Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde released clergy assignments last weekend. Here are the biographies of the new pastors and parochial administrators.

Fr. James C. Bruse
Father James C. Bruse, the newly appointed pastor of Our Lady of the Blue Ridge Parish in Madison, was born Oct. 28, 1954, in Washington, D.C., to James G. and Ann Louise Bruse. He graduated from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg in 1976, and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., in 1983. He was ordained to the priesthood by Arlington Bishop John R. Keating May 12, 1984.

His diaconate assignment was at St. John the Beloved Parish in McLean.
He served as parochial vicar of St. James Parish in Falls Church, 1984-88; St. John the Apostle Parish in Leesburg, 1988-90; and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Lake Ridge, 1990-95.

Father Bruse has served as pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Kilmarnock since 1995.

Third Order Regular Fr. Michael Ciski
Third Order Regular of St. Francis Father Michael Ciski, newly appointed parochial administrator of St. Joseph Parish in Herndon, was born Sept. 25, 1958, in Toledo, Ohio. There, he worked for 17 years at a local grocery store chain and earned a bachelor's in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Toledo in 1993.

After entering the Franciscan Friars in 1993, he served as a campus minister at St. Francis University in Loretto, Pa., and worked at summer conferences at the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.

While pursuing a master's in divinity from Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C., he worked in parish ministry at St. Joseph Parish in Capitol Hill and at St. Elizabeth Mental Hospital. He made solemn vows to the Franciscan Friars in 1999 and spent his time as a transitional diaconate serving at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Arlington, Texas. After his ordination to the priesthood Nov. 18, 2000, he served as parochial vicar of St. Maria Goretti, 2000-04, before assuming the position of director of vocations for the order's province in Loretto, Pa., in 2004. In 2008, he returned to St. Maria Goretti as a parochial vicar. Father Ciski also serves on the board of trustees for the Franciscan University.

Fr. John C. De Celles
Father John C. De Celles, newly appointed pastor of St. Raymond of Peafort Parish in Springfield, was born Aug. 19, 1960, in San Antonio, one of five children. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1978 and from the University of Texas, San Antonio, in 1981 with a bachelor’s in accounting. He received a post-graduate degree in accounting from the University of Texas in 1984. Prior to entering the seminary, he worked as a certified public accountant in his own accounting firm.

Father De Celles entered Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., in 1991 and was ordained to the diaconate May 27, 1995. He served his diaconate year at St. Timothy Parish in Chantilly.

He was ordained to the priesthood May 18, 1996, by Arlington Bishop John R. Keating. He served as parochial vicar of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Alexandria, 1996-99; St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Clifton, 1999-2002; St. Michael Parish in Annandale, 2002-06; and St. James Parish in Falls Church, 2006-07. He was named parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish in Alexandria in 2007, where he served until he was appointed parochial administrator of St. Raymond of Peafort in 2010.

Fr. Francis de Rosa
Father Francis de Rosa, newly appointed pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Colonial Beach and the Mission Church of St. Anthony in King George, was born Dec. 16, 1965 in Lewiston, N.Y., one of seven children of Ralph and Sarah de Rosa. He attended Niagara Catholic High School and Niagara University, receiving a degree in 1988.

He received a philosophy degree from the Athenaeum of the Holy Cross in Rome in 1993, then entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., where he earned a master's in theology with a concentration in moral theology. He spent the summers of 1994 and 1995 studying Spanish in Mexico. He served his diaconate at St. John Parish in McLean.

Father de Rosa was ordained May 17, 1997, by Arlington Bishop John R. Keating at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. He was parochial vicar of St. Mark Parish in Vienna, 1997-2000; Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Arlington, 2000-04; St. Louis Parish in Alexandria, 2004-08; and Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge, 2008-09.

Father de Rosa was named parochial vicar of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and the Mission Church of St. Anthony in King George since 2009. He was appointed parochial administrator in 2010

Fr. Ronald S. Escalante
Father Ronald S. Escalante is the newly appointed pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Purcellville. 

He was born in Manila, Philippines, Sept. 23, 1964, and attended elementary school there. His parents moved the family to Oxon Hill, Md., where he attended high school, graduating in 1982.

Father Escalante received his pre-theology training at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome, graduating in 1991. He then studied for the priesthood at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md.

He was ordained by Arlington Bishop John R. Keating May 20, 1995, following his diaconate year at St. Leo the Great Parish in Fairfax.
His first parish assignment was as parochial vicar of St. Lawrence Parish in Alexandria.

In 1998, Father Escalante was named parochial vicar of Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria.

In 2002, he was appointed chaplain of Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg and part-time parochial vicar of St. Matthew Parish in Spotsylvania.
In 2004, Father Escalante was named part-time parochial vicar of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Fredericksburg, while continuing as chaplain of Mary Washington College.

Father Escalante was named parochial vicar of St. Luke Parish in McLean in 2007. In 2009, he was appointed parochial administrator of St. Francis de Sales.

Fr. Anselme Malonda Nkuanga
Missionhurst Father Anselme Malonda Nkuanga, newly appointed pastor of Precious Blood Parish in Culpepper, was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Sept. 9, 1960, the son of Jean and Charlotte Malonda Nkuanga, the third of four children.

He entered the Kinshasa Province of Missionhurst in 1982. After novitiate and philosophy studies, Father Malonda was assigned to the U.S. Province in 1986. After learning both English and Spanish, he began theology studies at the Oblate School of Theology (OST) in San Antonio. He graduated from OST in May 1991 with a master’s in divinity and a certificate of advanced studies for presbyteral ministry.

