Pastor appointments to take effect Aug. 1
On Aug. 1, 12 priests in the Diocese of Salt Lake City will assume their duties as either pastor or administrator of the parish to which they have been assigned. Following are profiles of six of these priests; profiles of the other six will be published in the July 19 issue.
Fr. Arokia Dass David
Fr. Arokia Dass David was born in Paramakudi, Tamil Nadu, India. He speaks English and Tamil. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a master’s degree in Christian studies. He was ordained a priest by the Right Rev. Dr. A. Neethinathan for the Diocese of Chingleput, India on April 26, 2009. After ordination he served various positions in his diocese, including vice rector, associate pastor and secretary to the bishop. He arrived in the Diocese of Salt Lake City in May of 2013. He served as parochial vicar in the parishes of St. Patrick, Salt Lake City; St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Midvale; and Sts. Peter and Paul, West Valley City. Currently, he is administrator of St. Helen Parish in Roosevelt and its associated missions. On Aug. 1 he will become administrator of Notre Dame de Lourdes, Price, and its associated missions; and Good Shepherd Parish, East Carbon City.
What would you like your new parishioners to know about you?
I desire and am called to do God’s will.
What are you looking forward to most about your new assignment?
God’s plan.
As a priest, what has been your biggest challenge?
Cleansing the works of Satan.
As a priest, what has been your most satisfying experience?
The most satisfying experience is celebrating Holy Mass and all the sacraments.
Fr. Anil K. Kakumanu
Fr. Anil K. Kakumanu was born in Suryapet, India. He speaks English, Spanish, Korean, Telugu and Hindi. He holds bachelor’s degrees in arts, education, philosophy and theology, and a Master of Arts. He was ordained a priest on April 28, 2012 by Bishop Govindu Joji in the Diocese of Nalgonda, Hyderabad, India. Following ordination, he served as an assistant for one year, then, over the next six years, served as pastor in three different locations in the diocese. He did post-graduate work at Mahathma Gandhi University in India. In August of 2018 he came to St. James the Greater Parish in Vernal. Earlier this year he filled in at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Salt Lake City. On Aug. 1 he will become administrator of St. Helen Parish in Roosevelt and its missions.
What would you like your new parishioners to know about you?
I am a simple priest at your service. Let us walk with the Lord and be joyful and cheerful being with the Lord.
What are you looking forward to most about your new assignment?
I am very happy and thankful to our bishop. Indeed, this is a great opportunity for me to enhance the faith of the faithful, and grow together with them in spirituality.
As a priest, what has been your biggest challenge?
To transform the simple people into saintly people and to let the people know how great and wonderful is the love of God in spite of all the miseries in our lives.
As a priest, what has been your most satisfying experience?
Being a man of prayer and man of service. I love and am proud of my priesthood. I am privileged to share Christ to everyone.
“Everything is possible with Jesus. ”
Fr. Jorge Roldán Sánchez
Fr. Jorge Roldán Sánchez was born in Mexico. He speaks Spanish and English. He received an undergraduate degree from the Universidad Pontificia de Mexico, then attended Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas. He was ordained a priest by Bishop John C. Wester on June 28, 2014. Following ordination, he was assigned as parochial vicar at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Park City, then at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, and is currently parochial vicar at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Salt Lake City. On Aug. 1 he will become pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Milford and its mission, and St. John Bosco Mission in Delta.
What would you like your new parishioners to know about you?
I would like let them know that I’m a priest who wants to serve them, to be a friend, to live our faith together as one community in Christ.
What are you looking forward to most about your new assignment?
To still be working for the kingdom of God in those places, to live our faith, to celebrate the sacred Liturgy with love.
As a priest, what has been your biggest challenge?
As a priest who is from Mexico, in the beginning my biggest challenge was to learn a new language, a new culture, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, I’m so happy now to serve both communities, and I am still working on it.
As a priest, what has been your most satisfying experience?
After each sacrament that I perform: when I see the newly baptized children and their parents, for the newborn in the light of Christ, when God forgives their sins through me, when after every single Mass I see the people of God in happiness for receiving the Sacrament of Love, the Eucharist.
Fr. Erik Richtsteig
Fr. Erik Richtsteig was born in Cedar City. He attended the University of Utah, where he received a Master of Arts degree, then went to become a doctoral candidate at Marquette University. He was ordained a priest by Bishop William K. Weigand on June 25, 1994 at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. Following ordination, he was assigned as parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in Salt Lake City while also serving as chaplain to the University of Utah Medical Center and the Salt Lake City jail, and was the assistant chaplain for Scouts. In addition, he was served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve from 1997 to 2005. He served as parochial vicar for Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish in Price before being appointed pastoral administrator and then pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Helper. In 2003 he was appointed to the first of his two terms as pastor at St. James the Just Parish in Ogden. In 1995 he was granted bi-ritual faculties. He has served as the priest moderator for the Northern Deanery Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, on the St. Joseph Catholic High School Board of Trustees and on the diocesan Building Committee. He is dean of the Northern Deanery and state chaplain for the Knights of Columbus. On Aug. 1 he will become pastor of St. Ambrose Parish in Salt Lake City.
