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Who’s your new pastor?(1)

Catholic Herald Staff Report

Fr. Anselme Malonda Nkuanga

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Fr. Matthew Zuberbueler

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Fr. Michael Orlowsky

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Fr. J. Kevin O’Keefe

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Fr. John O’Donohue

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Fr. Stephen McGraw

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Fr. Ronald S. Escalante

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Fr. Francis de Rosa

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Fr. John C. De Celles

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Fr. James Bruse

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Fr. Michael Ciski

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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.

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