The following story appeared in the April 16 Idaho Catholic Register.
FATHER SLEEVA MADANU, who will be serving as pastor at St. George’s Parish in Post Falls, was born on April 14, 1969, in India. He attended St. John’s Seminary in Kondadaba and St. Vianney College in Janampet. He was ordained on March 19, 1995, and served at several parishes in India as an associate pastor and then pastor. He came to the United States in 2011, serving as parochial administrator at several parishes in Wisconsin. He came to the Diocese of Boise in 2017, serving as sacramental minister in Kellogg and Wallace before being appointed pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul in Grangeville in 2019-20 and pastor at St. Joseph’s in Sandpoint in 2020-21.
FATHER AROGYAIAH MADANU will serve as parochial vicar, under his brother, Father Sleeva Madanu. He will be primarily responsible for the St. George Parish chapels: St. Stanislaus in Rathdrum and St. Joseph’s in Spirit Lake. He attended St. John’s Regional Seminary and Sacred Heart Theologate in India and was ordained on April 18, 2008. He served as associate pastor and pastor at parishes in India and as a diocesan youth director, charismatic coordinator and catechetical director, before coming to the United States this year.
FATHER ROBERT COOK, who will be serving as pastor at St. Joseph’s in Sandpoint, was born on April 20, 1971, in Boise. He attended Boise State University and St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif. He was ordained in Boise on June 5, 2003, by Bishop Michael Driscoll. He served as parochial vicar at St. Paul’s, Nampa (2003-04) and at St. Anthony’s in Pocatello (2004-05); administrator at St. Agnes, Weiser (2005-08); chaplain at Bishop Kelly High School (2008-11) and vocations director for the Diocese of Boise (2008-13); and pastor at Sacred Heart, Boise (2011-21). St. Joseph’s Sandpoint also includes Sacred Heart Chapel in Clark Fork.
FATHER ROGER FERNANDO, who will be serving as pastor at Sacred Heart in Boise, was born on March 5, 1948, in Sri Lanka. He attended the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He was ordained in Sri Lanka on Aug. 18, 1975. He served as an associate pastor and pastor as well as a seminary rector and procurator general (administrator) for the Diocese of Chilaw before coming to the United States in 2002. He was a parochial vicar in West Covina, Calif., (2002-06), parochial vicar and pastor at parishes in the Archdiocese of Portland (2006-14), and the Diocese of Baker (Ore.) from 2014 until coming to the Diocese of Boise in late 2019. He has been pastor at St. Ann’s in Bonners Ferry since March 31, 2020.
FATHER LEONARD MACMILLAN, who will serve as pastor at St. Pius X Parish in Coeur d ’Alene, was born in Danville, Ill., on March 1, 1963. He attended the University of Idaho and Mount Angel Seminary. He was ordained in Boise by Bishop Tod Brown on June 6, 1991. He served as parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Parish in Caldwell (1991-92), Holy Rosary in Idaho Falls (1992-94), and administrator and later pastor at Our Lady of the Lake in McCall (1994-97). He then attended Santa Clara University in California from 1997-98 for graduate studies. He was a moderator on the pastoral team at St. Mark’s, Boise, (1998-2003), before serving at St. Augustine Student Center at the University of Idaho in (2003-04). He served briefly as an administrator and sacramental minister in Sun Valley and Hailey before being called as pastor at Holy Apostles in Meridian in 2007, where he has served since.
FATHER FRANCISCO FLORES, who will serve as pastor at St. John Paul II Parish in Idaho Falls, was born on Dec. 31, 1971, in Mexico. He attended the Pontifical North American College in Vatican City before his June 8, 2000, ordination in Boise by Bishop Michael Driscoll. He served as parochial vicar at St. Paul’s, Nampa (2000-03) and Holy Rosary and Christ the King in Idaho Falls (2003-04). He was called as pastor at Our Lady of the Valley in Caldwell in 2004 where he served to 2017. During that time, he was also administrator in McCall (2012-13) and Weiser (2013-14). St. John Paul II Parish in Idaho Falls also includes St. Ann’s Mission in Mud Lake and St. Anthony’s Mission in Roberts.
