Archbishop-emeritus Vigneron, celebrating 50 years as a priest, and brother jubilarians give thanks with Archbishop Weisenburger
DETROIT — Forty brother priests came together on the morning of June 11 to celebrate a combined 2,028 years of presbyteral service to the Church, gathering in the chapel at Sacred Heart Major Seminary for Mass with Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger, followed by a luncheon.
This year's priest jubilarians, celebrating milestones from 25 years to 60 years, included Detroit's recently retired shepherd, Archbishop-emeritus Allen H. Vigneron, 76, who is celebrating 50 years since his priestly ordination on July 26, 1975.
Archbishop Vigneron and other priest and bishop jubilarians gathered with Archbishop Weisenburger to give God gratitude for their many decades of sacramental and pastoral service to the people of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Archbishop Weisenburger thanked his brother priests for their “yes” in response to the call to the priesthood, acknowledging that doing so was a sacrifice that inevitably meant giving up something else.
“You are the men that said ‘yes’ to the Lord,” Archbishop Weisenburger said. “Our fraternity, especially our priestly fraternity, is strengthened by your incredible goodness.”
In his homily, Archbishop Weisenburger reflected on the Gospel reading from Matthew 5:13-16, in which Jesus calls his disciples the “salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” The archbishop likened his brother priests to the same, saying salt and light are meant to enhance those around them, not stand on their own.
Fr. Larry Delonnay told Detroit Catholic the homily moved him, as it reflected on the same Gospel reading from the Mass of thanksgiving following his ordination 50 years ago.
“That is what the priest preached on: to be salt and light, and just as the archbishop said, you don’t eat salt on its own. Salt enhances something. And you don't stare at the light; you let the light shine on other things. So that was most appropriate,” said Fr. Delonnay, 77, who served as pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Waterford from 1994 to 2017.
The Gospel message was a reminder of why priests are needed in God’s kingdom on earth more than ever, said Fr. William Herman, a 25-year jubilarian.
Recounting his own vocation story, Fr. Herman, 86, who currently serves at St. Ronald Parish in Clinton Township, said he spent many years as a religious and then out in the world working before God called him to the priesthood.
“God sent me out to work in the world for many years in a business I totally loved, and then he said, ‘All right, enough; now you have had it your way, come and do things my way,” Fr. Herman said. “So (God and I) laughed, together, and I said yes, and we have had a wonderful life ever since.
“It's been very fulfilling, and every day is a walk through the day with God and what He calls one to do — the actions you are to have that day, the ministry, the people to whom you are to reach out,” Fr. Herman continued. “So it's something you don’t do alone. You walk through each day with God.”
60th Anniversary (Class of 1965)
Fr. Victor Clore
Fr. Clore, 84, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and earned his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He received a certificate in spiritual direction from the Jesuit-run Colombiere Center in Clarkston in 1979. Fr. Clore received a master’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy in 1992, his doctorate in developmental psychology from Wayne State University in 1997, and completed his post-doctorate fellowship in philosophy from Boston College in 1998.
He was ordained Dec. 18, 1965, in Rome and celebrated his first Mass at Immaculate Conception Church in Milan.
Fr. Clore served as associate pastor at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Detroit (1966-72), and later as administrator (1972-75) and pastor there (1972-73). He was chaplain for the Wayne County Youth Home (1973-75) and associate director of Catholic Social Action (1975-78). He served as pastor of St. Benedict the Moor Parish, Detroit (1978-80), and as auditor for the marriage tribunal of the Archdiocese of Detroit. In 1980, he became pastor of Christ the King Parish in Detroit, and in January 2015, Fr. Clore also became pastor of St. Suzanne/Our Lady Gate of Heaven Parish in Detroit. He retired from both in June 2022, when he was granted senior status.
Fr. Clore has also been an adjunct instructor at the University of Detroit Mercy, Marygrove College and Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, and SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary is in Orchard Lake, as well as the Dominican Center for Religious Development.
Msgr. Anthony Tocco
Msgr. Tocco, 85, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township. He earned a master’s in counseling from the University of Detroit.
He was ordained June 5, 1965, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Dorothy Church in Warren.
He served as associate pastor of St. Veronica Parish, Eastpointe (1965-71), weekend assistant at St. Barnabas Parish, Eastpointe (1970-71), administrator of Our Lady Queen of All Saints Parish, Fraser (1971-74), and pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, St. Clair Shores (1974-85). He began serving as pastor of St. Hugo of the Hills Parish in Bloomfield Hills in 1985 until 2021, when he was granted senior status.
