By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
Bishop Martin Amos announces the retirement of four priests effective June 30 and new assignments for 10 priests effective July 1.
Retirements
• Father Robert Busher, 71, graduated from St. Ambrose College-Davenport and completed his theology studies and master’s in theology at the North American College in Rome. On July 17, 1976, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Gerald O’Keefe at St. Mary Church-Williamsburg.
Fr. Busher was a temporary chaplain at University Hospitals in Iowa City in 1976, associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City from 1976-78 and St. Mary–Clinton from 1978-82. He then served as pastor of St. Joseph–East Pleasant Plain and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini–Richland from 1982-86, St. Thomas More-Iowa City from 1986-89, St. Patrick-Iowa City from 1989-1996, St. Mary–Oskaloosa from 1996-2005, canonical pastor of Immaculate Conception–Colfax from 2004-05, pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral–Davenport from 2005-10. He currently serves at St. Mary–Wilton. Fr. Busher also served as director of vocations from 1989-96.
• Father Patrick Lumsden, 69, attended the University of Iowa and graduated from Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee. He completed his theology studies at Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wis. On Jan. 21, 1996, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop William Franklin at St. Mary–Iowa City.
Fr. Lumsden was a parochial vicar at Holy Family–Davenport from 1996-98. From 1998-2000, he served as parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist–Burlington, St. Patrick–Burlington, St. Paul–Burlington, St. Mary– Dodgeville and St. Mary–West Burlington. St. John the Baptist and St. Paul merged to become Ss. John & Paul while St. Patrick-Burlington and St. Mary-West Burlington merged to become Ss. Mary & Patrick. He was then pastor at St. Joseph–Columbus Junction, St. Mary– Dodgeville and St. Mary–Wapello from 2000-04; St. Joseph–North English and St. Joseph–Parnell from 2004-09. He has been pastor at St. Patrick-Georgetown, St. Peter–Lovilia and St. Patrick–Melrose since 2009.
• Msgr. James Parizek, 69, graduated from St. Ambrose College, did his theology studies at the American College of the University of Louvain in Belgium, and completed his canon law degree from the Catholic University of America–Washington, D.C. On July 15, 1972, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O’Keefe at St. Wenceslaus Church–Iowa City.
Msgr. Parizek was an associate pastor at St. Paul the Apostle–Davenport from 1972-76. He served as assistant chancellor/auditor tribunal, vice officialis/pro synodal judge, the vice chancellor/officialis, and then judicial vicar/director of tribunal during the years 1976-2001. He received the title monsignor in 1989. He returned to parish ministry as a parochial vicar at Holy Family–Davenport from 2001-02 and has been pastor at Our Lady of Victory– Davenport since 2002.
• Father Joseph Roost, 69, graduated from Loras College in Dubuque. He attended St. John University in Collegeville, Minn.; St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore; and completed his theology studies at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wis. On Nov. 25, 1989, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O’Keefe at All Saints–Keokuk.
Fr. Roost was parochial vicar at St. Mary–Fort Madison in 1990 and at Holy Family–Davenport from 1990-94. He then served as pastor at Immaculate Conception–Colfax and Sacred Heart–Valeria from 1994-96. He has been pastor of St. Patrick–Marengo and St. Mary–Williamsburg since 1996 and St. Joseph–North English since 2009.
New assignments
• Father Kevin Anstey, 31, will become administrator at St. Anthony–Knoxville and Sacred Heart–Melcher. He graduated from Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo., and completed his theology studies at Mundelein Seminary at St. Mary of the Lake, Ill. On June 7, 2014, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Martin Amos at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Fr. Anstey has been parochial vicar at St. John Vianney–Bettendorf since 2014.
• Father Corey Close, 32, will become administrator at St. Patrick–Brooklyn and St. Bridget–Victor. He graduated from the University of Iowa and completed pre-theology studies at Mundelein Seminary at St. Mary of the Lake, Ill., and theology studies at the North American College in Rome.
On June 23, 2012, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Amos at Sacred Heart Cathedral. After assisting at various parishes that summer, he returned to school and completed advanced studies in marriage and family life at John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C. He then served as parochial vicar at Prince of Peace–Clinton from 2013-15. He has served as parochial vicar at St. Mary–Iowa City and campus minister at the Newman Catholic Student Center-Iowa City since 2015.
• Father Marty Goetz, 49, will become pastor of St. Mary–Dodgeville and Ss. Mary & Patrick–West Burlington while remaining as pastor of Ss. John & Paul-Burlington.
He attended Southeastern Community College and St. Ambrose University. He completed his theology studies at Mundelein Seminary at St. Mary of the Lake, Ill. On May 29, 1992, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O’Keefe at All Saints–Keokuk.
Fr. Goetz was parochial vicar at St. Patrick–Iowa City from 1992-93, Our Lady of Victory–Davenport from 1993-97 and Prince of Peace–Clinton from 1997-99. After a leave of absence he returned to active ministry in the diocese in 2001. He was administrator, then pastor, at Holy Trinity–Keota from 2002-08, St. Mary–Sigourney from 2006-08 and Our Lady of Lourdes–Keswick from 2006-07. He then served as diocesan director of vocations from 2007-11. He was pastor at Holy Trinity–Richmond, St. Mary–Riverside and St. Joseph–Wellman from 2011-12. He has been pastor at Ss. John & Paul–Burlington since 2012.
