Appointments for Four Auxiliary Bishops, Five Priests

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Four auxiliary bishops and five priests of the archdiocese have received appointments, the Cardinal’s Office has announced. All the appointments became effective April 1.

Auxiliary Bishop John Bonnici, who was ordained a bishop by Cardinal Dolan March 1, has been appointed episcopal vicar for Westchester and Rockland counties while remaining pastor of SS. John and Paul parish and St. Augustine parish, both in Larchmont, where he has served since last July. He also was pastor of St. Columba’s, Chester, 2008-2021, taking on responsibility for St. Mary’s, Washingtonville, late in his tenure, and St. Philip Neri, the Bronx, 2002-2008. He was director of the archdiocese’s Family Life/Respect Life Office, 1996-2002, which he also served as assistant director. He was parochial vicar of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Elmsford, 1992-1994. He was an adjunct professor of theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie. A native of Manhattan, he was ordained in 1991 after studying for the priesthood at Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He holds a doctorate in moral theology from the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family at Lateran University in Rome.

Auxiliary Bishop Peter Byrne has been appointed pastor of Blessed Sacrament parish, Staten Island, and episcopal vicar for Staten Island. He was ordained a bishop by Cardinal Dolan in 2014, and had served as episcopal vicar of the Bronx, South Shore and Yonkers since 2019. He was temporary administrator of Our Lady of Angels, the Bronx, since last year. He was pastor of St. Elizabeth, Manhattan, 2013-2014, and Immaculate Conception, Staten Island, 1995-2013. He was administrator of Immaculate Conception and St. John the Baptist de la Salle, Staten Island, 1994-1995, and St. Thomas Aquinas, the Bronx, 1992-1994. He served as parochial vicar of St. Teresa, Tarrytown, 1984-1992. He was ordained in 1984 after studying for the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie.

Auxiliary Bishop Gerardo Colacicco has been appointed pastor of St. Mary’s parish, Wappingers Falls, along with his duties as episcopal vicar for Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties. He was ordained a bishop by Cardinal Dolan in 2019, and had served as temporary administrator of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Port Ewen-Sacred Heart, Esopus, since last year. He was temporary administrator of Holy Cross, Middletown, 2020-2021. He was pastor of St. Joseph, Millbrook-Immaculate Conception, Bangall, 2015-2019. He was administrator of St. Joseph, Millbrook, 2014-2015. He served as pastor of St. Columba, Hopewell Junction, 2002-2014, and Sacred Heart, Newburgh, 1996-2002. He was parochial vicar of St. Denis-St. Columba, Hopewell Junction, 1987-1989; Our Lady of Fatima, Scarsdale, 1984-1987; and Good Shepherd, Rhinebeck, 1982-1984. He was a judge and defender of the bond in the Metropolitan Tribunal; director of pastoral formation at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie; and secretary to Cardinal John O’Connor. He was ordained in 1982 after studying for the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie. He was named a monsignor in 1999.

Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Espaillat, who was ordained a bishop by Cardinal Dolan March 1, has been appointed episcopal vicar for the Bronx while continuing as pastor of St. Anthony of Padua parish, the Bronx, where he has served since 2015. He is also director of archdiocesan Hispanic Charismatic Renewal and spiritual director of youth ministry for the archdiocese. He has also served as pastor of St. Peter’s, Yonkers, 2009-2012, where he earlier was administrator and parochial vicar. He also served as director of youth ministry for the archdiocese, 2012-2015. He was parochial vicar of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Manhattan, 2003-2007. The Manhattan native was ordained in 2003 after studies for the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie.

Administrators

Father Eric Cruz has been appointed administrator of St. Luke’s parish in the Bronx while continuing as director of Catholic Charities Community Services Bronx Center, where he has served since 2012. He served as pastor of two Bronx parishes, St. John Chrysostom, 2015-2019, where he also was administrator, 2014-2015, and Christ the King, 2006-2011. He was also administrator of Our Lady of Victory, 2009-2011. He also served as a consultant for Hispanic outreach beginning in 2019. He was parochial vicar of St. Elizabeth’s parish in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. He was ordained in 2003 after studying for the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie. 

Father Michael Eguino has been appointed administrator of St. Anselm-St. Roch parish in the Bronx. He had served since 2018 as parochial vicar of St. Elizabeth in Manhattan. He was ordained for the Salesians of Don Bosco in 2015 after studying for the priesthood at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, N.J. He was incardinated into the archdiocese in 2020.

Father Shane Johnson has been appointed administrator of St. Anthony of Padua parish in the Bronx, where he had served as parochial vicar since 2015. He was youth minister at St. Peter’s parish, Yonkers, 2012-2015. He was associate publisher of National Catholic Register, 2009-2011, and associate professor of philosophy at the Legionaries of Christ faculty in Thornwood, 2009-2012. He was ordained for the Legionaries of Christ in 2009 in Rome after studying for the priesthood at Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He was incardinated into the archdiocese in 2020.

Father Louis Masi has been appointed administrator of St. Augustine parish and SS. John Paul parish, both in Larchmont, after serving both parishes as parochial vicar since last July. He also was parochial vicar of St. Mary, Mother of the Church, Fishkill, 2019-2021, and St. Gregory the Great, Harrison, 2018-2019. He was ordained in 2018 after studying for the priesthood at Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Parochial Vicars  

Father John Tran has been appointed parochial vicar of St. James Apostle parish in Carmel. He most recently was parochial vicar of St. Mary, Mother of the Church, Fishkill, since last July. He previously served as pastor of St. Peter’s, Monticello, 2009-2021, where he also was administrator, 2008-2009, and parochial vicar, 2003-2008. He also was parochial vicar of Our Lady Help of Christians, Staten Island, 2001-2003, and St. Anthony’s, the Bronx, 1995-1999. He was chaplain of Montefiore Medical Center, the Bronx, 1999-2001. Born in Vietnam, he was ordained in 1995 after studying for the priesthood at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie.