Bishop Peter F. Christensen has made the following new assignments effective July 1, 2023.
NORTHERN DEANERY
Rev. Mariusz Majewski is appointed Pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle, Coeur d’Alene.
NORTH CENTRAL DEANERY
Rev. Benjamin Onyemachi, SMMM, is appointed Pastor at St. Mary’s, Moscow, replacing Rev. Joseph McDonald who is retiring.
Rev. Anthony Ujagbo, is appointed Parochial Vicar at St. Mary’s, Moscow.
WEST CENTRAL DEANERY
Rev. Germán Osorio is appointed Rector at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
Deacon Timothy Segert (who will be ordained to the priesthood on June 8) is appointed Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Boise.
Rev. Hippolytus Ezenwa, SMMM, is appointed Pastor at Sacred Heart, Boise.
Rev. Remigius Chukwuemeke Ihim, is appointed Parochial Vicar, at Holy Apostles Parish, Meridian.
Rev. Sipho Mathabela is appointed Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart, Boise.
Rev. Roger Fernando is appointed Parochial Vicar at St. Mark's, Boise.
Rev. John Kucera is appointed Pastor at St. Mary’s, Boise, replacing Rev. John Worster who is retiring.
Rev. Goodluck Ajaero, SMMM, is appointed Parochial Vicar, at St. Paul’s, Nampa.
Rev. Moisés Urzúa Torres, MSP, is appointed Pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mountain Home.
Rev. Costance Swai, ALCP, is appointed Pastor at Our Lady of Limerick, Glenns Ferry, and St. Bridget’s, Bruneau.
SOUTHERN DEANERY
Rev. Evarist Shiyo, ALCP, is appointed Pastor at Immaculate Conception, Buhl, with assistance from the Missionary Servants of the Word with a primary focus on Hispanic ministry.
Rev. José de Jesús Gonzáles is appointed Pastor at St. Jerome’s, Jerome.
EASTERN DEANERY
Rev. Emil Parafiniuk is appointed Pastor at Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Pocatello, replacing Rev. Henry Carmona who is retiring.
Rev. Jorge Garcia is appointed Parochial Vicar at Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Pocatello, with primary focus on Hispanic ministry.
Rev. Aleksander Dembowski is appointed Parochial Vicar at Holy Spirit Catholic Community.
Deacon Nelson Cintra (who will be ordained a priest on June 8) is appointed Parochial Vicar at St. John Paul II Community, Idaho Falls.
Rev. Adrián Vázquez is appointed Pastor at St. Bernard’s, Blackfoot.
Rev. Boniface Osuafor is appointed Pastor at Mary Immaculate, St. Anthony.
Rev. Anthony Nnodim is appointed Pastor at Good Shepherd, Soda Springs.
OTHER
Rev. John Gathungu is appointed Chaplain for Prison Ministry and to preside at Swahili Masses in Boise.
Rev. Joseph Lustig is granted leave to study Canon Law in Ontario, Canada.
Father Mariusz Majewski, a native of Poland, returns to St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Coeur d’Alene. Born on Jan. 1, 1978, he studied classics at Markowice, Poland; philosophy at Obra, Poland; and theology at Mount Angel Seminary. He was ordained June 5, 2008, by Bishop Michael P. Driscoll in St. John Cathedral. A native of Poland, Father Mariusz was parochial vicar at St. John’s (2008-10) and St. Edward Parish, Twin Falls (2010-12). He was administrator at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Grangeville and Holy Trinity, Nezperce, (2012-14) before his appointment there as pastor in 2014. In 2015, he was appointed pastor at St. Thomas Parish in Coeur d’Alene. In 2019, he was appointed Rector of St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Boise.
Father Benjamin Onyemachi, SMMM, who will be pastor at St. Mary’s in Moscow, arrived in Boise in July of 2022. He has been serving at Holy Apostles Parish in Meridian. Born on Nov. 27, 1976, he studied at Bigard Memorial Seminary and at Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary, both in Nigeria. He was ordained for the Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy Congregation (SMMM) on July 24, 2010, at Mater Dei Cathedral by the Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji. He served as a visiting priest and associate pastor at several parishes, school principal at Bishop Nwedo Memorial Boys High School and Confessor at the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy Novitiate.
Father Anthony Ujagbo, is the new parochial vicar at St. Mary’s, Moscow. He is new to the Diocese of Boise and little information was available to us by press time. He is incardinated in the Archdiocese of Owerri in Nigeria. He studied at the Seat of Wisdom Seminary in Owerri.
