820 years of priestly service recognized

By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic

MIAMI | Eighteen priests currently serving or who have served in the Archdiocese of Miami were honored by Archbishop Thomas Wenski and their fellow priests during the annual chrism Mass, celebrated the Tuesday of Holy Week, April 15, 2025, at St. Mary Cathedral.

The following are brief biographies of the jubilarians.

 

 

 

DIAMOND JUBILARIANS - 65 YEARS

Father Ronald Brohammer

Father Brohammer, a native of Rockford, Illinois, grew up in Michigan and completed his theological studies there before being ordained for the then-Diocese of Miami June 4, 1960.

His first assignments included service as parochial vicar at St. James, North Miami; St. Brendan, Miami; and St. Gregory, Plantation. He served as administrator of St. George, Fort Lauderdale (1967-69); and then as administrator (1969-78) and pastor (1978-82) of  St. Matthew, Hallandale. After a year as pastor at St. Clare in North Palm Beach (then part of the archdiocese), he became pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Perrine (1983- 96). He retired from active ministry in 1997.

 

 

Msgr. John Glorie

Msgr. Glorie was ordained May 21, 1960, for the then-Diocese of Miami. In the early years, he served as parochial vicar at St. Anthony, Fort Lauderdale, Corpus Christi, Miami, and Holy Family, North Miami.

He also served as chaplain and director at Boystown, a residential facility for teen boys, and as associate director of the Catholic Service Bureau (Catholic Charities). He also served as assistant supervising principal at Immaculata-La Salle High School, Miami (1966-68) while serving as parochial vicar at St. Hugh, where he later served as pastor (1973-82). He served as pastor of Church of the Little Flower, Coral Gables (1982-1989), as administrator of San Pablo, Marathon (1989-91), and pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Pompano Beach (1991-2001). He retired in 2001, and continues to help at St. Henry, Pompano Beach.

 

DIAMOND JUBILARIANS - 60 YEARS

Msgr. William Dever

A native of County Mayo, Ireland, Msgr. Dever was ordained at St. Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, June 6, 1965, for the then-Diocese of Miami.

He began working that August as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Church, Hialeah. He then served as parochial vicar at St. John Fisher, West Palm Beach (which at that time was part of the Archdiocese of Miami); then St. James, North Miami; St. Mary Magdalen, Sunny Isles Beach; and Holy Family, North Miami. From 1971 to 1978, he also served as director of the archdiocese’s Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). He was named a chaplain to His Holiness, and given the title of monsignor, by Pope Paul VI in 1974. In January 1978, he was named pastor of St. Thomas More, Boynton Beach. He served on loan in the Diocese of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (1983-86). Upon his return, in April 1986, he was named administrator, and then pastor, of St. Helen, Fort Lauderdale. He served there until August 2012, when he was named to his current assignment as pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Church, Lighthouse Point.

Father Michael Kish

Father Kish, a Miami native, was ordained June 12, 1965, as a Mary-knoll Missionary. 

After working in Guatemala, he returned to South Florida in April 1968, and joined the diocesan priesthood. In July 1968, he was appointed parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (now Our Lady of the Holy Rosary-St. Richard) in Cutler Bay. He then served as parochial vicar at St. Catherine of Siena, Miami, and chaplain of the Newman Center (or Catholic campus ministry) at Miami Dade College’s South Campus. Beginning in 1981, he also served as chaplain of the Miami Police Dept. He served as parochial vicar at St. Louis Parish, Pinecrest, from February 1973 until his retirement from fulltime ministry in July 2012.

 

 

 

Msgr. Jude O’Doherty

Born in County Clare, Ireland, Msgr. O’Doherty was ordained there June 12, 1965, and arrived in South Florida in September 1965.