• Father Jacob Greiner, 34, will become pastor at Our Lady of Victory–Davenport. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame and completed his theology studies at St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul, Minn. On May 25, 2013, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Martin Amos at Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Fr. Greiner served as parochial vicar at Ss. Mary & Mathias–Muscatine from 2013-14. He has served as administrator and then pastor of St. Anthony- Knoxville and Sacred Heart–Melcher since 2014.
• Father William Kneemiller, 65, will serve as parochial vicar at St. Paul the Apostle–Davenport while remaining as chaplain at the Kahl Home–Davenport. He attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, Mo., and completed his theology studies at St. Paul Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. On June 12, 1999, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Fr. Kneemiller served as parochial vicar at St. Paul the Apostle from 1999-2003. From 2003-04 he served as a military chaplain in Iowa, Missouri and then Iraq with the Army Reserves. Upon his return he served as pastor at Sacred Heart–Lost Nation, St. James–Toronto and Sacred Heart–Oxford Junction from 2004-10. He then served as chaplain in the Army Reserves in Iowa, California and Afghanistan. When he returned he served as pastor at St. Joseph–Hills, St. Mary–Lone Tree and St. Mary–Nichols from 2010-12. He returned to the parishes in Lost Nation, Toronto and Oxford Junction, as well as Ss. Philip & James– Grand Mound from 2012-15. After deployment to the Middle East as a military chaplain in 2015, he returned and has served as chaplain at the Kahl Home.
• Father Joseph Phung van Phung, 58, will become pastor of Holy Family–Fort Madison and St. Joseph – Montrose. Born in Vietnam, he began theology studies there before his school was closed. He immigrated to the United States in 1993 and studied at St. Ambrose University and completed his theology studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. On June 24, 2000, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Fr. Phung served as parochial vicar at St. Mary–Iowa City from 2000-04 and at Sacred Heart Cathedral–Davenport from 2004-08, where he also served the Vietnamese Catholic community. He became administrator in 2008 and then pastor at St. Alphonsus-Mount Pleasant, where he currently serves.
• Father William Roush, 62, will remain parochial vicar at Ss. John & Paul-Burlington and also serve St. Mary–Dodgeville and Ss. Mary & Patrick–West Burlington. He graduated from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee and worked for 25 years at Monsanto and was a partner in two businesses in Iowa. He was married to Cynthia Druva-Roush for 11 years before she passed away from breast cancer. They have two daughters. He completed his theology studies at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wis. On June 6, 2015, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Amos at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Since ordination Fr. Roush has served at Ss. John & Paul–Burlington.
• Father Brian Shepley, 54, will become pastor of St. Alphonsus in Mount Pleasant. He attended North Area Iowa Community College–Mason City and St. Ambrose University. He did his theology studies at Mundelein Seminary at St. Mary of the Lake, Ill., and completed his studies at Sacred Heart School of Theology–Hales Corners, Wis. On June 12, 1992, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O’Keefe at St. Joseph–DeWitt.
Fr. Shepley served as parochial vicar at All Saints–Keokuk from 1992-95 and St. Mary–Iowa City from 1995-98. He served as pastor at St. Mary–Wilton from 1998-2004 and chaplain at Assumption High School–Davenport from 1998-02. He served as pastor of St. Andrew–Blue Grass from 2000-04. He has been pastor at St. Patrick–Brooklyn and St. Bridget–Victor since 2004.
• Father David Steinle, 65, will become pastor at St. Mary–Wilton and parochial vicar at Ss. Mary & Mathias–Muscatine. He graduated from the University of Iowa and completed his theology studies at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. On June 7, 1979, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O’Keefe at St. Paul–Burlington.
Fr. Steinle was associate pastor at Holy Family–Davenport from 1979-81; served on faculty at Assumption High School–Davenport from 1981-92, as pastor of Assumption–Charlotte and St. Patrick–Villa Nova from 1989-93, on faculty at Mater Dei High School–Clinton from 1992-97, as pastor of Assumption & St. Patrick–Charlotte from 1993-97, St. Alphonsus–Davenport and St. Peter–Buffalo from 1997-2007, St. Andrew–Blue Grass from 1997-2000, St. Mary–Wilton from 1997-98 and has served as pastor at Ss. Mary & Patrick-West Burlington and St. Mary–Dodgeville since 2007.
• Father David Wilkening, 67, will become pastor of St. Patrick–Marengo, St. Joseph–North English and St. Mary–Williamsburg. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa and completed his theology studies at St. Paul Seminary. On June 9, 1979, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O’Keefe at St. Mary–Sigourney.
Fr. Wilkening was an associate pastor at Sacred Heart–Clinton from 1979-83 and St. Mary–Iowa City from 1983-84. He served as pastor of St. Mary Magdalen–Bloomfield and St. Aloysius–Eldon from 1984-85, St. Joseph–What Cheer, Our Lady of Lourdes–Keswick and St. Joseph–North English from 1985-91, St. Mary–West Point from 1991-2002, St. Boniface–Farmington from 1996-2002, St. Mary–Solon from 2002-10 and has served as pastor of Holy Family–Fort Madison and St. Joseph–Montrose since 2010.
What is the new assignment for Father Brian Shepley who has been at St. Patrick–Brooklyn and St. Bridget–Victor since 2004. It is not mentioned in the article above.
We see that Father Corey Close will become the administrator at St. Patrick–Brooklyn and St. Bridget–Victor.
I’m originally from Brooklyn and my wife was from Victor. We like to be kept informed about our home parishes.
Thank you.
Fr. Shepley will become pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Mount Pleasant.