Father Germán Osorio, the new Rector at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise, was born May 19, 1978 in Pácora, Colombia. He studied at the Colegio Marco Fidel Suárez in Pácora and Our Lady of the Rosary Seminary in Manizales, both in Caldas, Colombia; and at the Seminary of John Paul II in Armenia. He came to the United States in 2003, staying at the Bishop Treinen House in Boise and studying English at Boise State University. He studied at Mount Angel Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Michael P. Driscoll on June 10, 2010, in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. He served as parochial vicar at St. Paul’s, Nampa, from 2010-13. From 2013-15, he was parochial vicar at Good Shepherd Parish in Soda Springs. In 2017, he was appointed pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mountain Home. In 2022, he was appointed Military Chaplain at Gowen Field in Boise for the Idaho Air National Guard and Priest-in-Residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
Deacon Timothy Segert, who will be ordained to the priesthood on June 8, will serve as parochial vicar at St. John’s Cathedral. He was born in The Dalles, Ore., in 1989, moving to Boise attended evangelical churches before becoming Catholic in 2012 during his senior year at Boise State University. He enrolled at Mount Angel Seminary in 2017 and served his pastoral year at St. Mark’s Parish in Boise. He also spent a summer at the Cathedral during his seminary years.
Father Hippolytus Ezenwa, SMMM, who will serve as pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Boise, was born on Dec. 17, 1969, in Nigeria. He attended Bigard Memorial Seminary and was ordained on July 22, 2000, for the Congregation of the Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy. He served parishes in England, Germany, Texas and Cali-fornia before coming to the Diocese of Boise in 2019. He was parochial vicar at St. John Paul II in Idaho Falls from 2019-21, parochial vicar at St. Thomas in Coeur d’Alene from 2021-22 and most recently pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mountain Home.
Father Remigius Chukwuemeke Ihim, appointed parochial vicar at Holy Apostles, Meridian, most recently served as pastor at St. Thomas Parish in Coeur d’Alene. He came to the Diocese of Boise in the fall of 2021 to serve as a sacramental minister at Risen Christ Parish in Boise and assumed full duties for the parish after the retirement of Monsignor Joseph da Silva. Father Ihim was born on May 28, 1967, in Aba, Nigeria. He attended Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary in Owerri. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 19, 1997 at Assumption Cathedral in Owerri. He was parochial vicar and pastor for several parishes in Nigeria for the next 20 years. From 2003-04, he was a confessor at a semi-nary and from 2013-21 was secretary of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association. In 2019 he took a sabbatical to the United States, primarily to Brooklyn. He came to Boise at the invitation of his friend and former classmate, Father Onyema Okorie, who served at Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Father Sipho Mathabela, returns to Sacred Heart in Boise as parochial vicar. He was born on May 24, 1963, in Swaziland. He attended the University of Phoenix and Mount Angel Seminary. He was ordained by Bishop Mogale Paul Nkhumishe on August 9, 2001, for the Diocese of Polokwane in South Africa for the Benedictines. He served in various positions in parishes, schools and ministries in the Diocese of Polokwane, before coming to the Diocese of Boise in 2010. In December 2010, he was appointed administrator of St. Theresa Parish based in Orofino and its affiliated churches. He became parochial vicar for St. Theresa Parish in 2012. In 2020, he was appointed pastor at Good Shepherd Parish in Soda Springs. In 2021, he became parochial vicar at Sacred Heart in Boise and in 2022 was named pastor at Our Lady of Limerick in Glenns Ferry and St. Bridget’s in Bruneau.
Father Roger Fernando, who will be serving as parochial vicar at St. Mark's in Boise, was born on March 5, 1948, in Sri Lanka. He attended the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He was ordained in Sri Lanka on Aug. 18, 1975. He served as an associate pastor and pastor as well as a seminary rector and procurator general (administrator) for the Diocese of Chilaw before coming to the United States in 2002. He was a parochial vicar in West Covina, Calif., (2002-06), parochial vicar and pastor at parishes in the Diocese of Portland (2006-14), and the Diocese of Baker (Ore.) from 2014 until coming to the Diocese of Boise in late 2019. He was pastor at St. Ann’s in Bonners Ferry from 2020-21, when he was named pastor at Sacred Heart in Boise.
Father John Kucera, the new pastor at St. Mary’s in Boise, was born and raised in Lewiston. He graduated from Lewis Clark State College in 2010 with a degree in biology. He enrolled at Mt. Angel Seminary in the fall of 2010, spending his pastoral year at St. Nicholas Parish in Rupert. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Peter Christensen on June 8, 2017, and served as parochial vicar at St. Paul’s Parish in Nampa from 2017-19. In 2019, he was named parochial vicar, and later administrator, at Mary Immaculate Parish in Soda Springs.
Father Goodluck Ajaero, SMMM, is the new parochial vicar at St. Paul’s Parish in Nampa. Born on Jan. 29, 1984, he attended Seat of Wisdom Major Seminary in Nigeria. He was ordained on July 22, 2017, by the Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuri Ugorji for the Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy. He served various parishes in Nigeria before coming to the United States in 2022 where he has been serving at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mountain Home.