He served as parochial vicar at Epiphany, Miami, and spiritual director at its neighbor, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, until 1967. He then served as parochial vicar at St. Stephen, Hollywood, and St. Patrick, Miami Beach, until being appointed administrator, and then pastor, of Immaculate Conception, Hialeah (1971-1982). Afterwards, he was appointed pastor of Epiphany. In addition to his parish assignments, Msgr. O’Doherty has served as archdiocesan director of lay retreats; member of the Commission for Christian Unity; member of the first archdiocesan synod; member of the archdiocesan Pension Plan Board; and overall coordinator of preparations for Pope John Paul II’s visit to Miami in 1987. In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI elevated Msgr. O’Doherty to the highest rank of monsignor: Protonotary Apostolic Supernumerary. Though retired in 2019, he continues to serve at Epiphany. 

 

 

Franciscan Father Jose Somoza

Father Somoza is a native of Cuba who spent more than 30 years working in the Archdiocese of Washington. Among his assignments there, he was director of education and coordinator of Hispanic ministry; director of the Centro Católico Hispano; and founding pastor of Nuestra Señora Reina de las Americas Parish. He came to South Florida in April 2002 and has been serving ever since at St. Timothy Parish in Miami.

 

 

 

 

GOLDEN JUBILARIANS - 50 YEARS

Father Martin Adu

Born in Ghana, Father Adu studied in St. Theresa’s Minor Seminary Amisano (1963-69), St. Peter’s Major Seminary in Cape Coast (1969-70), and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Ushaw College, United Kingdom.

He was ordained August 3, 1975, in the then-Diocese of Kumasi, Ghana. He served in St. Anthony Parish as associate pastor (1975-76), as well as youth chaplain for the bishop’s office in Kumasi, later as vocations director, and vice chancellor (1976-77). He also lectured in St. Peter’s Major Seminary in Cape Coast (1977-84), served as associate pastor in St. Peter’s Cathedral (1984-85), and as the Catholic Youth Organization National Chaplain in Nsawam (1985-88). From 1977 to 1981 he was a member of the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Kumasi, and also secretary to the Kumasi Diocesan Priests’ Association (1976-80).

He moved to the United States, and began serving in the Archdiocese of Miami at St. Vincent in Margate (1988-90), where he was eventually named associate pastor (1990- 92). He went on to serve as associate pastor in Holy Family, North Miami (1992-93), and St. George, Fort Lauderdale (1993-97). He was later assigned as parochial vicar to St. Vincent de Paul, Miami (1997-99), and St. Mary Star of the Sea, Key West (1999-2000). From 2000 to 2012 he served as chaplain at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, and St. James, North Miami, before retiring in 2012.

 

Columban Father Victor Babin

Born in New York City, Father Babin received his formation in St. Columban’s College and Seminaries in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin; Bristol, Rhode Island; and Milton, Massachusetts. He also attended St. John’s Seminary in Boston, and St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach. He joined the Columban Fathers (SSC), and was ordained a priest at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Miami, May 17, 1975.

With faculties from the Archdiocese of Miami, he served at St. Boniface Parish, Pembroke Pines (1975), and as assistant pastor at Visitation, Miami (1975-77). He became spiritual director at Msgr. Edward Pace High School (1976-79). He served as associate pastor in Blessed Trinity, Miami Springs (1977-79); Corpus Christi, Miami (1979-83); St. Benedict, Hialeah (1983-83); and St. Michael the Archangel, Miami (1985-86). He became part of the faculty at St. John Vianney College Seminary (1986-91), and served as temporary administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes, Miami (1990-91). He returned to serve in the faculty of St. John Vianney Seminary (1991), and then served as assistant pastor at St. Clement, Fort Lauderdale (1991-92). He was named administrator of St. James, Miami (1992-96), and then served as parochial vicar of St. Agatha, Miami (1997-2002). In 2002, he was appointed parochial vicar of Nativity, Hollywood, where he served until his retirement in Feb. 2025.

 

Father Carlos Jesus Cespedes-Serrano

Born in San German, Holguin, Cuba, Father Cespedes-Serrano received his formation in seminaries there — Santiago (1965-71) and Havana (1971-75).

