60 years
Msgr. John T. Cilinski, in residence at St. Agnes Parish in
Arlington, was born June 6, 1924, in Alexandria, the son of
Peter and Amelia Cilinski. He attended St. Mary Elementary
School in Alexandria and graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in
1941. He attended St. Mary’s College and Seminary in
Baltimore, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1948 by
Cardinal Patrick O’Boyle, then-Archbishop of Washington. He
was elevated to monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 1990. Msgr.
Cilinski served as parochial vicar in a number of parishes as
a member of the Richmond Diocese Missionary Fathers including
St. Mary Parish in Richmond; St. Ann Parish in Arlington and
St. Vincent Parish in Newport News. In 1955, he became
director of the Richmond Diocese Missionary Fathers. In 1960,
he was appointed pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, Front
Royal. He became pastor of St. John Parish, Waynesboro, in
1964, and a year later was named pastor of St. Philip Parish,
Falls Church. In 1981, he became pastor of St. Ann Parish and
was named rector of the Cathedral of St. Thomas More from
1989-94. He was pastor of Our Lady of Angels Parish in
Woodbridge from 1994 until his retirement in June 1999. He
was also a diocesan consultor and dean of Deanery V prior to
his retirement. Msgr. Cilinski is one of seven children, two
of whom also entered the religious life. His brother, Father
Julius Cilinski, also a priest of the Arlington Diocese, died
May 8, 2004, and his sister, Holy Cross Sister M. Camilla,
died Nov. 27, 2007. His nephew, Father Robert Cilinski, is
pastor of All Saints Parish in Manassas.
55 years
Missionhurst Father John B. Peters was born Jan. 1, 1929, in
Belgium to Jan and Anna Maria (Tans) Peters. He entered
Missionhurst in 1947 and pronounced his first vows Sept. 8,
1948. He was ordained a priest Aug. 2, 1953, in Scheut,
Brussels. In January 1955, Father Peters was sent on his
first mission assignment in the United States where he served
as pastor of St. John Parish in Strawn, Texas, where he
remained until June 1956. He served as parochial vicar of St.
John Berchmans Parish in San Antonio, 1956-63; and pastor of
St. Stephen Parish in San Antonio, 1963-66. He became a
naturalized U.S. citizen 1960 in San Antonio. Father Peters
came to the East Coast in September 1966 when he was assigned
as rector of the Missionhurst Seminary in Washington, a
position he held until June 1967 when he was elected as a
council member of the General Government of the Congregation
in Rome, Italy. He served as a member of the General
Government until May 1974 when he was assigned to Brazil as
pastor of Our Lady of Remedies Parish in Paraty, State of Rio
de Janeiro, where he served for the next 20 years. In 1994,
Father Peters was re-assigned to Rome where he served as
rector of Missionhurst’s International College. In June 1998,
he returned to Brazil and served as pastor of St. Ann Parish
in Itacuruçá for the next seven years until
returning to the U.S. in May 2005. Father Peters is in
residence at Dominion House in Arlington. He celebrates Mass
on the weekends at Sacred Heart Parish in Manassas, and
maintains an active ministry to the Portuguese-speaking
Brazilian community.
50 years
Missionhurst Father Leo J. Zonneveld was born in Holland
Sept. 8, 1934, to Johannes and Querina (Westerhoven)
Zonneveld. He has six siblings. He entered Missionhurst in
1952, pronouncing his first vows a year later on Sept. 8,
1953. He was ordained to the priesthood July 25, 1958, in
Nijmegen, Holland. Father Zonneveld’s mission assignment in
the United States began in 1959 where he continued studies at
Catholic University in Washington. During that assignment he
did parish work at St. John the Beloved Parish in McLean. He
taught at Msgr. Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, Pa.,
1961-64; and was parochial vicar of Holy Spirit Parish in
Annandale, 1965-67. From 1967-69, Father Zonneveld was the
assistant director of novices at Missionhurst. During those
years he continued his studies and obtained a master’s and a
doctorate in philosophy from Catholic University, where he
also lectured until 1969. That year he became a naturalized
U.S. citizen in Washington Father Zonneveld was appointed the
Provincial Superior of Missionhurst’s U.S. Province in 1969,
a position he held until 1979. He has also held a number of
other leadership positions within the community. In 1979, he
was appointed pastor of Precious Blood Parish in Culpeper,
where he continues to serve. He has served as dean of Deanery
IV, as a diocesan consultor, as a member of the diocesan
Finance Committee and as judge on the Tribunal. Franciscan
Father Joseph J. Nangle was born in Lexington, Mass., July
20, 1932. He entered the Order of Friars Minor August 11,
1951, at St. Bonaventure Church in Paterson, N.J. He made his
final profession of vows Aug. 16, 1955, at Christ the King
Seminary in Allegany, N.Y., and was ordained a priest April
25, 1958, at Mt. St. Sepulchre Friary in Washington. Father
Nangle’s first assignment was St. Anthony Shrine in Boston,
Mass., 1958-59. He was assigned to a mission in Bolivia in
1960, where he served for three years before being named
pastor of Holy Name Parish in Lima, Peru, 1963-74. In 1977,
Father Nangle was appointed as an adviser for political
issues in the department of social development and world
peace of the U.S. Catholic Conference. He went on to serve in
a variety of outreach and social justice ministries,
including as a staff member for the Conference of Major
Superiors of Men, 1982-90, and associate director of
Sojourners magazine in Washington, 1990-94. Father Nangle
served as executive director of the Franciscan Mission
Service in Washington, 1994-2005. He began assisting on
weekends as a part-time associate pastor of Our Lady Queen of
Peace Parish in Arlington in 1990. He currently works three
or four days a week at the parish.
45 years
Jesuit Father Jon J. O’Brien assists at St. Stephen the
Martyr Parish in Middleburg.
Father Luis M. Valdivieso teaches at Bishop O’Connell High
School in Alexandria.
40 years
Father Gerry Creedon is pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church
in Arlington.
35 years
Missionhurst Father Michael F. Hann is rector of Missionhurst
in Arlington.
30 years
Father George J. Griffin is pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer
Parish in Orange. Father Joseph Biniek is retired and resides
in New Orleans, La.
Third Order Regular Franciscan Father Christopher J. Dobson
is parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish in Herndon.
Oblate of St. Francis de Sales Farther Anthony J. Pinizzotto
is in residence at St. William of York Parish in Stafford.
Augustinian Father Cedric Wilson is in residence at St. Leo
the Great Parish in Fairfax.
