Our Priests

Priests of the Diocese of Tyler

A priest is a baptised man who has received the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Through this sacrament, a man enters into the ministerial priesthood which gives him a sacred power to serve (CCC 1592). The ministerial priesthood is given to serve the common priesthood; all the people of God are called to participate in the common priesthood (CCC 1546-1547). A priest is “a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads His Church” ; therefore it is the mission of the Catholic priest “to feed the Church by the word and grace of God” (LG, 11). As such, a priest is a mediator or ‘bridge-builder’ between God and humanity; he does this by participating in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ, who unites God and humanity in his very being. The priest carries out this ‘bridge-building’ through teaching, divine worship and leading the people (CCC 1592).

A priest offers the ministry of Jesus Christ to us today. When a priest offers the holy sacrifice of the Mass, it is Christ who offers the sacrifice. When he absolves sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, it is Christ who forgives. When he partakes in the mission of the Church to teach and evangelise, it is Christ who speaks through him. When he offers love, comfort and support to God’s people, Christ is truly present with them. For this reason, St John Vianney explained the priesthood in the following terms: “The priest continues the work of redemption on earth … If we really understood the priest on earth we would not die of fright but of love … The priest is the love of the heart of Jesus” (CCC 1589).

Adams, Michael

Retired Priest

Retired
Texarkana

Akpobolokemi, Emmanuel

Administrator

St. Pius / St. Augustine
Hemphill / San Augustine

Arroyave, Jesus

Pastor

Our Lady of Guadalupe
Tyler

Arroyave, Luis

Pastor

Our Lady of Guadalupe
Diboll

Arulappa, Devaraj

Retired Priest

Retired
India

Arvizu, Hector

Pastor

St. Bernard / St. Mary
Fairfield / Teague

Avula, Maria Susai

Pastor

St. Luke
Wills Point

Bailey, David

Priest

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Washington, D.C.

Barone, Michael

Retired Priest

Retired
Diocese of Tyler

Blasick, George

Administrator

St. Catherine
Atlanta

Boteju, Bernard

Retired Priest

Retired
Longview

Bowlin, John-Mary

Pastor

St. Jude
Gun Barrel City

Braun, Justin

Pastor

Sacred Heart
Texarkana

Celano, Freddy

Parochial Vicar

St. Michael
Mount Pleasant

Chabarria, Steven

Parochial Vicar

Cathedral of the Imm. Conception
Tyler

Corona, Christian

Parochial Vicar

Cathedral of the Imm. Conception
Tyler

Cortes, Ariel

Priest

On Leave
Colombia

Demski, Ronald

Retired Priest

Retired
Quitman

Diegel, Ronald

Retired Priest

Retired
Diocese of Tyler

Dinguis, Jorge

Pastor

Sacred Heart / Our Lady of Guadalupe
Rusk / New Summerfield

Dower, Daniel

Pastor

St. Mary
Longview

Edelen, Thomas

Retired Priest

Retired
Rusk

Elliott, George

Pastor

Sacred Heart / Immaculate Conception
Nacogdoches / Moral

Fenton, Patrick

Pastor

Mary Queen of Heaven
Malakoff

Figueroa, Ruben

Retired Priest

Retired
Diocese of Tyler

Frels, Jonathon

Pastor

Sacred Heart
Palestine

Fuentes, Roselio

Priest

Special Ministry
Mexico

Gabriel-Maisonet, Guillermo

Pastor

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Madisonville

Garcia, Raymundo

Parochial Vicar

Our Lady of Victory / St. Joseph
Paris / Clarksville

Gomez, John

Vicar General

Diocesan Chancery
Tyler

Gonzalez, Daniel

Retired Priest

Retired
Cheyenne, WY

Gonzalez, Juan Pedro

Priest

Further Studies
Mexico

Hamon, Victor

Priest

On Leave
Colombia

Hartnett, Patrick

Priest

On Leave
Ireland

Henao, John

Pastor

Christ the King
Kilgore

Hernandez, Victor

Pastor

St. James
Sulphur Springs

Kalarickal, Luke

Pastor

Prince of Peace
Whitehouse

Kannampuzha, Jose

Pastor

St. Jude
Henderson

Kelly, Timothy

Pastor

St. Michael
Mount Pleasant

Key, Paul

Retired Priest

Retired
Lubbock

Kunnakkattuthara, Zach

Pastor

St. Joseph / Immaculate Conception
Marshall / Jefferson

Kusmirek, Mark (Rev.)