He was ordained a priest Dec. 27, 1975, for the Diocese of Holguin. He served as assistant in various parishes in Cuba, including San Isidro (1976), San Gregorio (1977), San Antonio de Padua (1978), San Andres (1979), and San Fulgencio (1980). He was named pastor at San Jeronimo (1983), and San Andres (1988). He served as youth coordinator for the Office of Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Holguin (1984-96), and rector and coordinator at the pre-seminary in Holguin (1996-2004). In 2004, he was named pastor at San Pedro in Holguin.

In 2008 and 2009, he was granted faculties for the Archdiocese of Miami, and served at Our Lady of Charity Shrine in Miami for over 10 years.

 

Father Joseph Fishwick

Born in Miami, Father Fishwick is a Catholic school alumnus of Sts. Peter and Paul Elementary School.

He studied at St. Louis University in Missouri, the University of Miami, St. John Vianney Minor Seminary, and St. Vincent de Paul Major Seminary, obtaining a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and a master of divinity. As a deacon, he worked at Immaculate Conception, Hialeah, and Visitation, Miami. He was ordained on May 17, 1975. As a priest he served as assistant pastor of Epiphany, Miami, St. Vincent Ferrer, Delray Beach, and St. Coleman, Pompano Beach. In 1983 he served as a case director for the Metropolitan Tribunal. In 1985 he worked with Catholic Charities St. Luke Addiction Center, and in 1996, he was appointed chaplain at South Miami and Baptist hospitals until 2001. He has also served as chaplain to the traditional Latin Mass community for over 15 years. He has celebrated Mass in the Roman Catholic Rite, Byzantine Rite, and Tridentine Rite. Father Fishwick retired in January 2010.

 

Father Michael Greer

Born in South Bend, Indiana, Father Greer’s family moved to South Florida where he attended St. John Vianney Minor Seminary and St. Vincent de Paul Major Seminary. He was ordained a priest May 17, 1975.

As a priest he was assigned assistant pastor at St. Brendan, Miami (1975-77), and then served as secretary to Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy (1977-80). In 1982 he was named associate pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle, Miami, and was also named director of the archdiocesan Office of Worship and Spiritual Life until 1984. He served in different archdiocesan offices and committees, including as member of the Building Commission and member of the Sacred Art and Architecture Committee (1983-1987). He was also director of campus ministry at Florida International University.

In 1987 he was named temporary administrator at Good Shepherd, Miami, and in 1988 became pastor. The same year he became moderator of the South Dade Deanery of the archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. He was also appointed chairman of the archdiocesan commission on pornography (1989-91). In 1999 he was elected a member of the Presbyteral Council, serving until 2025. In 2010 he was appointed spiritual director of Miami Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, and Vicar Forane in the NE Broward Deanery. In 2010, he was appointed pastor of Assumption Parish in Lauderdale-by-the- Sea, from where he retired in June 2025.

 

Jesuit Father Javier Lopez

Father Lopez was born in Havana, and is an alum of Jesuit schools, having attended Colegio de Belen (1951-56) in Havana, and Belen Jesuit Prep in Miami (1962-63).

He attended Marquette University in Milwaukee in Wisconsin (1963-64) before entering the Society of Jesus (1964). He received formation in the seminaries of Santiago, Dominican Republic (1968-70) and Granada, Spain (1972-75). He was ordained a priest for the order on June 29, 1975. Afterwards, he furthered his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome (1978-80; 1998). He also taught at Belen Jesuit Prep in Miami (1970-72).

As a priest he began his ministry in the Dominican Republic, serving as pastor at San Lorenzo, La Vega (1975-78); then as assistant pastor at Jesus Maestro, Santo Domingo (1980-82), San Martin Porres, Santo Domingo (1982-84). He was a professor at the Pontificio Seminario Santo Tomas in Santo Domingo (1980-1992). In Rome, he served as spiritual director at the Pontificio Colegio Pio Latino-Americano (1996-2002), and associate professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University (2002-14).

