Eight priests in the diocese will mark milestone ordination jubilees this year, including three — all order priests — who will mark their 50th anniversaries: Fathers Donald M. Fest, SSJ; James P. Fischler, CICM; Donald J. Heet, OSFS.
Five more will mark their 25th anniversaries: Fathers Richard T. Carr, Frederick H. Edlefsen, Stephen F. McGraw, Edwin E. Perez and Juan Puigbó, who is a hermit.
The jubilarians will gather with Bishop Michael F. Burbidge May 12.
Meet the jubilarians.
50 Years
Josephite Father Donald M. Fest, 77, was ordained for the St. Joseph Society of the Sacred Heart or the Josephites May 1, 1976.
As a transitional deacon, he served at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Washington, 1975. He served as an associate at St. Francis Xavier Church, Baltimore, 1976; St. David Church, New Orleans, 1980; and Holy Comforter/St. Cyprian Church, Washington, 1983.
He became a pastor in 1985 and was assigned to St. Martin de Porres Church in Barrett Station, Texas. He served as pastor of St. Veronica Church in Baltimore, 1993; and St. Benedict the Moor Church in Washington, 2002.
He served as the Josephites’ area director, 2003 and 2007; and communications director, 2007.
He was pastor of St. Veronica Church, Baltimore, 2010, and has been pastor of St. Joseph Church, Alexandria, since 2012.
Missionhurst Father James P. Fischler, 74, graduated from Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, Pa., in 1968, and joined the Missionhurst, the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which has U.S. headquarters in Arlington.
After philosophy and theology studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington, he was ordained a priest at Holy Spirit Church in Annandale by Archbishop Jean Jadot, apostolic nuncio, May 15, 1976.
He was assigned to Guatemala, Hong Kong and China, where he was a parish priest and high school teacher. He returned to the United States in 1982 and served as the Missionhurst vocations director, and then as editor of Missionhurst Magazine. He later served as the secretary general of the congregation in Rome, Italy. Following his time in Rome, he served in pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas. In 1999, he was assigned to the Archdiocese of San Antonio where he was engaged in church ministry in Fredericksburg, Del Rio and Castroville, Texas. From 2012 until his retirement in 2023, he served as episcopal vicar for clergy in San Antonio.
He resides in the retirement community at Missionhurst and continues to assist in parishes when requested. He now calls himself “the gardener” and takes care of the grounds at Missionhurst.
Oblate Father Donald J. Heet, 79, was ordained as a priest for the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales May 15, 1976.
He taught at Salesianum School in Wilmington, Del. At Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, he taught English, theater and religion. He was appointed as the founding first principal of St. Paul VI Catholic High School in 1983 when it was in Fairfax.
In 1991, he was named religious superior of DeSales Theological Center in Washington, where he also taught preaching. In October 1998, he earned a doctorate in ministry from Catholic U. and that fall, he joined the faculty at Catholic U., where he taught homiletics, pastoral theology, and adult religious education, and directed the Doctor of Ministry Program until 2010.
Father Heet also served as formation director, provincial councilor and vocations director for the Oblates. He has served as parochial vicar of St. John Neumann Church in Reston since 2013.
25 years
Father Richard T. Carr, 57, earned a bachelor’s in political science and history from Binghamton University, N.Y., 1991, and a master’s in American politics from Catholic U., 1993. He graduated from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, 2001.
As a transitional deacon, he served at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria in 2000.
He was ordained June 9, 2001, at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.
His first assignment was as parochial vicar, Our Lady of Angels Church in Woodbridge, 2001; then he served as parochial vicar of St. Timothy Church in Chantilly, 2005; St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Colonial Beach, 2007; St. John the Baptist Church in Front Royal, 2009; St. Michael Church in Annandale, 2013; and at Holy Trinity Church in Gainesville, 2018.
He has served as parochial vicar of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church since 2023.
Father Frederick H. Edlefsen, 60, earned a bachelor’s in economics from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., 1987; and a master’s in international political economy from the University of Virginia, 1989. He attended Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., 2001; and he speaks French and Spanish.
As a transitional deacon, he served at St. Michael Church in Annandale, 2000.
He was ordained June 9, 2001, at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.
His first assignment was as parochial vicar of St. James Church in Falls Church, 2001. He served as chaplain of Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, 2005, and the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, 2007; administrator of St. Agnes Church in Arlington from June 2014 until he was named pastor in January 2016.
He has been pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Arlington since 2020.
Father Stephen F. McGraw, 60, graduated from Bishop O’Connell High School, 1984; Christendom College, 1988; and the University of Virginia law school, 1991.
He worked as an attorney for six years before entering Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in 1997. He also speaks Spanish.
As a transitional deacon, he served at Our Lady of Angels Church in Woodbridge, 2000.
He was ordained June 9, 2001, by Bishop Paul S. Loverde at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.
He served as parochial vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Falls Church, 2001; St. Leo the Great Church, 2005; St. Mary the Immaculate Conception Church in Fredericksburg, 2007; Holy Family Church in Dale City, 2009; as administrator, St. Anthony of Padua, 2012; and chaplain, Christendom College, 2014.
He is currently pastor at the diocesan mission in the Dominican Republic.
Father Edwin E. Perez, 58, earned a bachelor’s in music, West Virginia University, 1989; and attended Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, 2001.
As a transitional deacon, he served at St. Luke Church in McLean, 2000.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Paul S. Loverde at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington June 9, 2001.
He served as parochial vicar of St. Michael Church in Annandale, 2001; St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Fredericksburg, 2004; chaplain at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, 2008; parochial vicar of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Lake Ridge, 2013; and pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Luray since 2019.
Father Juan Puigbó, 51, was ordained March 24, 2001, in Caracas as a member of the Diocesan Laborer Priests, a Pontifical Institute dedicated to the formation of priests. The fluent Spanish-speaker came to the Arlington diocese in September that year and helped at Queen of Apostles Church in Alexandria.
He earned a licentiate in sacred theology from Catholic U., 2004, and served as director of Hispanic Affairs for the Washington archdiocese, 2004-07; and as director of the Sol Vocation Institute, 2007-10. He earned a master’s in marriage and family from the Universidad de Navarra in Spain, 2006.
He served as parochial vicar of All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas, 2010; and was assigned to take care of the San Gabriel Mission in Manassas Park, 2017. He was parochial vicar of Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling, 2021; and administrator, and then pastor, of St. Leo the Great Church in Fairfax, 2022. He became a diocesan hermit in 2025.