FATHER RONALD WEKERLE, who will serve as pastor at Our Lady of the Snows in Sun Valley, was born Feb. 21, 1962, in Sun Valley. He attended Mount Angel Seminary and was ordained on June 8, 1990 in Boise by Bishop Tod Brown. He served as parochial vicar at St. Mark’s, Boise, (1990-92) and at St. John’s Cathedral (1992-95). He then served overseas, first as a pastor in Cali, Colombia, (1995-97) and then completing graduate studies in Rome at Gregorian University (1997-99). He was pastor at St. Jerome’s Parish in Jerome (1999-2013) while also serving as priest moderator in Buhl (2005-11) and Sun Valley (2007-11). From 2007-13 he was in Mexico serving as a missionary priest. He returned to the United States to serve as pastor at St. John Paul II Parish and moderator at Mary Immaculate Parish in St. Anthony in 2019. Our Lady of the Snows Parish also includes St. Charles Borromeo in Hailey and Immaculate Conception Chapel in Fairfield.
FATHER JUSTIN BRADY, who will serve as pastor at St. Paul’s, Nampa, was born on March 19, 1972, in Boise. He attended Mount Angel Seminary and was ordained in Boise on June 9, 2005, by Bishop Michael Driscoll. He served as parochial vicar at Holy Spirit in Pocatello (2005-07) and at Presentation of the Lord in American Falls (2007-09) before being called as administrator at St. Therese Little Flower in Burley and pastor at St. Nicholas in Rupert (2009-13). He was called as pastor at St. Charles Borromeo in Hailey and Our Lady of the Snows in Sun Valley in 2013. St. Paul’s, Nampa, also includes St. Joseph’s Station in Melba, Our Lady Queen of Heaven Chapel in Oreana and Our Lady of Tears in Silver City.
FATHER CALEB VOGEL, who has been serving part-time as Vicar General for the Diocese of Boise since Jan. 1, 2021, while maintaining his duties as pastor at St. Paul’s in Nampa, will begin serving the Diocese full-time on July 6. He was born on July 1, 1977, in Jerome. He attended Mount Angel Seminary and St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park, Calif. He was ordained on July 10, 2004, in Boise by Bishop Michael Driscoll. He served as parochial vicar at St. John Paul II Parish in Idaho Falls (2004-06) and as administrator and then pastor at Mary Immaculate in St. Anthony (2006-09). He served as pastor at St. Augustine’s Student Center in Moscow (2009-15). Beginning in 2011, he was also serving as the Vocations Director for Recruitment for the Diocese of Boise. He was called as pastor to St. Paul’s in Nampa in 2015.
FATHER VITALIS ONYEAMA, SMMM, who will serve as pastor at Holy Apostles Parish in Meridian, was born on Oct. 24, 1981, in Nigeria. He attended the Bigard Memorial Seminary in Enugu and the Seat of Wisdom Seminary in Imo. He was ordained in the religious order, Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy, on July 24, 2010. He was secretary general of the order from 2010-15 while also serving as a chaplain and spiritual director for Catholic secondary schools. He was director of communications for the Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy, from 2016-18. He came to the United States in 2019, serving as parochial vicar at St. Mark’s, Boise, since then.
FATHER EMMANUEL CHINEDU, SMMM, who will serve as parochial vicar at Holy Apostles in Meridian, was born on Dec. 16, 1983, in Nigeria. He attended Tony Cheta College, St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary and Seat of Wisdom Seminary before his ordination on July 26, 2014, for the Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy Congregation. He served as parochial vicar and then pastor at a parish in Kano State, Nigeria (2014-20) before coming to the United States. He has been serving as parochial vicar at St. Paul’s in Nampa.
