Four Priests Receive New Parish Assignments

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A priest has been named pastor of St. Ann’s, East Harlem, and three priests have been named temporary administrators of parishes, the Cardinal’s Office has announced.

Father Vijay Marneni, P.I.M.E., was appointed pastor of St. Ann’s parish, Manhattan. The assignment was effective Feb. 1.

The temporary administrators are Father Fernando Hernandez at Our Lady of Fatima parish in Plattekill, following the death of long-time pastor Father John Jaume, C.R., and Father Lawrence Lucas at Our Lady of Lourdes, Manhattan. (Father Fabian Lopez, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, died April 21, Obituary, page XX.) Both assignments were effective as of March 24. Father Michael Jones, O.F.M., has been assigned to St. Anthony of Padua, Yulan, effective April 1.

Father Marneni has not previously served in the archdiocese. He served the Pontifical Institute for the Missions in India and Mexico. He studied at Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay, the Philippines, 2000-2004. He was ordained in 2004.

Father Hernandez, in addition to his new assignment at Our Lady of Fatima, will continue as pastor of St. Patrick’s, Newburgh, where he has served since 2009. Before that, he was administrator at Guardian Angel, 2006-2009, and administrator and then pastor of Christ the King, 2000-2009, both in the Bronx. He was parochial vicar at Incarnation, Manhattan, 1995-1999, and at St. Thomas Aquinas, the Bronx, 1990-1995. After studying for the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, he was ordained in 1990.

Father Lucas had been retired as senior priest in residence at Our Lady of Lourdes since 2010, where he was senior priest, 2009-2010. He served as chaplain at North General Hospital and New York City Department of Corrections, 2008-2009; at Rikers Island, 1994-2008; and at North General Hospital, Manhattan, 1992-1994. He was pastor of Resurrection parish, Manhattan, 1969-1992, and was parochial vicar there, 1961-1964. He was a communications consultant for the archdiocese, 1968-1969, after post-graduate studies at the University of Indianapolis, 1966-1968. He was also parochial vicar at St. Charles Borremeo, Harlem, 1964-1966; St. Peter’s, Manhattan, 1959-1961 and St. Joseph’s, Croton Falls, 1959. After studying for the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, he was ordained in 1959.

Father Michael Jones, O.F.M., served at parochial vicar at Assumption parish, Woodridge, N.J., 2013-2014. He was pastor at St. Anthony of Padua, Butler, N.J. He also served as parochial vicar at parishes in Hartford, Conn., 2002-2010, and in Raleigh, N.C., 2001-2002. He studied at the Washington Theological Union, 1997-2001. He was ordained for the Franciscans of the Holy Name Province in