What would you like your new parishioners to know about you?
That I love being both a Catholic and a Catholic priest.
What are you looking forward to most about your new assignment?
The same things that I have looked forward to as a priest from day one: helping people to follow Jesus in his Church, helping them to learn more about the Gospel, helping them to meet Jesus through the sacraments and, above all, serving God as a priest.
As a priest, what has been your biggest challenge?
Realizing that not everyone will listen, that I can’t fix everything for people, and that God is in charge.
As a priest, what has been your most satisfying experience?
Celebrating the sacraments, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Fr. Andrzej Skrzypiec
Fr. Andrzej Skrzypiec was born in Pszczyna, Poland. He speaks Polish and English. He attended the Papal Academy of Theology in Kraków, then went on to post-graduate work at the Christian Theological Academy in Warsaw. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Katowice by the Most Rev. Herbert Bednorz on April 8, 1982. He arrived in the Diocese of Salt Lake City in 1989 and was incardinated on June 2, 1997. Immediately after arriving in Utah, he served as parochial vicar for the Cathedral of the Madeleine and as a religion teacher at Judge Memorial Catholic High School. He then was appointed pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Helper. He served three terms as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Magna before taking a sabbatical to attend the Institute for Continuing Theological Education at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Upon his return, he was assigned as pastor to St. Ambrose Parish. Currently he is temporary administrator of St. Peter Parish in American Fork. On Aug. 1 he will become pastor of St. Olaf Parish in Bountiful.
What would you like your new parishioners to know about you?
What I would like the parishioners to know about me is that I believe in people’s sense of faith and always attempt to invite those who are willing to be a part of the continued creation of the parish family. I believe that everyone has received something from God to enrich the parish family; therefore, I hope that the opportunities to get involved will not be wasted but many will offer their gifts to make the parish a welcoming and authentic community of growth in faith, hope and love of God and one another.
I want people to know that I am open to their insights and opinions and, even if I disagree with some I do not see it as an obstacle to prevent people from working together for God’s purposes in spite of different opinions.
I want them to know that I try to listen and not to ignore anyone, and if I do, to feel free to let me know about it.
To sum it up, I invite people to work with me for the growth of community that will reflect broader and deeper the values of the gospel.
What are you looking forward to most about your new assignment?
I look forward to bridging the communities of the parish and the school even closer as a way of assuring a bright present and future for faith and reason to shape a moral and loving people.
As a priest, what has been your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge has been to find ways to instill responsibility for the development of faith that becomes a part of a person’s thinking and acting daily with Christ-like character. Not perfectly, as we are not perfect, but consciously and genuinely desiring to be like him in our relationships with each other and the world entrusted to us.
As a priest, what has been your most satisfying experience?
People who have supported me in my ministry with their dedicated love have been my most satisfying experience.
Fr. Roberto Montoro Sasía
Fr. Montoro Sasía was born in Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico. He speaks Spanish and English. He holds a degree in spirituality and vocation for the Universidad Pontifica de Mexico. He was ordained a priest on June 15, 2001 by Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera for the Archdiocese of Mexico. After his ordination he held various positions in the archdiocese, including vicar, vocations promoter, rector, spiritual director in the seminary, and associate dean. He arrived in the Diocese of Salt Lake City in October of 2011, and served as parochial vicar the parishes of Sts. Peter and Paul, West Valley City; St. Francis Xavier Parish, Kearns; and St. Mary of the Assumption, Park City. He then was appointed administrator of San Felipe Parish in Wendover before going to the Cathedral of the Madeleine as parochial vicar. He was priest in residence at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Magna, then became administrator of St. Bridget Parish in Milford, with its associated missions. On Aug. 1 he will become administrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Salt Lake City.
What would you like your new parishioners to know about you?
I am very grateful and happy with this assignment that I am given to practice the priesthood in this beautiful and active community.
What do you most expect from your new assignment?
To integrate, and for them teach me how they work, as well as adapt to their plans and projects.
As a priest, what has been your greatest challenge?
Day by day there is the great challenge of discerning the will of God in the priestly call.
As a priest, what has been your most satisfying experience?
Not to exaggerate, but day by day when you can transmit the Word of God, His merciful love, his consolation. The work I’ve done to give the peace of Jesus and the company of the Virgin Mary that teaches me to transform myself into another Christ – that is my satisfaction, in the humility of responding to the call of Jesus.
I entrust myself to the prayers of the Sacred Heart community.
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