Rev. Arnel Estrella Applause
Bishop Lawrence Brandt, administrator of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg, has appointed the Rev. Arnel Estrella pro-tem parish priest in residence at St. Peter Parish in Brownsville with parochial responsibilities at the partner parishes of St. Peter in Brownsville and St. Cecilia in Grindstone.
Estrella is serving under the supervision of Monsignor Michael W. Matusak, who has been appointed administrator of the parishes while continuing to serve as pastor of St. Therese, Little Flower of Jesus Parish in Uniontown and Vicar Forane of Deanery V.
Estrella is one of three priests from the Philippines recently welcomed by the diocese to join six of their brother priests from the Phillipines to assist with pastoral duties here.
Estrella was ordained a priest June 15, 1993, in the Archdiocese of Caceres in the central part of the Philippines.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in theology, both at Holy Rosary Major Seminary, Naga City.
Prior to his arrival here, Estrella served as parish priest of Our Lady of Remedies Parish, Curry, Pili, Camarines Sur. He served as parish priest at two other parishes and as parochial vicar of a third.
St Peter and St. Cecilia Parishes were previously served by the Rev. Joseph Armamento, also from the Philippines, who recently concluded his five-year term of service with the Greensburg diocese.