FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 23, 2023

The Most Reverend Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, today announced the appointment of four Regional Episcopal Vicars and the restructuring of the 22 parish deaneries throughout Brooklyn and Queens. The new structure highlights Bishop Brennan’s commitment to enhancing the role of the deaneries and collaboration among parishes.

Reverend John J. Costello (Queens East), Reverend Joseph M. Hoffman (Brooklyn East), Most Reverend Witold Mroziewski (Brooklyn West), and Very Reverend Peter J. Purpura (Queens West) have each been selected as Regional Episcopal Vicars. We anticipate the celebration of a Mass of Installation at the Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph in the fall.

“In an effort to increase the involvement of the Vicars at the parish and deanery level, I have decided to expand the number of such positions from two to four in the Diocese. I am asking a lot of these priests taking on this new role, all while remaining parish pastors, and so expanding the number of regional vicariates will make the responsibilities more manageable,” said Bishop Robert Brennan.

“We have been working hard during the last year to reinvigorate the deaneries, and I am very satisfied with the progress made towards a more proactive working relationship among parishes. As we move forward, aware of the changing demographics and with the reality of fewer priests, we must look in this direction as we plan for the continued vitality of the Church here in Brooklyn and Queens in the future,” continued Bishop Brennan.

The Regional Vicars will have a general delegation, permission to grant confessional faculties, and permission to dispense from matrimonial impediments within the confines of the Diocese of Brooklyn. The Regional Vicars will meet with Bishop Brennan regularly to report on and discuss matters within their vicariate. They will serve as an ex-officio member of the Presbyteral Council, will serve on the Diocesan Assignment Board, and represent Bishop Brennan at civic and religious functions as requested.

The Regional Vicars will attend deanery meetings and meet individually with the deans in their vicariate a minimum of four times per year. They will provide input and encouragement on Diocesan initiatives, install and assist new pastors in their region, provide investigation and reconciliation to concerns made to the Bishop, assume a key role in Diocesan Pastoral Planning, address parish communities when allegations are made related to the Dallas Charter and/or Adult allegations, and in situations involving priests or deacons, collaborate with the Vicar of Clergy and Consecrated Life to address the situation and determine a proper remedy.

“The bishop has established these four vicariates in order to facilitate and enhance future pastoral initiatives in the Diocese. These well-respected members of the presbyterate bring with them extensive service as parish leaders. Their efforts will help advance conversations and plans to best serve the Catholic community within their region of the Diocese,” said Monsignor Joseph Grimaldi, Vicar General of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The current Territorial Vicars are Most Reverend Neil Tiedemann (Brooklyn) and Most Reverend Witold Mroziewski (Queens). Bishop Tiedemann, who turned 75 years old earlier this year, has submitted his letter of resignation to Pope Francis as Canon Law requires, and his retirement is pending. Upon the Holy Father’s acceptance of Bishop Tiedemann’s resignation, these appointments will become effective.

Biographical information and photos of the new Regional Episcopal Vicars, and the composition and leadership of the new deaneries follow. The previous Diocesan deanery map divided Brooklyn and Queens by north and south. Parishes will now be categorized as east and west within each borough.

Reverend John J. Costello

Reverend John J. Costello was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1989. Father Costello has served as a priest for more than 34 years, assigned as a Parochial Vicar at both Our Lady of Miracles and St. Athanasius, and as Pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Holy Trinity, St. Kevin (Administrator), and presently as Pastor of St. Luke Roman Catholic Church. Father Costello served four years as the Director of Family Life for the Diocese of Brooklyn and then as the Director of Jubilee 2000. He has also served on the Diocesan Evangelization Commission, as Associate Vicar for Clergy, and as a mentor for the newly ordained.

Father Costello served at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and later as the Vice Rector of the former Cathedral Seminary House of Formation in Douglaston. Father Costello is a former Spiritual Advisor to the Pro Sanctity Movement in Brooklyn, and a past member of the Holy Cross High School Board of Directors.