Father Moisés Urzúa Torres, MSP, new pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mountain Home, was born on Nov. 4, 1977, in Guadalajara, Mexico. He studied at the Philosophical Theological Institute in Morelia and Texcoco before his ordination to the priesthood on June 29, 2019 for the Missionary Servants of the Word. He came to the United States in 2021, serving the Hispanic community in the eastern and southern deaneries.
Father Costance Swai, ALCP/OSS, the new pastor at Our Lady of Limerick in Glenns Ferry and St. Bridget’s in Bruneau, was previously serving as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Parish in Boise. He was born on Sept. 24, 1981, in Tanzania. He studied philosophy at the Apostles of Jesus Philosophicum in Nairobi, Kenya, and theology at Jordan University College in Morogoro. He was ordained on July 10, 2014, by Bishop Isaac Amani in the Diocese of Moshi. After his ordination, Father Swai served for two years as a parochial vicar and then for one year as a seminary instructor in Tanzania. He arrived in Idaho in June of 2017, where he began serving as parochial vicar at St. George’s in Post Falls, St. Joseph’s in Spirit Lake and St. Stanislaus in Rathdrum. In July 2020, he was appointed parochial vicar for Holy Spirit Catholic Community in Pocatello and chaplain at St. John’s Student Center on the Idaho State University campus, before his 2022 appointment to Sacred Heart Parish in Boise.
Father Evarist Shiyo, the new pastor at Immaculate Conception in Buhl, was born on Sept. 3, 1962 in Tanzania. He studied at seminaries there before his ordination on July 12, 1997, as a member of the Apostolic Life Community of Priests in Opus Spiritus Sancti. He worked in several parishes in his native Tanzania. He came to the Diocese of Boise in 2007 where he began serving at Sacred Heart Parish in Boise. In 2011, Father Shiyo was appointed parochial vicar at St. Charles Parish in Salmon. In 2012, he was appointed parochial vicar at All Saints Parish, Lewiston, including Sacred Heart Station, Lapwai. In 2018, he was named the Chaplain for Prison Ministry.
Father Jorge E. Garcia, is appointed Parochial Vicar at Holy Spirit Catholic Community, Pocatello, with primary focus on Hispanic ministry. Father Jorge Garcia was born on April 28, 1960. He studied at the Colegio Mayor Santiago de Cali in Bachiller, Seminario San Pedro in Cali, St. Thomas Aquinas University in Bogota, and Antonio Nariño University of Santa Fe, also in Bogota. He was ordained to the priesthood on Dec. 7, 1986, in St. Peter's Cathedral by Archbishop Pedro Rubiano Saenz for the Archdiocese of Cali. He served in parishes as a parochial vicar and pastor there from 1986-2000. Father Garcia began ministry in the Diocese of Boise in 2000, as parochial vicar at St. Agnes, Weiser, and two years later, was named administrator at Presentation of the Lord, Aberdeen/American Falls. From 2007-11, Father Garcia was administrator and then pastor at St. Charles Borromeo, Hailey. He was appointed pastor at Immaculate Conception in Buhl in 2011. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Boise in 2006.
Father José de Jesús González, who is appointed pastor at St. Jerome Parish in Jerome, was born Nov. 17, 1972, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1997, settling in Jerome. In 2002, he entered the diocesan seminary program and lived at the Bishop Treinen House, Boise, while studying English at Boise State. After several pastoral assignments, he completed his seminary studies at Mount Angel Seminary and was ordained by Bishop Michael P. Driscoll on June 5, 2008, in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. From 2008-10, Father González served as parochial vicar at Mary Immaculate Parish, St. Anthony. In 2011, he was named administrator of St. Bernard Parish in Blackfoot, and named pastor there in 2014.
Father Emil Parafiniuk, who is appointed pastor at Holy Spirit Catholic Community in Pocatello, has been serving as parochial vicar there since 2022. He was born on Nov. 24, 1983 in Poland. He attended the Papal Faculty of Theology in Warsaw and was ordained in 2008 by Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski in the Diocese of Warsaw-Praga. After a few years serving in a parish, he was named director for his diocese’s Youth and Young Adults Office. In 2016, he was nominated as director of the National Office for World Youth Days and the executive secretary of the Youth Ministry Council for the Polish Bishops’ Conference. He also served as a coordinator for the European Vocations Service and as the executive secretary of the vocations section of the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe. Father Parafiniuk moved to the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, in March of 2021 with the intention of doing parish work, but the diocese assigned him to be its director of youth ministry. However, he was also appointed as a Priest-in-Residence at our Lady of Hope in Middle Village, New York, to give him more opportunities to speak English. He moved to Idaho in 2021, serving first at St. Mark’s Parish in Boise.
