Two archbishops and 13 priests honored at chrism Mass

By Rocio Granados - La Voz Catolica

Photography: CRISTINA CABRERA | FC

 

MIAMI | Two archbishops and 13 priests are marking anniversaries of ordination this year, with the oldest celebrating 65 years of priesthood and the youngest 25.

The archbishops are John C. Favalora, archbishop emeritus of Miami, marking 65 years; and Thomas Wenski, archbishop of Miami, marking 50 years.

They were all honored at the annual chrism Mass, celebrated on the Tuesday of Holy Week at St. Mary Cathedral.

Following are brief biographies of the jubilarians.

DIAMOND JUBILARIAN – 65 YEARS

Archbishop John C. Favalora

Archbishop Favalora was born Dec. 5, 1935, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He studied for the priesthood at St. Joseph Seminary in St. Benedict, Louisiana; Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans; and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he was ordained on Dec. 20, 1961. Upon his return to New Orleans, he served in various ministries, from parochial vicar to Latin teacher to vice-chancellor, director of vocations, director of the office for the permanent deaconate, and seminary rector, as well as pastor. He was appointed bishop of Alexandria, Louisiana, on June 24, 1986; bishop of St. Petersburg, Florida, on March 7, 1989; and third archbishop of Miami, to succeed retiring Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy, on Nov. 3, 1994. He retired as archbishop on April 20, 2010 but continues to help with confirmations and other archdiocesan activities.

 

DIAMOND JUBILARIAN – 60 YEARS

Father Dominick Joseph O’Dwyer

Born Sept. 21, 1941, in Ballinameen Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland, Father O’Dwyer is the second of eight children. He attended school in Ireland, and completed his seminary studies at St. Patrick’s College, Carlow. He was ordained June 11, 1966 in St. Mary Cathedral, Carlow, and immediately sent to South Florida, where he has served as parochial vicar at: St. Brendan, Miami; St. Luke, Lake Worth; St. Bartholomew, Miramar; St. James, North Miami; and St. Ann, Naples. In 1973, he was named administrator of the newly created parish of St. William in North Naples; and in 1986 he was named pastor of St. Malachy, Tamarac until his retirement in 2019.

 

GOLDEN JUBILARIANS – 50 YEARS

Archbishop Thomas Wenski

Archbishop Wenski was born Oct. 18, 1950, in West Palm Beach. He is the son of first- and second-generation Polish immigrants. He attended Sacred Heart School in Lake Worth, and in ninth grade entered what was then the high school seminary of St. John Vianney. He continued his studies at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Miami on May 15, 1976. He was named auxiliary bishop of Miami in 1997; coadjutor bishop of Orlando in 2003, succeeding Bishop Norbert Dorsey upon his retirement in 2004; and the fourth archbishop of Miami and Metropolitan of the Province of Florida, succeeding retiring Archbishop John C. Favalora on June 1, 2010, a position he continues to hold.

 

Father Edward Blackwell

Father Blackwell was ordained for the Diocese of Harrisburg April 24, 1976. He earned a Master of Theology from Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. In the Diocese of Harrisburg, he then served as director of young adult ministry and director of campus ministry at Millersville University in Pennsylvania (1980-1988). In 1988, he arrived at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, also serving as director of campus ministry. He also served as a professor in the Department of Education, and as director of the Institute of Education for many years. He retired in 2017.

 

 

Father Félix Ganuza, Piarists

Father Ganuza was born April 21, 1950, in Navarra, Spain, to José Ganuza and Elisa Arbizu. He entered the novitiate of the Order of the Pious Schools July 24, 1966, and he took his first religious vows August 28, 1967. He studied philosophy in Irache and theology in Salamanca, Spain, completing his studies in 1975. The same year he professed his solemn vows in Peralta de la Sal, Huesca. He was ordained a priest June 30, 1976, in Logroño, Spain. During the early years of his priestly ministry, he served in Spain. From 1986 to 1995, he served at the Nuestra Señora del Carmen parish in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Subsequently, from 1995 to 2009, he served at Annunciation Parish in New York. He returned to Puerto Rico in 2009 to continue his ministry and returned to New York in 2015, where he served until 2023. On July 1, 2023, Father Ganuza began serving at St. John the Apostle Parish in Hialeah. Throughout his ministry, he has distinguished himself through his dedication to education and parish life, remaining faithful to the charism of St. Joseph Calasanz.

