July 28, 2016

Diocese announces transfers, new assignment

Regional
Staff report

  SPRINGFIELD – The Diocese of Springfield has announced clergy changes for several area priests. Some have taken place and others will be effective in a few weeks.

As of July 1, Father Richard Bondi will be the temporary administrator of St. Mary Parish in Ware. Father Jeffrey Ballou, pastor of St. Mary’s, is on an overseas military assignment as an Air Force chaplain.

Father David Aufiero is leaving his role as parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Northampton to assume the role as administrator of St. Mark Parish in Pittsfield. This change is in effect on Aug. 15.

On Aug. 14, Father Sean O’Mannion will become the pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in Turners Falls. He was the pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe and Immaculate Conception Parishes in Holyoke.

On Aug. 1, Father Yerick Mendez will become the administrator of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Immaculate Conception parishes. He was serving there as a parochial vicar. Father John Lessard will remain in residence at the parish.

Father Eugene Plasse, the longtime pastor of St. Thomas Parish in Palmer, is retiring. Father Richard Turner is the new pastor. The change takes effect on Aug. 1.

Father James Nolte’s title changes from administrator to pastor of St. Patrick Parish in South Hadley immediately.

Father Christopher Fedoryshyn will move from St. Mary Parish in Westfield to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Northampton. He will be the parochial vicar there, effective Aug. 16.

Father John K. Sheaffer will become the new pastor of St. Francis Parish in Belchertown on Sept. 1. This follows the death of longtime pastor Father Vernon Decoteau. Father Sheaffer was the pastor of St. Mary Mother of the Church Parish in Lee.

On Aug. 8, Father Peter Naranjo is moving from his role as parochial vicar at  Sacred Heart Parish in Pittsfield to administrator pro-tem at  St. Mary Parish in Orange.

Father  Jose Bermudez, the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Orange, will be on a leave of absence from Aug. 1 to Jan. 1, 2017.

Father Jacques Coly will move from his role as parochial vicar of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Springfield to assistant director at the Newman Catholic Center at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. This is effective Aug. 10.