Most Reverend Gregory Parkes, Bishop of Saint Petersburg, announces the following clergy changes, effective July 1, 2026, unless otherwise indicated: 

RETIREMENT STATUS 

Reverend John S. Hays, from Pastor of St. Anne Parish, Ridge Manor, granted retirement status. 

Reverend John B. Lipscomb, from Spiritual Director, Bethany Center, Lutz, granted retirement status. 

APPOINTMENTS 

Pastors 

Reverend Erwin C. Belgica, from Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Beverly Hills, to Pastor of St. Anne Parish, Ridge Manor. 

Reverend Robert Cadrecha, from Parochial Vicar of St. Jerome Parish, Largo, to Pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish, Tampa. 

Very Reverend Anthony G. Coppola, V.F., from Pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish, Tampa, and Vicar Forane of the North Tampa Deanery, to Pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish, Spring Hill. 

Reverend Felipe Gonzalez, as Administrator of San Juan Diego Mission, Dover, while continuing as Pastor of St. Clement Parish, Plant City. 

Reverend Joshua M. Hare, from Parochial Vicar of St. Stephen Parish, Riverview, to Pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, Temple Terrace. 

Reverend Joel M. Kovanis, from Pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, Temple Terrace, to Pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Hudson. 

Reverend Patrick Rebel, from Pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish, Spring Hill, to Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Beverly Hills. 

Very Reverend James Ruhlin, V.F., from Pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Hudson, and Vicar Forane of the West Pasco-Hernando Deanery, to Pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Inverness. 

Upon presentation by Very Reverend Michael D’Almeida, S.A.C., Provincial Superior, Society of the Catholic Apostolate, ABVM Province, India, Reverend Pedro Camilo Simoes, S.A.C., from Parochial Vicar of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish, Palm Harbor, to Pastor of Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Gulfport. 

Reverend Michael Suszynski, from Pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Inverness, to Pastor of St. Brendan Parish, Clearwater. 

Very Reverend Joseph L. Waters, V.G., from Parochial Administrator pro tempore of Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Gulfport, to Pastor of St. John Vianney Parish, St. Pete Beach, and continuing all other assignments. 

Parochial Vicars 

Reverend Augustine B. Adjen [Archdiocese of Kumasi, Ghana], from Parochial Vicar of Sacred Heart Parish, Pinellas Park, to Parochial Vicar of St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish, Tarpon Springs. 

Reverend Daniel D. Bot [Archdiocese of Abuja, Nigeria], from Parochial Vicar of St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish, Tarpon Springs, to Parochial Vicar of St. Stephen Parish, Riverview. 

Monsignor Michael Carruthers, from the Pastoral Center, St. Petersburg, to Parochial Vicar, Nativity Parish, Brandon, effective May 13, 2026. 

Reverend Raju Chebattina [Diocese of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island], from Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Land O’ Lakes, to Parochial Vicar of St. Paul Parish, Tampa. 

Reverend Thomas Gabriel Omiunu [Archdiocese of Abuja, Nigeria], to Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Land O’ Lakes. 

Reverend Christian A. Galvan, from Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Land O’ Lakes, to Parochial Vicar of Corpus Christi Parish, Temple Terrace. 

Reverend Tamil Selvam Jeyaraj [Diocese of Sivagangai, India], from Parochial Vicar of St. Paul Parish, Tampa, to Parochial Vicar of St. John Vianney Parish, St. Pete Beach. 

Reverend Anthony Kakaire [Archdiocese of Kampala, Uganda], from Parochial Vicar of St. Cecelia Parish, Clearwater, to Parochial Vicar of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish, Palm Harbor. 

Reverend Andrew Pius Macha [Diocese of Moshi, Tanzania], to Parochial Vicar of St. Timothy Parish, Lutz. 

Reverend Connor D. Penn, from Parochial Vicar of St. Timothy Parish, Lutz, to Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Land O’ Lakes. 

Upon presentation by Very Reverend Michael D’Almeida, S.A.C., Provincial Superior, Society of the Catholic Apostolate, ABVM Province, India, Reverend Claudy Vas, S.A.C., to Parochial Vicar of St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Clearwater. 

Reverend Amaro Vasquez Ortiz, from Parochial Vicar of St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Clearwater, to Parochial Vicar of St. Clement Parish, Plant City, and Pastoral and Sacramental Ministry to San Juan Diego Mission, Dover. 

Reverend Jacinto Vera Mejia, from Pastoral and Sacramental Ministry at San Juan Diego Mission, Dover, to Parochial Vicar of Most Holy Redeemer Parish, Tampa. 

Reverend Primus T. Weria [Diocese of Moshi, Tanzania], from Parochial Vicar of St. Stephen Parish, Riverview, to Parochial Vicar of St. Jerome Parish, Largo. 

Reverend Mark A. (Drew) Woodke, from Parochial Vicar of St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Clearwater, to Parochial Vicar of St. Stephen Parish, Riverview. 

Reverend Pedro Zapata, from the Pastoral Center, St. Petersburg, to Parochial Vicar of St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Clearwater. 

Other Diocesan Appointments 

Reverend Victor Amorose, from Pastor of St. John Vianney Parish, St. Pete Beach, to the Pastoral Center, St. Petersburg, and granted a sabbatical leave. 

Monsignor Michael G. Muhr, from Pastor of St. Brendan Parish, Clearwater, to full-time service as Director of Ministry to Priests for the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. 

Upon presentation by Very Reverend Joseph Lehman, T.O.R., Provincial Superior, Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular, Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Reverend James Gigliotti, T.O.R., to Pastoral and Sacramental Ministry to St. Joseph Parish, St. Petersburg, while remaining in residence at St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Parish, St. Petersburg. Very Reverend Thomas T. Morgan, Rector of the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, St. Petersburg, will continue as Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph Parish. 

RELIEVING 

Very Reverend Dermot Dunne, V.F., as Administrator pro tempore of San Juan Diego Mission, Dover, while continuing as Pastor of St. Stephen Parish, Riverview, and all other assignments. 

INCARDINATIONS 

The following priests will be incardinated into the Diocese of Saint Petersburg: 

Reverend Andrew T. Burns, from the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey. 

Reverend Francisco R. Hernandez, from the Diocese of Caguas, Puerto Rico.