Reverend Joseph M. Hoffman

Reverend Joseph M. Hoffman was ordained to the priesthood in October 1979. Father Hoffman has served the Diocese of Brooklyn for nearly 44 years, initially assigned as a Parochial Vicar to St. Martin of Tours. He has also served as Pastor of St. Lucy-St. Patrick Parish, St. Martin of Tours (second assignment), and St. Bartholomew. He is the current Pastor of St. Barbara Roman Catholic Church.

Father Hoffman serves as a Chaplain for the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY). He is the former Chaplain of the Pope John II Family Academy in Bushwick.

Most Reverend Witold Mroziewski

Most Reverend Witold Mroziewski was ordained to the priesthood on June 29, 1991, in Poland, and was assigned to the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1992. Then-Father Mroziewski was assigned to Our Lady of Czestochowa–St. Casimir as a parochial vicar in 1993 and began his studies of Canon Law and administration at the Catholic University in Lublin in 1997.

Upon his return to the Brooklyn Diocese, Father Mroziewski was appointed as the administrator of Our Lady of Czestochowa–St. Casimir Parish, and in 2002, was named pastor. In 2013, Father Mroziewski was assigned to his current position as pastor at Holy Cross Church. On July 20, 2015, Father Witold Mroziewski was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Bishop Witold Mroziewski holds a Doctorate in Canon Law and has served in the Diocese of Brooklyn Tribunal as an attorney and judge, working on marriage-related cases. He serves as the Vicar for Migrant and Ethnic Apostolates for the Brooklyn Diocese and serves on the USCCB Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs, and on the Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe Subcommittee. Bishop Witold Mroziewski was named the Episcopal Vicar for Queens in March 2022.

Reverend Peter J. Purpura

Reverend Peter J. Purpura was ordained to the priesthood to serve the Diocese of Brooklyn on June 30, 2007. Father Purpura has served as a Parochial Vicar at St. Bernard and Our Lady of Hope. In 2015, Father Purpura was named the Rector of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, and presently serves as the Pastor of Our Lady of Hope.

Father Purpura holds a Licentiate of Canon Law degree and is a Vice-Chancellor of the Brooklyn Diocese. He previously served as an Associate Judicial Vicar for the Diocese. Father Purpura is a member of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and is a Chaplain to the Queensboro Chapter of UNICO (Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, Opportunity) National.

June 2023 Diocesan Vicariate and Deanery Map

Listing of Vicariates and Deaneries including Parishes and Deans, June 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 3, 2023

The Most Reverend Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn today ordained four men as priests of the Diocese of Brooklyn during a Mass of Ordination, at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, located at 856 Pacific Street in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn.

The new priests and their parish assignments are as follows:

Father Nnamdi Eusebius Eze, St. Gregory the Great in the Bellerose section of Queens

Father Ernesto Alonso-Aguila, St. Leo in the Corona section of Queens

Father Samuel Mwiwawi, Immaculate Conception in the Astoria section of Queens

Father Thimote Cherelus, St. Matthias in the Ridgewood section of Queens

 “Indeed, the Church in Brooklyn and Queens, indeed the whole Church, rejoices in this magnificent gift.  We give thanks to God for His grace and the courageous and generous response of these men about to be ordained. We rejoice and implore you to rely on God’s grace; let your friendship with Christ be at the very heart of everything that you do and more importantly, all that you are,” said Bishop Brennan in his remarks prior to ordaining the four new priests.

VIMEO:  https://vimeo.com/832936783

Biographical information on each of the four new priests ordained to the Diocese of Brooklyn can be found below.

*Father Nnamdi Eusebius Eze

Nnamdi Eusebius Eze, born in Nigeria, graduated from the University of Nigeria in Nsukka with a degree in mechanical engineering. He has served the Catholic Church since becoming an altar server shortly after his First Holy Communion.  In 2015, after the urging of his family, including an uncle who was serving as a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn, he arrived in New York and entered St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie. Since his ordination as a transitional deacon, he has served at Our Lady of Grace in Howard Beach.

*Father Ernesto Alonso-Aguila

Ernesto Alonso, born in Havana, Cuba, became a missionary serving in the rural areas of the country as a young adult. In 2007, he joined his father in Miami, and began a career as a chef upon earning an associate’s degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. After eight years as a restaurant chef in Miami, he moved to New York City. At the age of 29, while living in Astoria, Queens, Ernesto began to consider a vocation to the priesthood, enrolling in the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts. Since his ordination as a transitional deacon, he has served at Holy Redeemer in East Boston.