Father Aleksander Dembowski, who will become parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Catholic Community in Pocatello, was born in Warsaw, Poland. He graduated from Salesian High School in Mińsk, Mazowiecki, and then studied public relations, marketing, and social communications at the University of Warsaw. He worked as a journalist for a newspaper, then for a public relations agency, later, a real estate agency. He attended seminary in Warsaw for the Diocese of Warszawa-Praga. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 3, 2021, by Bishop Peter Christensen, and has been serving since as a parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.
Deacon Nelson Cintra, who will be ordained to the priesthood on June 8, 2023, was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1986. He moved to Ohio in 1999 and graduated from Ohio State in 2008 with a bachelor’s of science in psychology. In 2016, he completed his philosophy and religion studies at Mundelein Seminary and then began theology studies at Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon. He completed a pastoral year at St. Paul’s Parish in Nampa before resuming studies at Mount Angel. He will serve as parochial vicar at St. John Paul II Parish in Idaho Falls.
Father Adrián Vázquez, new pastor at St. Bernard’s Parish in Blackfoot, was born July 8, 1972, in San Lucas, Michoacán, Mexico. He pursued his vocation at Seminary Christo Rey in Texcoco, Mexico for three years. He worked as a missionary in Mexico and in Victorville, Calif., Yakima, Wash., and Aberdeen. In 2005, he spent the summer in the Clinical Pastoral Education program at Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston. That August, he began a pastoral year at St. John's Cathedral, Boise. He completed seminary studies in 2008 at Mount Angel Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood June 5, 2008, by Bishop Michael P. Driscoll. He served as parochial vicar at Holy Spirit, Pocatello, from 2008-10 and then at Our Lady of the Valley, Caldwell from 2010-12. He was parochial vicar at St. Pius X, Coeur d’Alene from 2012-13 and at St. Edward’s in Twin Falls from 2013-14. In 2014 he was named administrator and, later, pastor at Mary Immaculate Parish in St. Anthony, serving there until 2017 when he was named pastor at St. Jerome’s in Jerome.
Father Boniface Osuafor, the new pastor at Mary Immaculate Parish in St. Anthony, was born on Nov. 26, 1971, in Nigeria. He studied at St. Peter’s Seminary and Bigard Memorial Seminary in Nigeria before his ordination to the priesthood on Aug. 4, 2001, by the Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Obinna at Assumption Cathedral in Owerri. He served as an associate pastor and pastor at parishes in Nigeria before coming to the United States in 2022. He has been serving as parochial vicar at St. Paul’s Parish in Nampa.
Father Anthony Nnodim, the new pastor at Good Shepherd Parish in Soda Springs, was born on Sept. 15, 1973 in Owerri, Nigeria. He attended St. Peter Claver Seminary in Okpala and Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugu before his ordination to the priesthood on Aug. 2, 2002, by Archbishop Anthony Obianna at Assumption of Mary Cathedral in Owerri. He served as pastor of several parishes in Nigeria before coming to the United States to serve as chaplain of St. John Bosco Academy in Cottonwood in January 2022. In July of 2022, he was named parochial vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Coeur d’Alene.
Father John Gathungu is the new chaplain for prison ministry and will also preside at Swahili Masses in Boise. Born on April 28, 1961, in Kenya, he completed religious studies at Catholic University and seminary at St. Augustine’s Seminary and St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary, all in Kenya. He was ordained a priest on Jan. 1, 1990 by Bishop Nicodemus Kirima for the Archdiocese of Nyeri, Kenya. He served in a variety of parishes in Nyeri before further studies in 1993 at The Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He served as Catholic Education Secretary while residing at Our Lady of Consolata Cathedral in Nyeri. In 2008, he came to Idaho, residing at St. Gertrude Monastery in Cottonwood, and later at Holy Trinity Station, Nezperce. He was parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Lake Parish, McCall, from 2011-13. He was administrator at St. Mary Immaculate Parish in Saint Maries from 2013-15 before being appointed administrator at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Grangeville from 2015-19. He served as pastor at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Salmon from 2019-22 before serving as a parochial vicar for St. John Paul II Parish in Idaho Falls.
Father Joseph Lustig has been serving as administrator at Good Shepherd Parish in Soda Springs since 2021. He has been granted leave to study Canon Law in Ontario, Canada. He was born on May 28, 1991, in Cottonwood. He attended Mount Angel Seminary and was ordained on June 7, 2018, by Bishop Peter Christensen. He served as parochial vicar at St. Edward’s Parish in Twin Falls from 2018-21, before his appointment to Soda Springs.
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