He was vicar of the old SERF Vicariate (1970-76) and recipient of the John Farrell Award in 1984. On March 26, 1990, he was named a Prelate of Honor to His Holiness (monsignor).
Msgr. Tocco served on the Presbyteral Council (1997-98, 2007-09) and College of Consultors (2002-12). He was also the priest chairman of the Catholic Services Appeal in 1985, served as site director of the papal visit of St. John Paul II in 1987, was a member of the archdiocesan allocations committee (1985-89) and served as chairman of the renovation of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament (1998).
50th Anniversary (Class of 1975)
Fr. Lawrence Delonnay
Fr. Delonnay, 77, was born in Grosse Pointe and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township.
He was ordained Feb. 8, 1975, at St. Michael Church in Monroe, where he celebrated his first Mass.
Fr. Delonnay served as associate pastor at St. Malachy Parish, Sterling Heights (1975-78), St. Raymond Parish, Detroit (1978-81), and St. Hugo of the Hills Parish, Bloomfield Hills (1981-86). He served as auditor of the Metropolitan Tribunal from 1981-82.
He was pastor of St. Christopher Parish, Detroit (1986-88), before serving on the faculty of Sacred Heart Major Seminary and as director of priestly vocations for the archdiocese from 1988-91. Fr. Delonnay served as pastor of St. Linus Parish, Dearborn Heights (1991-94), and was appointed pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, Waterford, in 1994, where he continued to serve until 2017, when he was granted senior status. For the last eight years, he has assisted as a senior priest in the Family of Parishes based at St. Peter and Paul’s North Branch.
Fr. Delonnay has served as chaplain to the Boy Scouts, and on the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council (1995-97, 2013-15, 2020-22) and Pension Board (2021-24). He earned the John Farrell Award in 1999 and was clergy chairman of the Catholic Services Appeal in 1997.
Fr. Donald Demmer
Fr. Demmer, 76, was born in Lincoln Park and attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township.
He was ordained Jan. 25, 1975, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Detroit.
Fr. Demmer served as associate pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish, Dearborn (1975-78), Divine Child Parish, Dearborn (1978-82), St. Agatha Parish, Redford (1982-85), and St. Anne Parish, Warren (1985-87). He was pastor of St. Dunstan Parish in Garden City from 1987-2007, and has served as administrator of St. Columban Parish, Birmingham, and St. Alan Parish, Troy, from 2009-13. The two parishes merged to become Christ Our Light Parish in 2013, where Fr. Demmer served as administrator. In 2021, he became a priest in solidum in the Northwest South Oakland 1 Family of Parishes, which includes Guardian Angels Parish, Clawson, Christ Our Light Parish, Troy, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Troy, St. Lucy (Croatian) Parish, Troy and St. Anastasia Parish, Troy.
Msgr. Patrick Halfpenny
Msgr. Halfpenny, 78, was born in Pontiac and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township. He earned master’s degrees from the University of Detroit and University of San Francisco.
He was ordained Oct. 18, 1975, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Bernard Church, Detroit.
He served as associate pastor at Presentation/Our Lady of Victory Parish, Detroit (1975-78). In 1998, he was appointed chaplain at Bishop Borgess High School in Redford Township and public information officer for the archdiocesan staff. He was director of the archdiocesan Communications Department from 1979-82; spiritual director at Sacred Heart Seminary from 1982-88; and spiritual director (theologate) at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He was administrator at St. Thecla Parish, Clinton Township (1990) and St. Joseph Parish, Pontiac (1994), and was appointed pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Pontiac from 1993-94.
He served as editor-in-chief and associate publisher of The Michigan Catholic newspaper from 1994-97, before being appointed vice rector of Sacred Heart Major Seminary from 1996-2003. From 2003-2019, he served as pastor of St. Paul on the Lake Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms. Msgr. Halfpenny also served as temporary administrator at St. Joan of Arc Parish in St. Clair Shores (2018), Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth (2020-21), and as temporary support priest at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak (2022).
Msgr. Halfpenny was named a Chaplain of Honor to His Holiness (monsignor) on Sept. 30, 2005. He also served on the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council beginning in 2006, and in 2009, he became council president until 2018. He served as director of the archdiocesan Office of Clergy and Consecrated Life (2009-11), and as director of priestly mission for the Archdiocese of Detroit from 2019-22.