FATHER ANTONY CHINNABATHINI, who will serve as administrator at St. Ann’s, Bonners Ferry, was born on Jan. 16, 1971, in India. He attended St. John’s Seminary and Vianney College in India before his ordination in the Diocese of Nalgonda on April 29, 1996. He served as a parochial vicar and later priest for a parish in India (1996-2000) before being named as a rector for Our Lady of Fatima Shrine (2000-06) and rector at a boarding school (2006-11). From 2011-18, he was the Procurator (administrator) for the Diocese of Nalgonda. He came to Idaho in October 2019, serving first at Sts. Peter and Paul in Grangeville and most recently as parochial vicar at St. Stanislaus in Rathdrum and administrator at St. Ann’s in Bonners Ferry.
FATHER SIPHO MATHABELA, who will serve as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart in Boise, was born on May 24, 1963, in Swaziland. He attended the University of Phoenix and Mount Angel Seminary. He was ordained on August 9, 2001, for the Diocese of Polokwane in South Africa. He came to Idaho in 2010, serving as parochial vicar and later administrator at St. Theresa of the Little Flower in Orofino and St. Catherine of Siena in Kamiah (2010-20) before being called pastor at Good Shepherd Parish in Soda Springs in 2020.
FATHER JOSEPH LUSTIG, who will serve as administrator at Good Shepherd Parish in Soda Springs, was born on May 28, 1991, in Cottonwood. He attended Mount Angel Seminary and was ordained on June 7, 2018, by Bishop Peter Christensen. He has been serving as parochial vicar at St. Edward’s in Twin Falls since his ordination. Good Shepherd Parish also includes Our Lady of Lourdes Station in Lava Hot Springs, Blessed Sacrament Station in Montpelier, St. Peter’s Chapel in Preston and St. Paul’s Chapel in Malad.
FATHER JOHN MOSIER, who will serve as administrator at St. Thomas the Apostle in Coeur d’Alene, was born on Dec. 1, 1962, in Kansas City. He attended Marquette University and then enlisted in the Marine Corps. He became senior vice president of Sony Corporation’s biotechnology business unit before entering the chaplaincy program at Marylhurst University in Oregon. After the death of his wife, he entered Mount Angel Seminary and also earned a degree from Saint Anselmo in Rome. He was ordained in Boise on June 6, 2019, by Bishop Peter Christensen. He was appointed parochial vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle after his ordination and has served there since.
FATHER HIPPOLYTUS EZENWA, SMMM, who will serve as parochial vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle in Coeur d’Alene, was born on Dec. 17, 1969, in Nigeria. He attended Bigard Memorial Seminary and was ordained on July 22, 2000, for the Congregations of the Sons of Mary, Mother of Mercy. He served as parochial vicar in parishes in Nigeria before continuing his studies. He came to the United States in 2011 serving parishes in Texas before coming to Idaho in 2019, where he has been a parochial vicar at St. John Paul II Parish in Idaho Falls.
FATHER NATHAN DAIL, who will serve as chaplain at St. Paul’s Student Center on the Boise State campus and continue his role as Vocations Director for the Diocese of Boise, was born on Nov. 28, 1987, in Colfax, Wash. He attended the University of Idaho and Mount Angel Seminary and was ordained in Boise on June 7, 2018, by Bishop Peter Christensen. Since his ordination, he has served as parochial vicar at All Saints Parish in Lewiston.
FATHER MARK UHLENKOTT, who will serve as parochial vicar at All Saints Parish in Lewiston, was born on Feb. 1, 1987, in Grangeville. He attended Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and Mount Angel Seminary and was ordained in Boise on June 9, 2016, by Bishop Peter Christensen. He served as parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Valley in Caldwell (2016-18) and as administrator at St. Therese of the Little Flower in Burley (2018-20). He took leave in 2020 to care for an ailing family member.