*Father Samuel Mwiwawi

Samuel Mwiwawi was born in Kenya and is fluent in American Sign Language which he began to learn to help teach the Gospel to the hearing-impaired among his community. Upon his arrival to the United States, Samuel joined the Dominican Missionaries for the Apostolates of the Deaf and Disabled and spent a summer in a program at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., dedicated to deaf and hard of hearing students. In 2018-2019, the Dominicans recommended him to Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens to help interpret sign language. He completed his priestly studies at the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, and has served as a Transitional Deacon at St. Bernard in Mill Basin.

*Father Thimote Cherelus

Thimote Cherelus was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and became fascinated with the priesthood at the early age of five. His pastor encouraged him to get involved in parish ministries. He attended Catholic primary and high school, was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Port-au-Prince, and began a career as a business owner. He then earned a second bachelor’s degree in philosophy on a scholarship from Divine World College in Epworth, Iowa. Thimote then came to the Diocese of Brooklyn and resided in the St. John Paul II House of Discernment for one year, during which time his vocation to the priesthood was confirmed for him. He entered St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie where he completed his priestly studies. As a transitional deacon, he has served at Our Lady of Fatima in Jackson Heights.

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The Most Reverend Robert Brennan, Bishop of Brooklyn, will ordain four men as priests of the Diocese of Brooklyn during a Mass of Ordination, on Saturday, June 3, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, located at 856 Pacific Street in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn.

The four ordinands are:

*Rev. Mr. Nnamdi Eusebius Eze

Nnamdi Eusebius Eze, born in Nigeria, graduated from the University of Nigeria in Nsukka with a degree in mechanical engineering. He has served the Catholic Church since becoming an altar server shortly after his First Holy Communion.  In 2015, after the urging of his family, including an uncle who was serving as a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn, he arrived in New York and entered St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie. Since his ordination as a transitional deacon, he has served at Our Lady of Grace in Howard Beach.

*Rev. Mr. Ernesto Alonso

Ernesto Alonso, born in Havana, Cuba, became a missionary serving in the rural areas of the country as a young adult. In 2007, he joined his father in Miami, and began a career as a chef upon earning an associate’s degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. After eight years as a restaurant chef in Miami, he moved to New York City. At the age of 29, while living in Astoria, Queens, Ernesto began to consider a vocation to the priesthood, enrolling in the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts. Since his ordination as a transitional deacon, he has served at Holy Redeemer in East Boston.

*Rev. Mr. Samuel Mwiwawi

Samuel Mwiwawi was born in Kenya and is fluent in American Sign Language which he began to learn to help teach the Gospel to the hearing-impaired among his community. Upon his arrival to the United States, Samuel joined the Dominican Missionaries for the Apostolates of the Deaf and Disabled, and spent a summer in a program at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., dedicated to deaf and hard of hearing students. In 2018-2019, the Dominicans recommended him to Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens to help interpret sign language. He completed his priestly studies at the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, and has served as a Transitional Deacon at St. Bernard in Mill Basin.

*Rev. Mr. Thimote Cherelus

Thimote Cherelus was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and became fascinated with the priesthood at the early age of five. His pastor encouraged him to get involved in parish ministries. He attended Catholic primary and high school, was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Port-au-Prince, and began a career as a business owner. He then earned a second bachelor’s degree in philosophy on a scholarship from Divine World College in Epworth, Iowa. Thimote then came to the Diocese of Brooklyn and resided in the St. John Paul II House of Discernment for one year, during which time his vocation to the priesthood was confirmed for him. He entered St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie where he completed his priestly studies. As a transitional deacon, he has served at Our Lady of Fatima in Jackson Heights.

The Ordination Mass will air live on NET-TV, the cable channel of the Diocese of Brooklyn. NET-TV can be found on Spectrum channel 97; Optimum channel 30; and on FiOS Channel 548. The Mass will also be live-streamed at netny.tv/watch-now.

Members of the media are welcome and asked to confirm their attendance.

The attached photos of the four ordinands are courtesy of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

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