Msgr. Halfpenny was granted senior priest status in 2022.
Msgr. John Kaul
Msgr. Kaul, 78, was born in Wyandotte and attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township. He also attended Mercy College in Detroit.
He was ordained May 24, 1975, at St. Joseph Church in Wyandotte.
Fr. Kaul served as associate pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Dearborn (1975-77) and St. Joan of Arc Parish in St. Clair Shores (1977-82), before beginning a long service as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy, where he continues to serve. He is currently stationed as a chaplain to the 2nd Marine Division in Camp LeJeune, N.C. With the Archdiocese for the Military Services, Fr. Kaul has worked to facilitate contracts and faculties for priests serving the military on a non-active-duty basis, and a short time as vocations director.
In 2023, Pope Francis named him a “chaplain of His Holiness,” which carries the honorary title of “monsignor.”
Fr. Kaul has earned several honors and recognitions for his service, including the Meritorious Service Medal twice, Navy Commendation Medal four times, Overseas Deployment Ribbon four times and the Joint Service Achievement Medal.
Msgr. Kaul was granted senior status in the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2017 and served as a member of the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council from 2020-23.
Fr. Joseph Mahoney
Fr. Mahoney, 76, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township.
He was ordained March 14, 1975, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Patrick Church, Wyandotte.
Fr. Mahoney served as associate pastor at St. Andrew Parish, Rochester (1975-78), before beginning his ministry as a hospital chaplain. Since 1978, Fr. Mahoney has served as chaplain at Harper Hospital, Henry Ford Hospital, Sinai Hospital, Oakland General, Bicounty Osteopathic, Macomb Health Center, St. John Oakland Hospital, DMC Sinai Grace Hospital and Henry Ford Bicounty Hospital, and St. John Hospital and Medical Center. Fr. Mahoney has also served the archdiocese in vicariate pastoral services. He was granted senior status July 1, 2022.
Fr. Henry Roodbeen
Fr. Roodbeen, 87, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township, and the University of Detroit.
He was ordained April 12, 1975, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Louis the King Church in Detroit.
Fr. Roodbeen served as associate pastor at St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Lake Orion (1975-78), Christ the Good Shepherd Parish, Lincoln Park (1978-81), and Our Lady of Loretto Parish, Redford (1981-82). He was coadjutor pastor of Our Lady of Loretto from 1982-83, before becoming pastor there until 1988. Fr. Roodbeen served as pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Southgate from 1988-94, and at St. Colette Parish in Livonia from 1994-2010, when he was granted senior priest status.
In addition to his parish assignments, Fr. Roodbeen served as an auditor of the Metropolitan Tribunal (1981-82), as vicar of the old Southland Vicariate (1989-92) and on the priests’ pension board (2006-08).
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron
Archbishop-emeritus Vigneron, 76, was born in Mount Clemens. The eldest of six children (four brothers, one sister), he grew up in Immaculate Conception Parish in Anchorville, attending the parish grade school through eighth grade.
With encouragement from his parents, family, grade school principal, and pastor, Archbishop Vigneron entered the high school program of Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, in September 1962. After completing the twelfth grade, he continued there for college. In June 1970, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in both classical languages and philosophy. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit on July 26, 1975. Following ordination, he earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1976) and a Doctor of Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. (1985), with a dissertation on the philosopher Edmund Husserl.
Archbishop Vigneron served as associate pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Harper Woods (1975-76), and briefly at St. Anastasia Parish in Troy (1980), before serving as a professor of philosophy and theology at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. In 1988, he was appointed academic dean of Sacred Heart and became a key member of the team working to realize Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka’s vision for transforming the institution into a “major seminary” offering graduate theological education.
In the fall of 1991, Archbishop Vigneron returned to Rome to serve as an official of the Administrative Section of the Vatican Secretariat of State and as a professor at the Gregorian University. In the spring of 1994, he returned to Detroit to become the second rector-president of the re-founded Sacred Heart Major Seminary.
On June 12, 1996, Archbishop Vigneron was named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit by Pope St. John Paul II, receiving his episcopal ordination from Cardinal Adam J. Maida on July 9, 1996. While an auxiliary bishop, Archbishop Vigneron continued to serve at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, while also providing pastoral support for the archdiocese’s Northeast Region. On Jan. 10, 2003, he was named coadjutor bishop of Oakland, California, and succeeded to the See of Oakland on Oct. 1, 2003.
