Jubilarian priests recognized at luncheon
Friday, Jun. 11, 2021
Intermountain Catholic
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On May 14, the priests who had significant anniversaries of their priestly ordination last year and this year were recognized by Bishop Oscar A. Solis and their peers. Shown from left are Msgr. Michael Winterer, who celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination last year; Fr. Langes Silva, who celebrated his 25th anniversary last year; Fr. Hernando Diaz, who celebrated his 50th anniversary on April 17; Bishop Solis; Dominican Fr. Dominic Briese, who celebrated his 25th anniversary on June 1; and Fr. Bruce Clapham, who celebrated his 25th anniversary last year. Not shown are Fr. Showri Kalva, who celebrated his 25th anniversary last year; Fr. Rafael Murillo, who will celebrate his 25th anniversary on Dec. 14; and Msgr. Robert J. Bussen, who will celebrate his 50th anniversary on Dec. 17. IC photo/Marie Mischel
During the May 14 spring convocation for the priests of the diocese, several priests were recognized for significant anniversaries of their priestly ordination at a jubilarian luncheon. Because the pandemic precluded last year’s convocation, priests who celebrated their 25th and 50th anniversaries in 2020 and 2021 were recognized by Bishop Oscar A. Solis and the other priests of the diocese.
Fr. John Evans, pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, acted as the luncheon’s master of ceremonies. The jubilarian priests have “poured out their life here in this diocese and in other dioceses for not only the benefit of the people of God but for us, the presbyterate – helping us,” he said.
Fr. Hernando Diaz, who was ordained 17 April 1971 by Bishop José Gabriel Calderon for the Diocese of Cartago in Colombia, came to Utah in 1984. He served in numerous parishes and missions before retiring in 2016. In retirement, he minsters at St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish.
At the luncheon, Fr. Jose Barrera, pastor of St. Therese Parish, said that for 50 years Fr. Diaz “has lived his vocation with a special love for the Church and the Eucharist. … In my experience, Fr. Hernando Diaz is an excellent friend, a wise teacher, good partner and pastoral counselor.”
Dominican Fr. Dominic Briese, pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish, was ordained June 1, 1996 at St. Dominic’s Church in San Francisco by Bishop Carlos Sevilla for the Western Dominican Province. A graduate of the University of Utah, he returned to the diocese as a priest in August of 2012, and served as a chaplain/teacher at St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center and Judge Memorial Catholic High School before his current assignment.
At the luncheon while recognizing Fr. Briese, Fr. Martin Diaz, rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, recalled that Fr. Briese often filled in for other priests when needed, and excels as a preacher. “When you need that time off, he’s willing to come and take the weekend and bring people closer to Jesus,” Fr. Diaz said of Fr. Briese.
Fr. Rafael Murillo, who will celebrate his 25th jubilee on Dec. 14, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Vicente, El Salvador by Bishop José Oscar Barahona Castillo. He arrived in Utah in February 2013, and served as parochial vicar at St. Francis Xavier Parish and as administrator of St. Elizabeth and Notre Dame de Lourdes parishes before being assigned in 2019 to St. Marguerite Parish.
“Fr. Rafael is an incredibly generous person, and that’s what he always said to me – he always said that ‘God has always been generous with me, you need to be generous with other people.’ That’s something that I learned from him,” said Fr. Dominic Sternhagen at the luncheon.
Fr. Sternhagen is parochial vicar of the Cathedral of the Madeleine.
Msgr. Robert J. Bussen, a retired priest of the diocese, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination on Dec. 17. He requested to be honored at next year’s convocation.
Fr. Showri Kalva celebrated the 25th anniversary on March 10, 2020. He was ordained a priest by the Most Rev. Innaiah Addagatla for the Diocese of Nalgonda, India, and came to Utah in 2013, where he was appointed temporary parochial vicar at St. Patrick’s Parish in Salt Lake City while the pastor, Fr. Lourduraj Gally, was in the hospital.
When Fr. Gally returned, “I got all praise about Fr. Showri. … Really, people loved him,” Fr. Gally said at the luncheon.
Msgr. Michael Winterer, who celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination on April 30, 2020, served in many of the local parishes and held various assignments, including dean of the Southwest Deanery, before retiring in 2011.
Fr. Langes Silva, a native of Colombia, was ordained for the Diocese of Salt Lake City on June 3, 1995 by Bishop George H. Niederauer. He was appointed the diocesan judicial vicar in 2003. At the luncheon, Fr. Evans thanked Fr. Silva “for supporting us and helping us in a work that I think many of us don’t want to touch with a 10-foot pole, but we’re thankful that you’re there and that you always care for us and the people of God.”
Fr. Bruce Clapham, chaplain at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination on Oct. 19, 2020. At the luncheon, Fr. J.J. Schwall, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Salt Lake City, said being a chaplain is difficult, and “I don’t know anyone in my life that I’ve had personal experience with who has done that better than Fr. Bruce. He has taken the challenge of trying to pull together the Catholic with the non-Catholic. He is not just a chaplain to the Catholic veterans he is a chaplain to all the veterans, and he does it magnificently.”
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© Copyright 2024 The Diocese of Salt Lake City. All rights reserved.
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