 

Father Stephen LaCanne

Father LaCanne was born Jan. 1, 1950, in Faribault, Minnesota to Joseph and Dolores LaCanne. He attended the University of St. Thomas and St. Paul Seminary. He was ordained May 29, 1976, for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. He served in various parishes as a pastor and associate pastor and was involved in hospital chaplaincy in Minnesota for more than 47 years, until 2015. In 2016, he arrived in the Archdiocese of Miami and served as chaplain of Holy Cross Hospital until 2020. The same year, he ministered at Assumption Church in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. He has been retired since 2023 but continues to assist parishes in the Archdiocese of Miami.

Father Pedro Manuel Lleó

Father Lleó was born Sept. 22, 1945, in Guanabacoa, Cuba, to Manuel Lleó and Asela Hernández. He attended elementary school in Cuba. He then attended La Salle High School (now Immaculate-La Salle High School) in Miami. In 1965, he entered the Piarist Fathers novitiate in Derby, New York. He went on to attend The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and the Graduate Theological Union Franciscan School in Berkeley, California. He also studied French and Italian. He was ordained a priest Jan. 3, 1976. He then served as rector of the Piarist community, a faculty member and chaplain at various high schools in California until 1986. Then, he was named a faculty member at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens (1986-1987). He then served as associate pastor at the Church of Little Flower in Coral Gables (1987-1991), St. Timothy Parish in Miami (1991-1992), and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Miami Shores (1992-1999). He was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Miami in April 1990. In 1999, he was appointed parochial vicar at St. Coleman Parish in Pompano Beach until his retirement in 2011.

 

Father Norberto A. López, Benedictine

Father López was born April 19, 1947, in Havana, Cuba, to Norberto López Soto and Elena López. He attended elementary and high school in Havana, then studied at the University of Havana. In 1967, he entered the Seminario de San Carlos y San Ambrosio in Havana. On Dec. 12, 1976, he was ordained a priest of the Order of St. Benedict in the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Habana. Father López also studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. He served as a theology professor at the University of Havana until 1984, when he was sent to Rome, Italy. From 1990 to 1995, he served in various Italian cities. In 1995, he returned to Cuba and was named chancellor of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Habana. In 1996, he arrived in the United States. Since 1997, he has assisted at various churches in the Archdiocese of Miami, including St. Catherine of Siena in Miami, Immaculate Conception in Hialeah, St. John Bosco in Miami, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary-St. Richard in Palmetto Bay, San Lázaro in Hialeah, Mother of Christ in Miami, Our Lady of Mount Carmel House of Prayer in Miami Gardens, and St. Augustine in Coral Gables. He currently assists at some parishes part-time.

 

Father Joaquín Alfredo Pérez-Pupo

Father Pérez-Pupo was born Nov. 25, 1941, in Santa Clara, Cuba, to Joaquín Pérez Laralde and Leonor Pupo. He attended the Escuela Técnica Aeronáutica in Cuba and entered the Seminario San Carlos y San Ambrosio in Havana in 1966. He was ordained Feb. 1, 1976, for the Diocese of Cienfuegos in Santa Clara. He served as pastor in various churches in Santa Clara. Father Pérez-Pupo arrived in Miami in 1995. In the Archdiocese of Miami, he served as associate pastor at Mother of Christ Church in Miami (1997-2005), Immaculate Conception Church in Hialeah (2005-2011), and Prince of Peace Church (2011-present). 