He served as bishop of Oakland, where he would dedicate a new cathedral, from 2003 until he was called home by Pope Benedict XVI to shepherd the Archdiocese of Detroit on Jan. 5, 2009. He was installed as the 10th ordinary and fifth archbishop of Detroit on Jan. 28, 2009.
After his installation, Archbishop Vigneron led a missionary transformation of the Church in Detroit, starting with a year of prayer in 2014. In 2016, listening sessions were held at every parish to learn how the faithful felt the Archdiocese of Detroit could move from maintenance to mission, and in November 2016, Archbishop Vigneron led Synod 16, during which more than 400 participants — clergy, religious and laity — gathered to pray, share and discern a plan to renew the Church in Detroit.
The fruit of those efforts was Archbishop Vigneron’s pastoral letter, Unleash the Gospel, released on the Solemnity of Pentecost in 2017. In this letter, Archbishop gave a roadmap for the missionary transformation of the Archdiocese of Detroit, a letter that served as the foundational document of the repository of the graces of Synod 16.
Archbishop Vigneron’s resignation — which he offered to the pope upon his 75th birthday Oct. 21, 2023, as required under canon law — was accepted by Pope Francis on Feb 11, 2025. Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Vigneron as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Detroit until his successor, Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger, was installed on March 18, 2025.
In addition to his pastoral responsibilities to the archdiocese, Archbishop-emeritus Vigneron has also served the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in several capacities, including as vice president, secretary, and on the Committee for the American College in Louvain, the Committee on Doctrine and the Subcommittee on the Catechism. He also has served on the board of The Catholic University of America, and was its chairman from 2009-15.
40th Anniversary (Class of 1985)
Fr. Gregory Banazak
Fr. Banazak, 65, was born in Detroit and earned degrees from the Sacred Heart Seminary College in Detroit and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on Dec. 14, 1985, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Banazak served as parochial vicar at St. Dunstan Parish in Garden City (1985-86) and at Divine Child Parish, Dearborn (1986-87). He was briefly administrator at Prince of Peace Parish, West Bloomfield in 2004 and as weekend support at St. Hugo of the Hills Parish, Bloomfield Hills (2010-11).
He was a faculty member at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake (1999-2010), where he also was academic dean. He has also been an adjunct instructor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Siena Heights University in Adrian, and the University of Detroit Mercy. In 2024, Fr. Banazak was given permission to accept a full-time teaching position in theology at the University of Detroit Mercy as well as being assigned weekend priest support to the in solidum team of priests who pastor the Downriver Missionaries of Christ Family of Parishes.
Msgr. Charles Kosanke
Msgr. Kosanke, 65, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township, and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on Dec. 14, 1985, by Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka.
Since his ordination, Msgr. Kosanke has served a number of archdiocesan parishes, including as associate pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Redford (1985-86) and the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak (1986-88); as pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Highland Park (1992-94), Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson, St. Regis Parish in Bloomfield Hills (2011-16), Most Holy Trinity Parish in Detroit (2016-22), and Ste. Anne Parish in Detroit (2016-22). He also served as temporary administrator of several parishes, including the Church of the Madonna and St. Cecilia Parish in Detroit.
Msgr. Kosanke also previously served as dean of administration and advancement at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, and as rector of SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake. In 2005, he was named a monsignor by Pope Benedict XVI.
In 2020, Msgr. Kosanke spearheaded an effort that resulted in Detroit's historic Ste. Anne Parish being designated a minor basilica. Msgr. Kosanke currently serves as rector of the Basilica of Ste. Anne and as moderator of the Southwest Detroit Family of Parishes, as well as regional moderator of the Central Region of the Archdiocese of Detroit. He also serves as interim executive director of the archdiocese's Department of Parish Renewal, and has served on the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council.
Msgr. Kosanke has served on the boards of several Catholic organizations over the years, including Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan and Ceciliaville, has also served organizations such as Young Catholic Professionals, Legatus, the American Friends of the Vatican Library, Worldwide Marriage Encounter, the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher.
Fr. Raymond Lewandowski
Fr. Lewandowski, 70, was born in Detroit and attended St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township and Wayne State University in Detroit, where he earned a master's in clinical counseling education.
