By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Bishop Dennis Walsh announced various assignments through the Diocese of Davenport. No new parish assignments are in this announcement.
Chaplaincy
Effective April 1, Father Symphorien Lopoke, a priest from the Diocese of Tshumbe in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, has a new assignment as chaplain at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
He attended schools in Africa and completed his studies at Christ-Rio Kabwe and the Catholic University of Congo. He also completed a canon law degree from the Catholic University of Congo.
On Aug. 21, 1994, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Albert Yungu in Lodja CR Congo. Father Lopoke served as a parochial vicar at St. Dominique in Kinshasa, director of Foyer Universaitair Pere M’Veng in Kinshasa, canon law teacher at St. John Paul II of Lodja and Christ-Rio of Malole seminaries. He also served as judicial vicar for the Archdiocese of Kananga; pastor of St. Joseph the Worker, associate pastor at St. Lambert and as secretary for clergy, seminaries and vocations for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of DR Congo.
In the Diocese of Davenport, he served at St. Mary Parish-Iowa City and St. Thomas More Parish-Coralville.
On April 6, Father John Sterling returned to active status after a leave of absence and is chaplain at MercyOne Genesis in Davenport.
A graduate of Assumption High School and St. Ambrose University-Davenport with a BA in history, he completed seminary studies at University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.
On July 2, 1994, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. After ordination he served at Holy Family Parish-Davenport, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Patrick Parish and St. Paul Parish-all in Burlington; St. Mary Parish-West Burlington, St. Mary Parish-Dodgeville, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish-Bettendorf and special ministry at Genesis Medical Center-Davenport. He continued studies at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., then returned as a chaplain at Genesis. Father Sterling then served at Sacred Heart Parish-Lost Nation, St. James Parish-Toronto and Sacred Heart Parish-Oxford Junction. He then took a leave of absence for personal discernment.
College of Consultors
The College of Consultors is a group of priests appointed by the bishop to advise on key administration, financial, and pastoral matters.
Those appointed to the College of Consultor, effective April 17 were: Fathers Paul Appel, Jason Crossen, Jacob Greiner, Rudolph Juarez, Andrew Rauenbuehler and Stephen Witt.
Priests finishing their terms were: Fathers Tony Herold, Ken Kuntz, Joseph Sia and David Steinle.
Reappointments at parishes
Bishop Walsh announced appointments for priests for an additional 6-year term as pastors at their current assignments effective July 1.
Those priests are: Fathers Bruce DeRammelaere at St. Paul the Apostle Parish-Davenport; Daniel Dorau at St. John Parish-Houghton, St. James the Less Parish-St. Paul, St. Mary Parish-West Point and St. Boniface Parish-Farmington; Juarez, St. Anthony Parish-Davenport; Apo Mpanda, Our Lady of the River Parish-LeClaire and Church of the Visitation-Camanche; Joseph Wolf, St. Ann Parish-Long Grove; and Christopher Weber, Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish-Muscatine.
Parochial administrator to pastor
The following priests have a title change from parochial administrator to pastor effective July 1: Fathers Dan Dickinson, St. James Parish-Washington; Duoc “Dominic” Nguyen, St. Mary Parish-Grinnell and St. Patrick Parish-Brooklyn; Benjamin Snyder, Holy Family Parish-Riverside; and Michael Snyder, St. Joseph Parish-DeWitt and Ss. Philip & James Parish-Grand Mound.
Director of seminarians
Father Jacob Greiner is relieved as director of seminarians July 1 and Father James Flattery is appointed director of seminarians.
