Catholic diocese announces new priest assignments

Bishop Edward Burns of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Juneau last month announced the assignment of new priests for Southeast communities.

A news release explained it is customary for a diocesan bishop to reassign priests to new parishes every five to ten years. Diocesan priests are themselves not assigned to any particular parish but to the diocese as a whole.

Beginning Feb. 9, Father Scott Settimo will leave Holy Name Parish in Ketchikan, beginning a time of prayerful discernment of a vocation to the contemplative life.

He will temporarily reside at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Wrangell, assisting Fr. Thomas Wise with his duties there and at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Petersburg. Wise currently ministers to both the Wrangell and Petersburg communities, dividing his time between them each week.

“We’ll switch places,” Wise explained. While Settimo is in Wrangell, Wise will spend three weeks of each month in Petersburg, trading off for the remaining time in Wrangell. “This is going to be great,” he said.

Since being assigned here in Sept. 2010, Wise has been the sole pastor to both communities’ Catholic parishioners.

Starting Feb. 2, Fr. Steven Gallagher will be assigned as the priest responsible for St. Ann’s Parish in Yakutat and the missions of Sacred Heart in Hoonah, St. Francis Chapel in Tenakee Springs, Holy Family in Gustavus, Pelican and Kake.

Also beginning Feb. 2, Fr. Jean Paulin Lockulu will leave St. John-by-the-Sea Parish in Klawock to go to his new appointment as pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Juneau. Fr. Edmund Penisten will take Lockulu’s place in Klawock, stepping down from his responsibilities in the Northern Missions.

On Feb. 9, Fr. Patrick Travers will leave St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Juneau, where he is pastor, to serve as pastor of Holy Name Parish in Ketchikan.