Bishop Michael F. Burbidge announced May 31 the appointment of
three new pastors effective June 28. Father Kevin J. Beres will become pastor
of St. Peter Church in Washington, Va.; Father Paul M. Grankauskas will become pastor
of St. Bridget of Ireland Church in Berryville; and Father Wilson “Bill” I. Korpi
will become pastor of Holy Family Church in Dale City.
Fr. Kevin J. Beres
The newly appointed pastor of St. Peter Church in Washington,
Va., was born June 27, 1974, to Joseph and Geraldine, the eldest of three
children.
He attended St. Peter Catholic Grade School in Olney, Md., and
Centreville High School in Centreville. He earned his bachelor’s in philosophy
with a minor in theology from Christendom College in Front Royal in 1996.
He attended Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., and he
was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Paul S. Loverde May 22, 1999, at the
Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. He was ordained to the priesthood by
Bishop Loverde June 10, 2000, at the cathedral.
While a seminarian, he participated in the diocesan Spanish-language
program for priests in Puebla, Mexico. He served his diaconate assignment at
St. John the Beloved Church in McLean.
He served as parochial vicar of St. Bernadette Church in
Springfield (2000-04) and as parochial vicar of 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 he has served as parochial vicar of
St. John the Baptist Church in Front Royal since 2013.
Fr. Paul M. Grankauskas
The newly appointed pastor of St. Bridget of Ireland Church
in Berryville 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 came to Arlington to study English, philosophy and theology at
Marymount University, where he graduated in 1992. Before entering Mount St.
Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., Father Grankauskas worked as an intern and
staff writer for 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), before being transferred to St. Mary of Sorrows Church in
Fairfax, where he served as parochial vicar (2003-07). He served as parochial
vicar of 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).
Fr. Wilson “Bill” I. Korpi
The newly appointed pastor of Holy Family Church in Dale City has
served as the parochial administrator since Jan. 3 after the Nov. 16, 2017,
death of Father Gerry Creedon.
He was born March 8, 1945, in Chicago to Wilson and Florence, the
middle of three children. He was raised in Dowagiac, Mich.
He graduated from Dowagiac Union High School in 1962. He earned his
bachelor’s from Southwestern University in Washington; a master’s in education
at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Ill.; and both a master’s in
religious studies and an advanced catechetical degree from Notre Dame Graduate
School at Christendom College in Alexandria in 1988.
He served in the U.S. Army (1962-65), and began a career in
financial management in 1965.
He was ordained to the permanent diaconate May 7, 1988, by Bishop
John R. Keating. As a deacon he was assigned to St. Philip Church in Falls
Church for 10 years, and then to Church of the Nativity in Burke for another 10
years. His wife died in 2003 while he was a deacon at Nativity. At the end of
that year, the widower and father applied to the priesthood.
He attended Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston,
Mass., in 2004, which specializes in late vocations.
Father Korpi was ordained to the priesthood June 14, 2008, by
Bishop Paul S. Loverde at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. He served as parochial
vicar of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Fredericksburg (2008–10), and
as parochial vicar at Nativity (2010–18).
In January, he became parochial administrator at Holy Family.
In addition to his parish responsibilities, he is a spiritual
director for diocesan Cursillo and a chaplain to the Fairfax County Fire and
Rescue Department.