(Article updated July 17, 2020)

By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News

Bishop Mark Hagemoen announced a number of pastoral appointments, moves, and reassignments in a memo sent to parishes June 18, 2020, with most taking effect on Aug. 1, 2020 (unless otherwise noted).

“There are a few outstanding assignments to be announced in the near future,” the bishop said in his message to the diocese.

A number of new clergy will be arriving in the diocese of Saskatoon, with arrival dates yet to be determined. “While we currently anticipate arrival, please offer a warm welcome to the priests joining the diocese of Saskatoon as you have an opportunity to meet them,” said Bishop Hagemoen.

Click here to read the complete message of June 18: LINK

Follow-up announcement about further appointments and clergy updates July 10, 2020: LINK

Pastors:

Editor’s note – Update July 17, 2020 – Fr. Isaac Agyemang of the Archdiocese of Kumasi, Ghana, who was to serve as Pastor at St. Joseph, Kindersley, SK, Sacred Heart, Eston, SK, Sacred Heart, Marengo, SK, and St. Joseph, Eatonia, SK. will not be coming to the diocese of Saskatoon after all.  Instead, in a follow-up announcement July 10, 2020, Bishop Mark Hagemoen has appointed Fr. John Abban-Bonsu to serve as pastor at the Kindersley, Eston, Eatonia and Marengo parishes. Fr. Abban-Bonsu has been serving as associate pastor at Holy Spirit, Saskatoon.

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Fr. Gerard Cooper will serve as Pastor at the Cathedral of the Holy Family, Saskatoon.  Returning from a year of sabbatical, Fr. Cooper previously served as pastor at St. Patrick, Saskatoon (2013-2019).

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Fr. John Ezeoruomye, will serve as Associate Pastor at St. Paul’s Co-Cathedral in Saskatoon; as well as serving as Pastor at St. Francis Xavier, Vanscoy, SK, and St. Theresa, Asquith.  Fr. Ezeoruomye will be joining us from the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria, and has served as a priest for 18 years. His arrival date is yet to be confirmed.  

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Fr. Daniel Louh, SMA, will serve As Pastor at Sts. Donatien et Rogatien, Prud’homme, SK; St. Denis, St. Denis, SK; and St. Philippe Neri, Vonda, SK.  Fr. Louh is a member of the Society of African Missions who has served as pastor in several parishes and African countries of Niger, Ghana, Ivory Coast and currently in Liberia.  His arrival date is yet to be confirmed. (Retired diocesan priest Fr. Emile April is currently serving as Pastor of the “Trinity” parish cluster of Prud’homme, St. Denis, and Vonda.)

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Fr. Prince Sarpong, will serve as Pastor at Little Flower, Leader, SK, Sacred Heart, Lancer, SK, and Sacred Heart, Liebenthal, SK.  Fr. Sarpong has served for five years in his home Archdiocese of Kumasi, Ghana.  His arrival date is yet to be confirmed.

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Fr. Joseph Thazhathemuriyil, VC, will serve as Pastor at Sacred Heart, Davidson, SK, Holy Redeemer, Elbow, SK, St. Andrew, Kenaston, SK, and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Outlook, SK.  Fr. Thazhathemuriyil has served as pastor of the parishes in Leader, Lancer, and Liebenthal since 2016.

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Fr. Demetrius Wasylyniuk, OSB, will serve as Pastor of St. Peter’s Cathedral, Muenster, SK.  Fr. Wasylyniuk is a Benedictine monk at St. Peter’s Abbey, Muenster. He will continue in his service as the guestmaster of St. Peter’s Abbey, a role which he as fulfilled since 1997 after serving in various roles with St. Peter’s College.

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Associate Pastors:

Fr. Benjamin Ezekwudo will serve as Associate Pastor at St. Anne, Saskatoon.  Fr. Ezekwudo is from the Archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria, where he currently works in high-school administration and has been serving as a priest for 10 years.  His arrival date is yet to be confirmed.

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Fr. Ken Forster, OMI, is now serving as Associate Pastor of St. Philip Neri, Saskatoon.  Fr. Forster is a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate Lacombe Canada, and began his appointment at St. Philip Neri in January 2019.

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Clergy Updates:

Fr. Madonna-Godwin Aghedo, OP, will be returning for assignment with the Order of Preachers, Nigeria. He has served with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon as Pastor of parishes in Davidson, Kenaston, Outlook, and Elbow since 2016.

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Fr. Clement Amofah will be taking up a pastoral assignment in the Archdiocese of Regina. Fr. Amofah has been with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon since 2008 and has served in various appointments – including as Chancellor since 2014, and as Pastor of St. Theresa, Asquith, SK, since 2017.

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Fr. Emmanuel Azike, OP, will be returning for assignment with the Order of Preachers, Nigeria.  Fr. Azike has served with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon in various appointments since 2010, most recently as Pastor in Kindersley, Eston, Eatonia, and Marengo.

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Fr. Richard Doll, OMI, is retired after serving with the diocese of Saskatoon since 2015, most recently as Pastor at St. Francis Xavier, Vanscoy, SK.

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Fr. Paul Paproski, OSB, is retiring after working with the diocese of Saskatoon in various appointments since 2006. Fr. Paproski is a Benedictine monk at St. Peter’s Abbey in Muenster and has served as the Pastor of St. Peter’s Cathedral, Muenster, since 2015.

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Fr. Bill Stang, OMI is retired after serving in the diocese of Saskatoon as Associate Pastor at St. Philip Neri, Saskatoon since 2018.

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Fr. Andrew Wychucki will be taking a sabbatical after serving as Pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Saskatoon, and Sacred Heart Latin Mass since 2013.  A replacement pastor is to be announced.

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In his message to the diocese released on June 18, 2020, Bishop Hagemoen said: “I take this opportunity to thank all of these priests for their ministry in our Diocese and we ask God’s blessings on their priesthood as they move forward to new assignments or retirement.  Let us commit to remembering them in prayer.”

 

Seminarian / Religious updates:

The bishop also provided an update about those pursuing vocations:

Van Tam (Luke) Tran will be entering his third year of seminary at Christ the King Seminary in Mission, BC this fall, studying as a seminarian for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon. He is currently living at St. Michael parish in Cudworth.

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