 

 

Father Thomas Wisniewski 

Father Wisniewski was born April 11, 1949, in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents, Henry and Sophie Ann, were both purebred Polish: Their own parents immigrated from Poland in their youth. Eventually, his parents bought a farm in North Bloomfield, Ohio, where they lived for 26 years until their deaths. Father Wisniewski moved to Florida in 1972 at the request of Msgr. William Dever, who was vocations director for the Archdiocese of Miami at the time. Father Wisniewski earned a degree in philosophy at St. Charles Borromeo High School and College in Wickliffe, Ohio, then earned a master’s degree in theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. He was ordained May 15, 1976. He was among the last priests ordained by the late Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll, Miami’s first archbishop. His first assignment was as assistant pastor at St. Bernard Church in Sunrise (1976-1981). Then he was named assistant pastor at St. Anthony Parish in Fort Lauderdale (1981-1989). In 1989, he was named administrator of the newly formed Mary Help of Christians Church in Parkland, and the following year he became the founding pastor. Father Wisniewski served that church for 28 years until his retirement in 2017.

 

SILVER JUBILARIANS 25 YEARS

Father Reginald Jean-Mary

Father Jean-Mary was born Oct. 18, 1967, in Jean-Rabel, Haiti, to Julien Estime and Sylianie Bernardin Jean-Mary. He attended elementary and high school in Haiti. In 1991, he moved to the United States. He studied at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami and St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Miami May 12, 2001. His first and only assignment was at Notre Dame D’Haiti Mission in Miami, first as parochial vicar (2001-2004), then as administrator, and he is currently the pastor. He leads the larger Haitian community in South Florida. In addition to Creole, his native language, Father Jean-Mary is also fluent in French, English and Spanish.

 

Father Jorge Rodríguez de la Viuda

Father Rodríguez de la Viuda was born April 11, 1963, in Lima, Peru, to Jorge O. Rodríguez de la Viuda and Mela Chang. He is the second of four brothers. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Universidad de San Martín de Porres in Lima. He then worked for a hotel in the city before moving to Florida in 1988. In 1994, he entered St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami. Then, he earned a master's degree in divinity at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Miami May 12, 2001. His first assignment was as a parochial vicar at St. Rose of Lima in Miami (2001-2004), followed by the same role, parochial vicar at Good Shepherd in Miami (2004-2011). In 2011, he became administrator of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Fort Lauderdale. He remained there until July 2016, when he was named pastor of St. Timothy Church in Miami until 2019. He is currently the pastor of St. Bernard Church in Sunrise.

 

Father Attila Frohlich

Father Frohlich was born June 13, 1966, in Zirc, Hungary. He graduated from Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck, Austria, where he earned a master’s degree in theology. Father Frohlich arrived in the United States in 1997 and was ordained June 9, 2001, in the Diocese of Evansville, Indiana. He served in various positions in the same diocese for 13 years. In the Archdiocese of Miami, his first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Anthony Church in Fort Lauderdale (2014-2018), St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Coral Springs (2018-2022), and he is currently serving at Blessed Trinity Church in Miami.

 

 

Father Eddy Horace

Father Horace was born May 25, 1972, in Port-Ou-Prince, Haiti, to Andre Horace and Yolande Pierre. He completed high school in Haiti and attended Notre Dame d'Haiti Major Seminary in Port-au-Prince, earning a bachelor’s degree in theology. He was ordained to the priesthood March 25, 2001, and is a member of the Voluntas Dei Secular Institute of Haiti. He served in various parishes as parochial vicar, administrator and pastor in Haiti until 2021. Since June 2025, Father Horace has been ministering at St. Malachy Church in Tamarac.

 

Father Nicholas Mormando, Franciscan

Father Mormando was born Aug. 24, 1960, in New York, to Anthony and Mary Piro Mormando. He attended high school and St. Francis College, both in New York. In 1997, he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. On June 23, 2001, he was ordained a Capuchin Friar priest. He served in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Wilmington, Delaware, North Carolina and Florida. He has worked in parishes, friaries, schools, retreat centers and health care facilities around the world. From 2005-2011, he served as provincial vicar of the Capuchin Friars in New Jersey. From 2009-2011, he also served as pastor of a church in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina.  In 2017, he served in Italy outside Assisi. In 2019, he arrived in the Archdiocese of Miami to establish a new Capuchin friary, St. Pio Friary, in the former St. Jerome Convent in Fort Lauderdale. Currently, he serves as the friary’s guardian.