Seven priests in the diocese will mark special milestone ordination jubilees this year, including one, Father William B. Schardt, who celebrates 50 years as a priest.
The jubilarians will gather with Bishop Michael F. Burbidge May 13 at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. Read their bios below.
50 years
Father William B. Schardt, who retired in 2023, will mark his golden jubilee Nov 29.
He was born May 16, 1949, in El Paso, Texas, the son of Bruton B. and Pat Schardt. He graduated from Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington in 1967, Ohio State University in Columbus in 1971 and The Catholic University of America in Washington in 1975. He was ordained a priest Nov. 29, 1975, by Arlington Bishop Thomas J. Welsh.
He served as parochial vicar of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Arlington (1975-78); St. Michael Church in Annandale (1978-79); St. Mark Church in Vienna (1979-82); and St. Ambrose Church in Annandale (1982-83). He was in residence at St. Rita Church in Alexandria (1983-84) and St. Philip Church in Falls Church (1984-85). He served as parochial vicar of St. Mark Church in Vienna (1985-89); and as pastor of St. Ann Church in Arlington (1989-2005); St. Stephen the Martyr Church in Middleburg (2005-14); and St. Thomas à Becket Church in Reston (2014-23).
25 years
Father Ha Jeong Daniel Bae, pastor of St. Paul Chung Church in Fairfax, marked his 25th jubilee Jan. 25.
He is the youngest of seven brothers. Of the seven, four have been ordained as priests. After his ordination Jan. 25, 2000, Father Bae served seven years as parochial vicar of the Wonju Diocese Church in South Korea. Afterward, he served as a pastor in two locations of the Wonju diocese, and spent 10 years as the director of social ministry, responsible for overseeing the Wonju Diocese Social Welfare Organization and as director of the Wonju diocese’s family ministry. In September 2024, he became pastor of St. Paul Chung Church. Father Bae hopes his ministry will bring about unity and understanding among the parishioners and be filled with many prayerful meetings.
Father Kevin J. Beres, pastor of St. Peter Church in Washington, Va., will celebrate his 25th jubilee June 10.
He was born to Joseph and Geraldine Beres, June 27, 1974. He has a sister, Elisa, and a brother, Brian. The family has belonged to St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Clifton since its founding in 1989.
He attended St. Peter Catholic Grade School in Olney, Md., and Centreville High School in Centreville. In 1996, he graduated from Christendom College in Front Royal with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, with a minor in theology. He went on to attend Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md.
While a seminarian, he participated in the diocesan program for priests in Puebla, Mexico. He served his diaconate assignment at St. John Church in McLean.
He was ordained June 10, 2000, at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. His assignments include parochial vicar at St. Bernadette Church in Springfield (2000-04) and St. Timothy Church in Chantilly (2004-08). He underwent a period of discernment with the Priestly Fraternity of
St. Peter (June-December 2008). He served as parochial vicar of St. Michael
Church in Annandale (December 2008-13); and St. John the Baptist Church in Front Royal (2013-18). He was appointed pastor of St. Peter Church in Washington in 2018.
Father Ramon Dominguez, Y.A., parochial vicar of Queen of Apostles Church in Alexandria, will mark his 25th jubilee June 3.
He was born in Havana, Cuba, but his family came to the United States when he was 5 months old, and he grew up in Connecticut and Maryland. He graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Md., and from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in mechanical engineering, 1985. He worked for the U.S. State Department for several years in embassy design and construction. During that time, he joined Youth Apostles Institute. He later graduated from St. John’s Seminary in Boston and was ordained June 3, 2000, for the Diocese of Fall River. He served as parochial vicar of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption and St. Anne in Fall River. He was administrator for St. Hedwig Church and Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in New Bedford, Mass., before returning to Virginia in 2004. He founded the Don Bosco Center in Manassas and has assisted at various parishes including St. John the Apostle in Leesburg, Holy Trinity in Gainesville, All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas, and St. Katharine Drexel Mission in Haymarket. He served as interim chaplain at St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, and he served at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Shenandoah University in Winchester, and the Spanish Charismatic Renewal in Arlington.
Father Paul M. Grankauskas, pastor of St. Bridged of Ireland Church in Berryville, will mark his 25th jubilee June 10.
He was born April 20, 1970, in Pittsburgh, the son of Mary and the late Carl Grankauskas. He has four siblings.
After graduating from high school in Pittsburgh in 1988, Father Grankauskas studied English, philosophy and theology at Marymount University in Arlington, graduating in 1992. Before entering Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., he worked as an intern and staff writer at the Catholic Herald.
He was ordained to the diaconate in 1999 and spent his diaconal assignment at St. Mark Church in Vienna. He was ordained to the priesthood June 10, 2000, by Bishop Paul S. Loverde at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.
Father Grankauskas served as parochial vicar of All Saints Church in Manassas (2000-03), St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax (2003-07) and St. Ann Church in Arlington (2007-11). He served as parochial administrator of St. Thomas à Becket Church in Reston (2011-14), and as parochial vicar of St. Mark Church in Vienna (2014-18). He was appointed pastor of St. Bridget of Ireland in 2018.
Father Stephen Holmes, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Manassas, will mark his 25th jubilee June 10.
Father Holmes was born Feb. 2, 1964, in Richmond Hill, N.Y., and has six brothers and two sisters. He grew up in Long Island, N.Y., and in Florida, where he graduated from Northeast High School in Fort Lauderdale in 1982. He served five years in the U.S. Navy (1985-90), stationed in Norfolk, and served aboard a nuclear-powered submarine.
After the Navy, he attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, graduating in 1995. He attended Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., and served as a transitional deacon at Holy Spirit Church in Annandale. He was ordained June 10, 2000, by Bishop Paul S. Loverde.
He served as parochial vicar at St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax (2000-03); All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas (2003-07); St. Veronica Church in Chantilly (2007-10); St. Ambrose Church in Annandale (2010-13), St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Fredericksburg (2013-18) and Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Winchester (2018-21). He became pastor of Sacred Heart in Manassas in 2021.
Father John M. O’Donohue, pastor of Holy Spirit Church in Annadale, will mark his 25th jubilee June 10.
He was born in Seoul, South Korea, March 17, 1964, to Daniel and Mary O’Donohue. He is the third of five children. 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. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served four years including being part of the Desert Storm campaign in the Persian Gulf War. He has served all over the world including in Okinawa and Saudi Arabia.
He earned a bachelor’s in history from George Mason University in Fairfax in 1994, and the same year entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa. In his diaconate year, he served at Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria.
After his June 10, 2000, ordination at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, he was assigned as parochial vicar of Holy Spirit (2000-03). He also served as parochial vicar of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Arlington (2003-07) and St. Francis de Sales Church in Kilmarnock, in charge of the St. Paul Mission in Hague (2007-12). He was assigned as parochial administrator of Holy Spirit Church in 2012 and pastor in 2014.