He was ordained to the priesthood on June 22, 1985, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Lewandowski served as parochial vicar at St. Agatha Parish in Redford (1985-86), Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson (1986-88), St. Isaac Jogues Parish in St. Clair Shores (1988-92), St. Joan of Arc Parish in St. Clair Shores (1993), and St. Rene Goupil Parish in Sterling Heights (1993-94). Additionally, in 1993, he served as administrator at St. Joseph Parish in Monroe. He was pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Wyandotte (1994-2008), St. Thecla Parish in Clinton Township (2008-09), St. Raphael Parish in Garden City (2009-2014), St. Dunstan Parish in Garden City (2013-14), St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Garden City (2014-15), and St. Roch Parish in Flat Rock (2015-2021).
From 2021-24, he served as a priest in solidum at the Downriver 3 Family of Parishes before being granted senior status. Fr. Lewandowski was a member of the pension board (2001-04) and the Presbyteral Council (2003-05).
Fr. Aidan Logan
Fr. Aidan (Arthur H.) Logan, OCSO, 76, was born in Montclair, N.J., and graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory Seminary in Princeton, N.J. He entered St. Joseph’s Abbey (a community of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, a Roman Catholic monastic order) in Spencer, Massachusetts, in 1971, and made his solemn vows in 1978.
Completing undergraduate studies in philosophy at St. Meinrad College, St. Meinrad, Indiana, he pursued graduate studies in theology at St. Joseph’s Abbey School of Theology and the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1985.
Fr. Logan began his military service during the Gulf War, joining the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps in 1991 as a Lieutenant. After completing chaplain training in Newport, Rhode Island, he served with the Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and later deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit from 1992 to 1993.
In 1994, he joined the Navy's Active Reserve and worked at the Enlisted Submarine School in Connecticut. He returned to active duty in 1997 as the chaplain aboard the USS Essex. In 2000, he moved to Okinawa, Japan, to serve the Catholic community at Marine Corps Base Camp Butler.
From 2001 to 2003, he was back at Camp Lejeune as Catholic coordinator and chapel pastor. He then served as command chaplain on the USS Bonhomme Richard from 2004 to 2006, followed by an assignment at the U.S. Naval Academy as senior Catholic chaplain.
In 2009, he became Division Chaplain for the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune until retiring from active duty in 2010. After retirement, he served as a civilian priest for the U.S. Air Force at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
In January 2014, Fr. Logan became the Vocation Director for the Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS). He was granted senior status on Dec. 8, 2024.
Fr. Michael Quaine
Fr. Michael Quaine, 66, was born in Detroit and was ordained to the priesthood on Dec. 14, 1985.
He served as parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Monroe (1985-86), St. Lawrence Parish in Utica (1986-89), and St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in St. Clair Shores (1989-92).
He later served as pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Temperance (1992-95) and as vicar of the Old Monroe Vicariate (1993-96). He was assigned as pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Dearborn (1995-04) and St. Michael Parish in Sterling Heights from 2004 until today, where he continues to serve as a member of the in solidum team of priests who serve the Central Macomb 4 Family of Parishes. He briefly served as the administrator at St. Ronald Parish in Clinton Township in 2013.
Fr. Quaine also was a member of the Presbyteral Council (2008-10).
Fr. Michael Woroniewicz
Fr. Woroniewicz, 66, was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary College, St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Township, the University of Notre Dame, Wayne State University in Detroit, and the Aquinas Institute of Theology.
He was ordained a priest on Dec. 14, 1985, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
After ordination, Fr. Woroniewicz served as associate pastor of St. Dennis Parish in Royal Oak (1985-86), St. Jude Parish in Detroit (1986-89), and St. Patrick Parish, White Lake (1989-93). He has served as pastor of St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish in Warren (1993-96), St. Mary Parish in Royal Oak (1996-02), St. Irene Parish in Dundee (2002-13). From 2006-08, he was administrator at St. Joseph Parish in Ida and then pastor from 2009-13. He was pastor of St. Gabriel Parish in Ida from 2015-17, and later pastor of Divine Grace Parish in Carleton (2018-24).
Fr. Woroniewicz served as an adjunct professor of preaching and liturgy of SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, where he later served as rector.
He is currently the vicar for the Monroe Vicariate, a member of the Presbyteral Council and is a priest in solidum and moderator of the Monroe 1 Family of Parishes.