Retired Priest

Retired
Cheyenne, WY

Lanik, Hank

Pastor

Cathedral of the Imm. Conception
Tyler

Larrea, Luis

Pastor

St. Peter Claver
Tyler

Ledesma, Michael

Pastor

St. John / St. Celestine
Emory / Grand Saline

Lopez, Elpidio

Administrator

San Pedro the Fisherman
Tatum

Lourdusamy, Joseph

Paster

St. Leo the Great / St. Thomas More
Centerville / Hilltop Lakes

Love, Lawrence

Retired Priest

Retired
Dallas

Lowry, Nolan

Pastor

St. Edward
Athens

Lucas, Jay

Pastor

Our Lady of Sorrows
Jacksonville

Marin, Jose

Parochial Vicar

St. Andrew / St. Patrick
Lufkin

Mathai, Mani

Pastor

St. Ann
Winnsboro

Melkias, Selvan

Administrator

Sacred Heart
Mount Vernon

Motte, Albert

Priest

Archdiocese of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

Munoz, Nelson

Pastor

St. Peter the Apostle
Mineola

Nappier, Nicholas

Parochial Vicar

Sacred Heart
Nacogdoches

Neu, Joshua

Priest

St. Patrick Seminary
San Francisco, CA

Nwankwocha, Ignatius

Chaplain

CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital
Texarkana

O’Dowd, Francis

Holly Lake Ranch & Overton

Holy Spirit / Our Lady Queen of Angels
Holly Lake Ranch / Overton

Orajiaka, Christopher

Parochial Vicar

Cathedral of the Imm. Conception
Tyler

Oviedo, Isaac

Parochial Vicar

St. Joseph / Immaculate Conception
Marshall / Jefferson

Palmer, William

Pastor

St. Mary of the Cenacle
New Boston

Pappu, Xavier

Pastor

St. Matthew
Longview

Paradis, Steven

Pastor

St. William of Vercelli
Carthage

Pena, Luis Carlos

Pastor

St. Therese / St. Mary of the Epiphany
Center / Timpson

Rasaian, Lawrence

Judicial Vicar

Diocesan Chancery
Tyler

Rivera, Juan Carlos

Pastor

Most Holy Trinity
Trinity

Rodriguez, Matias

Retired Priest

Retired
El Salvador

Roncancio, Luis

Retired Priest

Retired
Colombia

Rottman, Gary

Retired Priest

Retired
Dallas

Rowland, James

Pastor

St. Mary Magdalene
Flint

Ruggles, Christopher

Retired Priest

Retired
New York

Sardinas, Juan Carlos

Pastor

Holy Cross
Pittsburg

Savarimithu, Pancras

Retired Priest

Retired
India

Shelton, Brent

Administrator

St. Francis of the Tejas
Crockett

Sinnappan, Selvaraj

Pastor

Holy Family
Lindale

Smith, Andrew

Administrator

St. Francis / St. Theresa
Gilmer / Gladewater

Snider, Michael

Administrator

St. Charles Borromeo
Frankston

Stehling, Matthew

Pastor

Sacred Heart
Nacogdoches

Stoeppel, Anthony

Priest

Catholic Univ. of America
Washington, D.C.

Tharappel, Augustine

Priest

Wellspring Ministry
Whitehouse

Thason, John

Chaplain

CHRISTUS Mother Frances
Tyler

Thomas, Jesudoss

Pastor

St. Therese
Canton

Thomas, Joby

Pastor

St. Andrew
Lufkin

Tillekeratne, Eugene

Administrator

Our Lady of Fatima
Daingerfield

Torres, Mario

Administrator

St. Boniface
Chandler

Uzoechi, Uchenna

Chaplain

CHRISTUS Good Shepherd
Longview

Uzondu, Gabriel

Administrator

St. Lawrence
Waskom

Valentine, Joseph

Pastor

St. Joseph the Worker
Tyler

Vaverek, Gavin

Pastor

Our Lady of Victory / St. Joseph
Paris / Clarksville

Vidarte, Jose Luis

Pastor

St. Anthony
Longview

Vithanage, Denzil

Pastor

St. Patrick
Lufkin

White, Morgan

Pastor

St. Kateri Tekakwitha
Buffalo

Wylie, Justin

Chaplain

CHRISTUS Mother Frances
Sulphur Springs

Young, James

Retired Priest

Retired
Nacogdoches

Young, Kevin

Priest

Fairfield Carmel
Fairfield, PA

Zelaya, Cristian

Parochial Vicar

St. Matthew
Longview