Jul 12, 2002 6 min read

The 28 active priests in the Greensburg Diocese who have received new assignments include many with Fayette County connections. Those consist of Fayette County natives as well as priests who are moving to new assignments in Fayette County, leaving Fayette County for other assignments or those who previously served in Fayette County.

They are:

The Rev. Dennis A. Bogusz will have pastoral duties at Immaculate Conception Parish in Connellsville and will serve as chaplain for the Ivrea Sisters in Mount Pleasant. He will also serve as assistant chaplain at Frick Community Health Center in Mount Pleasant as well as Highlands Hospital and Health Center in Connellsville. Rev. Bogusz’s previous assignments included serving as pastor of St. Hubert in Point Marion from 1991-99 and St. Joseph in Everson from 1999-2000.

The Rev. Steven R. Bugay will serve as administrator of the Church of the Madonna of Czestochowa Parish in Cardale while continuing as pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Republic.

The Rev. James W. Clark will serve as chaplain of Uniontown Hospital and Lafayette Manor in Uniontown. His previous assignments included serving as chaplain at Frick Community Health Center in Mount Pleasant and Highlands Hospital and Health Center in Connellsville in the late ’90s.

The Rev. Anthony W. Ditto is a Connellsville native whose home parish is St. Rita. He will now serve as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Brady’s Bend as well as administrator of St. Mary Parish in Parker, Armstrong County. He has been serving as pastor of Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mount Pleasant. Rev. Ditto previously served as parochial vicar at St. Mary of the Nativity in Uniontown from 1990-91.

The Rev. Douglas E. Dorula is a Uniontown native whose home parish is St. Joseph. He was ordained in June and will now serve as parochial vicar of St. Bernard Parish in Indiana.

The Rev. Thomas A. Federline will now serve as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Freeport, Armstrong County, after having been pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Brady’s Bend. He previously served in Fayette County as parochial vicar at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Uniontown from 1985-88 and as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish in Connellsville from 1988-93.

The Rev. John M. Foriska is a native of Shoaf whose home parish is Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Fairchance. He will serve as pastor of Ascension Parish in Jeannette as well as administrator of St. Boniface Parish in Penn, Westmoreland County, after having been pastor of St. Florian Parish in United. He previously served in Fayette County as parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist Parish in Perryopolis from 1970-71 and as parochial vicar at St. Therese, Little Flower of Jesus Parish, in Uniontown from 1977-79.

The Rev. James M. Goldberg will now serve as pastor of St. John the Baptist de La Salle Parish in Delmont, Westmoreland County, after having been pastor of St. Louis Parish in Lucernemines, Indiana County. He previously served in Fayette County as pastor of All Saints Church in Masontown from 1992-94.

The Rev. Lawrence L. Hoppe is available for supplied ministry with residence to be determined. In Fayette County, he served as assistant pro tem at St. Hubert in Point Marion in 1960, and as pastor of St. James in Maxell from 1969-73, St. Hedwig in Smock from 1973-76, and St. Thomas in Footedale from 1987-89.

The Rev. Thaddeus J. Kaczmarek is a native of Uniontown whose home parish is St. Joseph. He will become episcopal vicar for Region 7 (Irwin-North Huntingdone area) while continuing as pastor of St. Agnes Parish, North Huntingdon, Westmoreland County.

The Rev. Andrew M. Kawecki is leaving St. Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Leckrone, to serve as pastor of Church of the Resurrection Parish in Northern Indiana County. He previously served in Fayette County as parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist Parish in Perryopolis from 1981-83 and as pastor of St. James Parish in Maxwell from 1992-95.

The Rev. Lawrence R. Kiniry will become pastor of St. Louis Parish in Lucernmines as well as administrator of St. Francis Parish in Coral, Indiana County after having served as pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensburg. In Fayette County, he served as parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist Church in Perryopolis from 1974-78.

The Rev. Micah E. Kozoil will serve as pastor of St. Mary (Nativity) Parish in Uniontown after serving as pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Northern Indiana County.

The Rev. William C. McGuirk will serve as pastor of St. Florian Parish, United, as well as administrator of St. Stanislaus Parish, Calumet, Westmoreland County. He will also serve as chaplain of Frick Community Health Center in Mount Pleasant and Highlands Hospital and Health Center in Connellsville. He had been serving as pastor of St. John the Baptist de Le Salle in Delmont.

The Rev. Raymond E. Riffle becomes pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensburg while continuing as executive director of Catholic Charities in Greensburg. He previously served in Fayette County as chaplain and teacher at Geibel High School in Connellsville from 1982-86.

The Rev. Ronald J. Rutkowski, pastor of Church of the Madonna at Czestochowa Parish in Cardale and St. Albert in Palmer, will take a six-month leave of absence for health reasons.

The Rev. George E. Saletrik is a native of Uniontown whose home parish is St. John the Evangelist. He becomes a first-time pastor at Church of the Good Shepherd in Kent, Indiana County, after having served as parochial vicar of The Epiphany of Our Lord Parish in Monessen and St. Sebastian Parish in Belle Vernon, Westmoreland County.

The Rev. Michael P. Sikon is a native of Everson whose home parish is St. Joseph. He will also become a first-time pastor at St. Mary Parish in Yatesboro as well as administrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Sagamore, Armstrong County. He previously served as parochial vicar at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Indiana, and at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg.

The Rev. Donald P. Trexler becomes pastor of St. Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, in Leckrone as well as administrator of St. Albert in Palmer.

The Rev. Anthony A. Wozniak becomes chaplain at St. Anne Home in Greensburg as well as the care of nursing homes in Greensburg. Rev. Wozniak previously served as pastor of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Fairchance from 1986-99.