He returned to South Florida, and was granted faculties by the Archdiocese of Miami and served as associate pastor at St. John Bosco, Miami (1993-96), and Gesu Church, Miami (2020-21).

 

 

SILVER JUBILARIANS - 25 YEARS

Father Frederick Andrew Chan-A-Sue

Father Chan-A-Sue was born in Georgetown, Guyana.

As a child, he attended St. Mary School, run by Ursuline sisters, and later St. Stanislaus College, run by the Jesuits. He attended colleges in England and Wales. He then returned to Guyana to work as an accountant. He moved to South Florida in 1983, where he worked as an accountant. He was an active member in the young adult group of St. Agatha Parish, Miami. Deciding to follow his call, he entered St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami (1993-96), completed his seminary formation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach (2000). He spent his pastoral year at St. Brendan Parish, Miami, and later served as a deacon at St. Maurice Parish, Ft. Lauderdale. He was ordained a priest at St. Mary Cathedral, Miami, on May 13, 2000. As a priest, he served as parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish in Miami (2000-03); Blessed Trinity Parish, Miami Springs (2003-06); and St. Andrew Parish in Coral Springs (2006-10). In 2010 he was named administrator of St. Bartholomew Parish, Miramar, and in 2017 he was named the church’s pastor, where he continues to serve.

 

Trinitarian Father Ireneusz Dariusz Ekiert

Father Ekiert was born in Miedzyzdroje, Zachodniopomorskie, Poland.

He moved to the United States, and studied at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., where he earned a master of divinity (1997-99). He also gained experience at the clinical pastoral education unit at the Washington Hospital Center. On Oct. 10, 1999, he made a solemn profession with the Trinitarians (OSST), and on July 1, 2000, he was ordained to the priesthood at Holy Trinity Monastery in Pikesville, Maryland.

He served as a pastoral associate at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Victoria, Texas, (2001-03), and St. Brigid/St. Emeric Church in New York City (2003-04). In 2004, he was transferred to Cairo, Egypt, where he served as administrator at St. Bakhita Primary School for Sudanese Refugees until 2007. During his time in Cairo, he earned a certificate in Islamic studies and Arabic from the Dar Comboni School for Arabic Studies.

He returned to the United States in 2007, and was assigned as pastoral associate at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Asbury Park, New Jersey. In 2008, he was named chaplain for the Diocese of Trenton at Monmouth University. In 2009 he became an adjunct professor of philosophy, religion and interdisciplinary studies at Monmouth University, where he also earned a master’s degree in mental health counseling (2012). In 2011 he acquired clinical experience with the supervised counseling practicum, in Jersey Shore Medical Center, and at the Park Place Partial Hospitalization Program in Asbury Park, New Jersey. He also gained clinical experience with a supervised counseling internship, ARC, with the Monmouth Unit in Tinton Falls (2011-12).

In the Archdiocese of Miami, he was appointed chaplain at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, and served at Epiphany Parish (2015). He was appointed chaplain at Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High (2019), and later served as parochial vicar at St. John Neumann, Miami. He currently serves as a parochial vicar at Epiphany, Miami.

 

Jesuit Father Guillermo Garcia-Tuñon

Born in Miami, Father Garcia-Tuñon graduated from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in 1987, and was admitted to the Society of Jesus Aug. 14, 1989, at the Jesuit Novitiate of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Grand Coteau, Louisiana.

He was ordained a priest Sept. 2, 2000, at Gesu Catholic Church in Miami. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Florida International University in Miami; a master’s degree in philosophy and master’s degree in education from Fordham University in New York; a degree in theology from Instituo Santo Inacio in Belo Horizonte, Brazil; and a doctorate in education from Florida International University (2006).

