Father Daniel Walsh retires from Holy Trinity, Father Owczarczak will now lead Dunkirk parish

Bishop Michael W. Fisher has made the following changes in ministry assignments for priests.

Father Daniel Walsh has retired as pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Dunkirk on June 11. Father Robert Owczarczak will now be administrator of Holy Trinity Parish, and canonical administrator of Northern Chautauqua Catholic School. Father Owczarczak has been serving as parochial vicar at St. Bernadette Parish in Orchard Park.

Father Moses Ikuelogbon has been transferred from St. Gregory the Great Parish, where he has been serving as parochial vicar, to Holy Name of Mary Parish in Ellicottville, Our Lady of Peace Parish in Salamanca, and St. Philomena Parish in Franklinville. He will serve as parochial vicar in all three parishes and will reside in Ellicottville. This was effective June 15, and is for a term of three years.

Father Justin Steeg has been assigned to higher studies in Canon Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. This assignment is effective Aug. 16. Father Steeg had been serving as parochial vicar at OLV National Shrine & Basilica.

Father Robert A. Contarin will now serve as parochial vicar at OLV effective June 20, for a term of three years. He has been serving at St. Mark and St. Rose of Lima Parishes in Buffalo.

Father Dawid T. Krzeszowski has resigned his ministry at Holy Spirit Parish in North Collins, and Immaculate Conception Parish in Eden, effective June 20, in order to participate in required CPE education for the Army Reserves. Father Krzeszowski will be stationed in San Antonio, Texas for the next year.

Father Sean DiMaria has been appointed temporary parish administrator for Holy Spirit Parish and Immaculate Conception. This is in addition to his role as pastor of St. John Paul II Parish in Lake View. This appointment was effective June 6.

The OFM provincial has informed the diocese that Brother James M. Kernan, OFM, will be assigned to summer ministry at Holy Peace Friary/Mount Irenaeus in West Clarksville from June 25 until Aug. 25. As of May 10, Father Mariusz Sierhart, an extern priest from Poland, no longer has faculties to minister in the Diocese of Buffalo. He had last served as parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist Parish in Kenmore.