Father Malonda was ordained May 15, 1992, at St. Joseph the Worker Church in McAllen, Texas, by Brownsville Bishop Enrique San Pedro. He was appointed assistant pastor of St. Joseph the Worker, and in 1994 was appointed pastor of San Martin de Porres Parish in Alton, Texas. In 1998, Father Malonda began religious formation studies at St. Louis University in Missouri and in 1999 became the formation director in San Antonio.

In 1999, Father Malonda was appointed the vice-provincial of the U.S. Province and was reappointed in 2003. In 2000 he became director of interns and director of ongoing formation in San Antonio.
In 2006, Father Molanda was named the 12th provincial superior of the U.S. Province of the General Government of Missionhurst, headquartered in Arlington.

Fr. Stephen McGraw
Father Stephen McGraw, newly appointed parochial administrator of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Falls Church, was born May 21, 1966, to William and Onalee McGraw of Front Royal. He graduated with a bachelor’s in history from Christendom College in Front Royal in 1988 and with a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1991. He entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., in the fall of 1997 and spent his year in the transitional diaconate serving at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge from 2000 to 2001.

On June 9, 2001, he was ordained to the priesthood by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. He served as parochial vicar of St. Anthony, 2001-05; and St. Leo the Great Parish in Fairfax, 2005-07; St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Fredericksburg, 2007-09. Since 2009, he has served as parochial vicar of Holy Family Parish in Dale City.

Fr. John O'Donohue
Father John O’Donohue, newly appointed parochial administrator of Holy Spirit Parish in Annandale, was born in Seoul, South Korea, March 17, 1964, to Daniel and Mary O'Donohue. Because of his father's career as a diplomat, he spent his childhood in Ghana, Africa; Carlisle, Pa.; Korea; Virginia; and Thailand. He graduated from Portsmouth Abbey in Portsmouth, R.I., and went on to attend the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg for two years before joining the Marine Corps.

Father O'Donohue served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and was part of the Desert Storm campaign in the Persian Gulf War. He has served all over the world including Okinawa and Saudi Arabia.

He received a bachelor's in history from George Mason University in Fairfax in 1994. That same year, he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa.

In his diaconate year, he served at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Alexandria.
After his June 10, 2000, ordination by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, he was assigned as parochial vicar of Holy Spirit. Following that assignment, he served as parochial vicar of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Arlington from 2003 to 2007. Since 2007, he has been assigned as the parochial vicar of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Kilmarnock, where he was in charge of the St. Paul Mission in Hague.

Fr. J. Kevin O’Keefe
Father J. Kevin O'Keefe, newly appointed pastor of Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge, was born Aug. 11, 1962, in East Orange, N.J., one of three children. He graduated from Butler High School in Butler, N.J., and from the Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, N.Y., in 1984 with a bachelor’s in marine engineering.

Prior to entering the seminary, Father O’Keefe served as a reservist in the Merchant Marine and worked as a Defense Department contractor and a mechanical engineer for the Navy.

He entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., in 1991 and was ordained to the diaconate May 28, 1994. He served his diaconate year at Holy Spirit Parish in Annandale and was ordained to the priesthood May 20, 1995, by Arlington Bishop John R. Keating.

He served as parochial vicar of Queen of Apostles Parish in Alexandria, 1995-97; St. James Parish in Falls Church, 1997-2001; and the Church of the Nativity in Burke, 2001-10. Since 2010, he has served Our Lady of Angels Parish as parochial administrator.

Fr. Michael Orlowsky
Father Michael T. Orlowsky, newly appointed pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Kilmarnock and the mission church of St. Paul in Hague, was born Oct. 19, 1960, to Edward and Elizabeth Orlowsky, the second of five boys. He attended Rutherford High School in Panama City, Fla. He considered becoming an electrical engineer and attended the DeVry Institute of Technology for six months prior to moving to Texas to enroll at the University of St. Thomas.

He studied for the priesthood in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, La., and later switched to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., to study for the Arlington Diocese.

Father Orlowsky spent his diaconate year at St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Alexandria and was ordained to the priesthood May 15, 1993, by Arlington Bishop John R. Keating. His first assignment was as parochial vicar of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Fredericksburg. In 1997, he was appointed parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Manassas, then parochial vicar of St. Ann Parish in Arlington in 2000.

He was assigned to Holy Family Parish in Dale City in 2001 before being named administrator of Our Lady of the Blue Ridge Parish in Madison in June 2002. Since 2004, he has served as pastor of Our Lady of the Blue Ridge.

Fr. Matthew Zuberbueler
Father Matthew Zuberbueler, newly appointed parochial administrator of St. Louis Parish in Alexandria, was born March 14, 1970, in Del Rio, Texas, to John and Betty Zuberbueler. He attended Comstock High School in Comstock, Texas, and graduated in 1992 from Christendom College in Front Royal with a bachelor’s in philosophy.

Father Zuberbueler attended seminary at Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md. After spending his transitional diaconate serving at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge, he was ordained to the priesthood by Arlington Bishop John R. Keating at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington May 18, 1996. Since then, he has served as parochial vicar of St. Timothy Parish in Chantilly, 1996-99; Blessed Sacrament Parish in Alexandria, 1999-2002; the Cathedral of St. Thomas More, 2002-06; and Sacred Heart Parish in Winchester and its mission, St. Bridget of Ireland Parish in Berryville, 2006-08.

In 2003, he was appointed defender of the bond for a five-year term. Since 2008, he has served as chaplain and assistant principal at Pope John Paul the Great High School in Dumfries.