Fr. Lawrence Zurawski
Fr. Zurawski, 67, was born in Detroit and was ordained to the priesthood on Dec. 14, 1985, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Fr. Zurawski served as associate pastor of St. Sylvester Parish in Warren (1985-86), St. Florian Parish in Hamtramck (1986-87), St. Clement Parish in Warren (1987-91), and St. Pius X Parish in Southgate (1991-93). He was pastor at St. Cunegunda Parish in Detroit (1993-94), Our Lady of La Salette Parish in Berkley (1994-97), St. Damian Parish in Westland (1997-2011), St. Therese of Lisieux Parish in Shelby Township (2011-2019), and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Garden City (2019-21). He was administrator of St. Theodore of Canterbury Parish in Westland (2010-11).
Fr. Zurawski served as vicar of the Old Southeast Oakland Vicariate from 1995-97. Since 2021, he was been a priest in solidum for the West Wayne 4 Family of Parishes.
30th Anniversary (Class of 1995)
Msgr. Michael Hrydziuszko
Msgr. Hrydziuszko, 74, was born in Hamtramck. He attended Michigan State University, earning a master’s in business administration before later attending Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.
He was ordained June 24, 1995, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Msgr. Hrydziuszko served as associate pastor of St. Thecla Parish in Clinton Township (1995-98) and St. Therese of Lisieux Parish in Shelby Township (1998-2000).
In 2000, Msgr. Hrydziuszko was named pastor of St. Isidore Parish in Macomb, serving there until 2012. In 2012, he was named a “chaplain to His Holiness” (monsignor) by Pope Benedict XVI. From 2012-21, he served as pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Rochester. From 2021-22 he was a priest in solidum and moderator for the Paint Creek 1 Family of Parishes until retiring as a senior priest in 2022.
Over the years, Msgr. Hrydziuszko has also served various terms as a member of the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council, priest assignment board and priest pension board.
Msgr. Todd Lajiness
Msgr. Lajiness, 56, was born in Monroe and studied at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology) and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome (Licentiate in Sacred Theology) before his ordination to the priesthood on June 24, 1995, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
After his ordination, Msgr. Lajiness served as associate pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Northville (1995-97) and a theology instructor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. In 1997, Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka appointed Msgr. Lajiness to serve as his secretary while Cardinal Szoka was president of the Pontifical Commission of Vatican City State. While serving in that capacity in Rome, Msgr. Lajiness completed a licentiate in philosophy from the Angelicum in 2000, and a doctorate in philosophy from the same institution two years later.
In 2002, Msgr. Lajiness returned to the Archdiocese of Detroit and was appointed director of undergraduate formation at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. One year later, Cardinal Adam J. Maida named him dean of studies at Sacred Heart.
For the next decade, Msgr. Lajiness continued in that role while also serving as a weekend associate pastor of St. Mary Queen of Creation Parish in New Baltimore (2002-09) and Holy Family Parish in Novi (2009-11). He also served as a board member for the Catholic Youth Organization, Madonna University, as a member of the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council and state chaplain to the Knights of Columbus (2007-09).
On Feb. 13, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named him a “chaplain to His Holiness” (monsignor), and three months later, on May 5, 2012, assumed responsibilities as the 13th rector of Sacred Heart Major Seminary at the appointment of Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron until leaving the role in 2021. He served as administrator of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Plymouth (2021-24) and is currently a priest in solidum and moderator for the Northwest Wayne 4 Family of Parishes.
Msgr. Lajiness has served as a member of the priest missioning team, as a board member of the Association of Theological Schools, and as president of the National Association of Catholic Theological Schools.
Fr. Robert McCabe
Fr. McCabe, 72, was born in Chicago. He entered the seminary in 1989 as a parishioner at Sacred Heart Parish in Dearborn, and was ordained June 24, 1995, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
Upon his ordination, Fr. McCabe served as associate pastor at St. Colette Parish in Livonia (1995-97), at his home parish of Sacred Heart in Dearborn (1997-99), and at St. Paul on the Lake Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms (1999-2003).
In 2003, he became pastor of St. Mary of Redford Parish and St. Suzanne/Our Lady Gate of Heaven Parish in Detroit, and a year later also took on responsibilities as administrator and later pastor of nearby St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Detroit (2004-06).
In 2008, Fr. McCabe became pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Southgate, and continued serving there until 2019, when he was named pastor of Divine Child Parish in Dearborn. As of 2021, he became a priest in solidum and moderator for the West Wayne 1 Family of Parishes.