Since his ordination in 2000, he has worked as a professor, spiritual counselor, vocations promoter and principal at Belen Jesuit Prep, Miami. For over 40 years, he has organized the annual summer Belen Youth Missions trips. He has also been a member of the school’s board of directors and board of advisors. In 2012, he became the director of Instituto Tecnológico San Ignacio de Loyola in Dajabón, Dominican Republic. He returned to Miami as director of the Agrupación Católica Universitaria. He has been president of Belen Jesuit since Jan. 15, 2015.

 

Father Chidiebere Ogbuagu

Father Ogbuagu was born in Neni, Nigeria.

He acquired formation at St. John Bosco Minor Seminary in Isu Aniocha (1988), Bigard Memorial Major Seminary in Enugu (1994). He studied at the Pontifical Urbaniana Seminary in Rome (1995-98), and acquired a licentiate in canon law (2000). He also has received training in canonical administration from the Congregation for the Clergy in Vatican City, and the Apostolic Penitentiary from the Vatican Penitentiary.

Father Ogbuagu was ordained a priest Aug. 19, 2000, for the Diocese of Awka, Nigeria. He was assigned as administrator to St. Patrick Cathedral in Awka, until 2002, while simultaneously serving as a canonical lawyer and judge in the Archdiocese of Onitsha until 2003. He was also a professor of canon law, ethics, and philosophy in Awka until 2005. From 2002 to 2005 he served as director and chaplain in the Diocese of Awka. In 2007, he earned a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Urbania University, Rome.

From 2006 to 2014 he served as a canon lawyer and judge in the Diocese of Awka.

Coming to the United States in 2015, Father Ogbuagu was assigned as chaplain and mission leader in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio, until 2021 when he was sent to Miami. In the Archdiocese of Miami he took on the role as vice president of mission integration at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, and in 2022 he also joined the Baptist Hospital team as chaplain.

 

Father Juan Carlos Paguaga

Father Paguaga was born in Nicaragua.

As a teen he fled war in his country, and immigrated to Guatemala, and later to South Florida. His home parish became St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Pompano Beach. He entered St. John Vianney College Seminary, and completed his formation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. As a deacon, he was involved with migrant ministry in Virginia, hospital ministry in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and prison and hospice ministry in West Palm Beach. He spent his pastoral year at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Pembroke Pines, and his diaconate internship at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Pompano. He was ordained a priest May 13, 2000, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Miami.

As a priest he served as parochial vicar of Our Lady of the Lakes, Miami Lakes (2000-03), and Church of the Little Flower, Coral Gables (2003), where he also became temporary administrator (2004-06). He was named pastor of St. John Bosco, Miami (2006-14). He was also appointed a member of the archdiocesan Vocations Board (2009-12) and a member of the Presbyteral Council (2010-13). In 2014, he was named pastor of St. Agnes, Key Biscayne, where he serves today, and in 2015 he was appointed Archdiocesan Consultor.

 

Father Hector Perez, SOLT

Father Perez was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

He attended Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy (1991). He received formation at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut, (1991-93), and also attended Guadalupe Diocesan Seminary in Queretaro, Mexico (1997-99). He joined the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) in June 1997, and was ordained a priest June 24, 2000.

He served as a vicar at St. Anthony Parish in Robstown, Texas, (2000-03), and at Nuestra Señora del Carmen Church in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico (2003-06). In 2007 he studied Canon Law in Angelicum: Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, and earned his licentiate (2010). He served as a vicar of Nuestra Señora del Refugio Church in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico (2010-11); and in Most Holy Trinity Church in Phoenix (2011-14).

In 2015, he was appointed full time chaplain of Catholic Hospice for the Archdiocese of Miami, and also assisted at Mother of Christ, Miami, and St. James, North Miami. He was assigned as parochial vicar to St. Mark, Southwest Ranches (2019); St. Henry, Pompano Beach (2020); Our Lady of the Lakes, Miami Lakes (2022); Nativity, Hollywood (2023); All Saints, Sunrise (2024), and Our Lady Queen of Heaven, Sunrise (2025), where he continues to serve today.