Nine Priests of the Archdiocese Retire

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Nine priests of the archdiocese have retired, effective July 1, the Cardinal’s Office announced.
The nine priests are Father Dedigamuwage Dias, pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians parish, Staten Island; Father Patrick Dunne, parochial vicar of St. Denis, Hopewell Junction; Msgr. Peter Finn, pastor of Blessed Sacrament, Staten Island, and dean of Staten Island; Father George Hommel, administrator of St. John’s, West Hurley-Woodstock, and dean of Ulster County; Father Simon Nam, pastor of St. John Nam, the Bronx; Msgr. Donald Sakano, pastor of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral-Most Precious Blood, Manhattan; Father Timothy Scannell, administrator of Sacred Heart-Our Lady of Pompeii, Dobbs Ferry; Msgr. James Sullivan, administrator of St. Martin de Porres, Poughkeepsie; and Father Robert Sweeney, administrator of Holy Rosary, Greenwood Lake.

Father Dedigamuwage Dias had served since 2011 as pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians, Staten Island, where he was parochial vicar, 1991-1995. He was at St. Joan of Arc, Sloatsburg, as pastor, 2006-2011, and administrator, 2002-2006. He served as parochial vicar of Holy Rosary, Hawthorne, 2000-2002, and Resurrection, Rye, 1999-2000, and was on the faculty of Cathedral Prep Seminary, Rye, 1995-1999. Ordained in his native Sri Lanka, he was incardinated into the archdiocese in 1999.

Father Patrick Dunne had been parochial vicar of St. Denis, Hopewell Junction, since 2010. He was at Our Lady of Sorrows, White Plains, as pastor, 1992-2008, and temporary administrator, 1991-1992. He was parochial vicar of Sacred Heart, Hartsdale, 1983-1991, and St. Gabriel, the Bronx, 1970-1983. He was ordained in 1970.

Msgr. Peter Finn had been administrator of Blessed Sacrament, Staten Island, 2013-2019, and previously served there as pastor, 2007-2013. He served the archdiocese on Staten Island as dean, 2015-2019; co-dean, 2014-2015; and co-regional vicar, 1998-2014. He was director of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, 2001-2007, and was appointed to a five-year term as an archdiocesan consulter in 2005. He was pastor of St. Joseph and St. Thomas, Staten Island, 1989-2001; director of the archdiocesan Office of Communications, 1983-1989; and principal of Msgr. Farrell High School, Staten Island, 1977-1983, where he previously served on the faculty, 1968-1977. He served as associate superintendent of schools in the archdiocese, 1976-1977; district superintendent of schools on Staten Island. 1974-1977; and parochial vicar of St. Catharine’s, Pelham, 1966-1968, and St. Mary’s, Staten Island, 1965-1966. He was ordained in 1965 and named a monsignor in 1986.

Father George Hommel had been administrator since 2014 of St. John’s, West Hurley-Woodstock, where he served as pastor, 1994-2014. He was regional vicar/dean of Ulster County since 2010. He served on the faculty of Maria Regina High School, Hartsdale, 1990-1994, and Archbishop Stepinac High School, White Plains, 1971-1990. He was parochial vicar of Blessed Sacrament, New Rochelle, 1966-1971. He was ordained in 1966.

Father Simon Nam had served as pastor of St. John Nam, the Bronx, since 1995. He ministered to the Korean community in the archdiocese from St. Philip Neri, the Bronx, 1981-1989. Ordained in South Korea, he was incardinated into the archdiocese in 1989.

Msgr. Donald Sakano had been pastor of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral-Most Precious Blood, Manhattan, since 2015. He was pastor of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, 2007-2015, and administrator of Most Precious Blood, 2014-2015. He served as pastor of Holy Innocents, Manhattan, 1993-2007, and previously was temporary administrator there, 1993. He also served as administrator of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Manhattan, 2000-2007, and as director of the Department of Neighborhood Housing for Catholic Charities, 1979-1993. From 1971 to 1979, he was parochial vicar of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and chaplain of New York University Medical Center. He was ordained in 1971 and named a monsignor in 1995.

Father Timothy Scannell had served since 2018 as administrator of Sacred Heart-Our Lady of Pompeii, Dobbs Ferry, where he was pastor, 2015-2018. He was at Sacred Heart, Dobbs Ferry, as pastor, 2000-2015, and temporary administrator, 2000. He was administrator of Our Lady of Pompeii, 2004-2015 and parochial vicar of Visitation, the Bronx, 1998-2000; Immaculate Conception, Irvington, 1981-1997 and 1969-1977; Most Holy Trinity, Mamaroneck, 1977-1981; and St. James the Apostle, Carmel, 1969. He was ordained in 1969.

Msgr. James Sullivan had been administrator since 2016 of St. Martin de Porres, Poughkeepsie, where he served as pastor, 2004-2016. He was dean of Dutchess County, 2014-2019; principal of Cardinal Spellman High School, the Bronx, 1997-2004; administrator of St. Eugene’s, Yonkers, 1997; and rector of St. John Neumann Residence, 1990-1996, and Catholic Preparatory Seminary, 1988-1990. He served as special assistant to the archbishop for vocations, 1986-1988, and director of youth services, Catholic Charities and CYO, 1983-1986. He was associate superintendent for religious studies, 1981-1983; a teacher at Msgr. Farrell High School, Staten Island, 1973-1981; and parochial vicar of Annunciation, Crestwood, 1970-1973. He was ordained in 1970 and named a monsignor in 1990.

Father Robert Sweeney had served as administrator since 2014 of Holy Rosary, Greenwood Lake, where he previously was pastor, 1996-2014, and administrator, 1995-1996. He was temporary administrator of St. John’s, Goshen, 1992-1995, and parochial vicar there, 1991-1992; also, parochial vicar of St. Joseph, Bronxville, 1984-1991; and Holy Trinity, Poughkeepsie, 1982-1984. He was ordained in 1982.