FATHER FRANCISCO GODINEZ, who will serve as pastor at Corpus Christi Parish in Fruitland, was born on June 28, 1979, in Mexico. He attended the Diocesan Seminary of Morelia, Conception Seminary College and Mount Angel Seminary and was ordained in Boise on June 10, 2010, by Bishop Michael Driscoll. He served as parochial vicar at St. Pius X in Coeur d’Alene (2010-12), administrator at Mary Immaculate Parish in St. Maries (2012-13) and administrator and later pastor at St. Nicholas, Rupert, (2013-16). From 2016-18, he attended St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada, to receive a master’s degree and ecclesiastical license in Canon Law. He returned to St. Nicholas Parish in 2018 and has been serving as pastor there since.
FATHER CAMILO GARCIA, who will serve as pastor at St. Nicholas Parish in Rupert, was born on Nov. 6, 1975, in Mexico. He attended Minor Seminary and Major Seminary in Mexico and Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corner, Wisc. He was ordained in Boise on June 5, 2008, by Bishop Michael Driscoll. He served as parochial vicar at parishes in Twin Falls and Buhl (2008-10), St. Anthony (2010-14) and St. John’s Cathedral (2014-15). He was called as administrator at Corpus Christi in Fruitland in 2015 and has served there since.
FATHER CARLOS PEREZ, who will serve as parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Limerick in Glenns Ferry, was born on Jan. 2, 1955, in Cali, Colombia. He attended seminary in Cali and also at St. John Vianney Seminary in Miami and Mount Angel Seminary. He was ordained in Boise on Feb. 20, 1992, by Bishop Tod Brown. He served as parochial vicar at St. Anthony’s in Pocatello (1992-94), St. Edward’s in Twin Falls (1994-95), administrator at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Nampa (1995-98), parochial vicar at St. Agnes in Weiser (2002-03), administrator at St. Elizabeth’s in Gooding (2003-06), parochial vicar at St. Joseph’s in Sandpoint (2006-07) and parochial vicar, administrator and later pastor at St. Ann’s in Bonners Ferry (2007-20).
DEACON ALEKSANDER DEMBOWSKI, who will serve as parochial vicar at St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Boise, was born in Warsaw and grew up in Mińsk Mazowiecki, a small city near the Polish capital. He graduated from Salesian High School and then studied public relations, marketing and social communications at the University of Warsaw. He attended seminary in Warsaw for the Diocese of Warszawa-Praga. After six years’ study, he graduated with distinction with a Master of Divinity. He now attends Sts. Methodius and Cyril Seminary in suburban Detroit and is schedule to be ordained for the Diocese of Boise on June 3.
DEACON JOSHUA FALCE, who will serve as parochial vicar at St. Edward’s Parish in Twin Falls, was born in Mount Pleasant, Mich., but grew up in Washington state. He double-majored in history and philosophy at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. As an undergraduate, he became involved at St. Augustine Catholic Student Center in Moscow, and later enrolled at Mount Angel Seminary. He is scheduled to be ordained for the Diocese of Boise on June 3.
DEACON ADRIAN LESZKO, who will serve as parochial vicar at St. Mark’s in Boise, is from Bialystok, Poland. At 16, he enrolled in a minor seminary and high school operated by the Fathers from the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel in the village of Miejsce Piastowe in southeastern Poland. He later studied philosophy and theology in Viterbo, Italy, near Rome. He now attends Sts. Methodius and Cyril Seminary in suburban Detroit and is schedule to be ordained for the Diocese of Boise on June 3.
DEACON PAWEL PAWLISZKO, who will serve as parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Valley in Caldwell, is from Wroclaw, Poland. He entered seminary immediately after high school at a seminary in his hometown of Wroclaw. Later, he studied for three years at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Warsaw. He now attends Sts. Methodius and Cyril Seminary in suburban Detroit and is schedule to be ordained for the Diocese of Boise on June 3.
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