Fr. McCabe also served on the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council from 2003-07. An avid photographer, Fr. McCabe’s work has been featured in several publications, including The Michigan Catholic newspaper.
Fr. John (J.J.) Mech
Fr. Mech, 67, was born in Southfield and attended Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit before his ordination to the priesthood on June 24, 1995, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
After his ordination, Fr. Mech served as associate pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Grosse Pointe Woods (1995-98) and Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth (1998-2000).
Fr. Mech later served as pastor of Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Redford (2000-07), St. Anastasia Parish in Troy (2007-15). In 2015, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron named him rector of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, while at the same time pastor of nearby Our Lady of the Rosary Parish (2015-17) and St. Moses the Black Parish (2015-19). He also has served as a member of the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council (2004-08) and on the priest assignment board (2014-16).
Fr. Mech is the moderator and a priest in solidum for the Renaissance 1 Family of Parishes and continues to serve as rector of the cathedral, which he is working to develop into an apostolic center of arts and culture. During his time as rector, Fr. Mech has overseen the development of several new art installations at the cathedral, including a custom-designed tympanum depicting Jesus, Mary and Ste. Anne, the patroness of the Archdiocese of Detroit, a "Journey with the Saints" pilgrimage featuring first-class relics of the apostles, as well as community development projects including the Cathedral Arts Apartments.
Fr. Gregory Tokarski
Fr. Tokarski, 62, was born in Poland. After graduating from high school, he entered the seminary in Krakow where he studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on June 16, 1995. In 1997, Fr. Tokarski became an assistant professor of classical languages and linguistics at the Pontifical Institute of Higher Latinity, Rome.
Fr. Tokarski arrived in the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2004, where his brother, Fr. Stan Tokarski, was a pastor. He served as associate pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Livonia (2004-06) and Our Lady of Refuge Parish in Orchard Lake (2006-07) while teaching Biblical Greek, Ecclesiastical Latin, and Ancient Christian Literature (Patrology and Spiritual Masters) at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake. From 2007-09, Fr. Tokarski served as academic dean of SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary.
Fr. Tokarski later served as pastor of St. Clare of Assisi Parish in Farmington Hills (2009-13) before becoming pastor of Mother of Divine Mercy Parish in Detroit. He currently serves as a priest in solidum and moderator of the Genesis 1 Family of Parishes.
25th Anniversary (Class of 2000)
Fr. William Herman
Fr. Herman, 86, was born in Detroit and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
After his ordination, Fr. Herman served as associate pastor of Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson (2000-03), St. Lawrence Parish in Utica (2003-04), St. Thomas More Parish in Troy (2014) and Holy Name Parish in Birmingham (2014). He served as pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Harper Woods (2004-14) and St. Ronald Parish in Clinton Township (2015-21). He currently serves as a priest in solidum of the Central Macomb 5 Family of Parishes.
Fr. Dariusz Strzalkowski
Fr. Strzalkowski, 57, was born in Bialogard, Poland, and was ordained to the priesthood on Oct. 28, 2000, at SS. Peter and Paul (Westside) Parish in Detroit.
Fr. Strzalkowski has served as associate pastor of St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Allen Park (2000-03) and Divine Child Parish in Dearborn (2003-05). He served as pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Detroit (2005-09) and Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Taylor (2009-21). Currently, he is a priest in solidum for the Downriver 1 Family of Parishes.
Other jubilarians this year
In addition to those celebrating milestone jubilee years in 2025, Detroit Catholic and the Archdiocese of Detroit also honor all of those priests celebrating jubilees greater than 60 years. They are:
- Cardinal Adam J. Maida (69 years)
- Fr. Leo Sabourin (67 years)
- Fr. Donald Walker (67 years)
- Fr. Arnold D'Achille (66 years)
- Fr. John Phalen (66 years)
- Fr. Thomas Sutherland (65 years)
- Fr. Joseph Gagnon (64 years)
- Fr. Donald Worthy (63 years)
- Fr. Stephen Reckker (62 years)
- Fr. Joseph Romano (62 years)
- Fr. Julian Chmura (61 years)
- Fr. Lawrence Kaiser (61 years)
- Fr. Thomas Lumpkin (61 years)
- Fr. Thomas Meagher (61 years)
- Fr. Raymond Sayers (61 years)
- Fr. William Sinatra (61 years)
- Fr. Sylvester Taube (61 years)
