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception, St. Jude and St. Thomas More, and administrator at St. Thomas More.
Father Decker also served as pastor at St. James Church in St. James.
Father Doyle, a Metairie native, was ordained May 30, 2015 by Bishop Muench at St. Joseph Cathedral. He has served as parochial vicar at St. George, Our Lady of Peace Church and St. Philip Church, both in Vacherie, St. James Church in St. James and St. Margaret.
Baton Rouge native Father Gros was ordained May 30, 2009 by Bishop Muench at St. Joseph Cathedral. He has served as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception, Christ the King, St. Joseph Church in Paulina, St. Michael Church in Convent and Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Gramercy.
Father Gros has served as pastor at St. Anne Church in Napoleonville and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Plattenville.
He is also the director of the Continuing Formation Diaconate.
Father Hallford, who is from Slidell, was ordained May 27, 2017 at St. Joseph Cathedral by Bishop Muench.
Father Hallford, who is the Secretary for Evangelization, has served as parochial vicar at Holy Family, St. Jude and St. Aloysius.
Father Johnson, who is from Baton Rouge, was ordained May 31, 2014 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge by Bishop Muench. Father Johnson has served as parochial vicar at Christ the King, St. Aloysius and in 2020 was appointed Director of Vocations.
Father Vu, a native of Baton Rouge, was ordained by Bishop Muench on May 25, 2013 at St. Joseph Cathedral. Father Vu has served as parochial vicar at Christ the King and Holy Rosary and administrator at St. Anne, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Philomena Church in Labadieville, St. Anne, Assumption of the Most Virgin Mary.