Bishop Duca Announces
Clergy & Pastoral Assignments

Clergy & Pastoral Assignments 2025
 
In consultation with the Clergy Personnel Board, Bishop Michael Duca makes the following appointments effective 01 July 2025 unless otherwise indicated:

Retirement of Pastors

Father Frank Bass, currently Pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer in Baker, will retire from active parish administration.  

Father Vincent Dufresne, currently Pastor of St. Joseph in Paulina, St. Michael the Archangel in Convent, and Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Gramercy, will also retire from active parish administration.  

Father Charles Landry, currently Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel in St. Gabriel, will also retire from active parish administration.  

Father Keun Soo Lee, currently Pastor of St. Anne in Sorrento and St. Anthony of Padua in Darrow, will also retire from active parish administration.  

The Diocese of Baton Rouge thanks these priests for their many years of service to the people of our local Church!

Pastor Appointments

Father Albert Blount, currently Parochial Vicar of St. John the Evangelist in Prairieville, is appointed Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel in St. Gabriel.  
 
Father Charbel El-Jamhoury, currently Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Mercy in Baton Rouge, is appointed Pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer in Baker.  
 
Father Matthew Lorrain is appointed Pastor of St. Anne in Sorrento and St. Anthony of Padua in Darrow. This appointment is in addition to his responsibilities as Pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in St. Amant and as Diocesan Secretary for Clergy and Religious Life.  

Administrator Appointments
 
Father Lazaru Panthagani, currently Parochial Vicar of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland in Albany, is appointed Administrator of St. Joseph in Paulina, St. Michael the Archangel in Convent, and Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Gramercy.
 
Parochial Vicar Appointments
 
Father Akhilesh Antony, IMS, a priest of the Indian Missionary Society, is appointed Parochial Vicar of St. George in Baton Rouge.
 
Father Pravin Jadhav, MC, currently Parochial Vicar of St. Thomas More in Baton Rouge, is appointed Parochial Vicar of St. John the Evangelist in Prairieville. 

Parochial Vicar Appointments
(Those Being Ordained 14 June 2025)
 
Father Huy Tran is appointed Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in St. Amant, St. Anne in Sorrento, and St. Anthony of Padua in Darrow.
 
Father Joshua Zelden is appointed Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Mercy in Baton Rouge.
  
Diaconate Appointments 
(Those Being Ordained 24 May 2025)

In consultation with the Office of the Diaconate, the Office of Formation for the Permanent Diaconate, and the Clergy Personnel Board, Bishop Michael Duca makes the following appointments effective 30 May 2025:
 
Deacon Byron Bordelon is appointed as Deacon Assistant at St. John the Evangelist in Prairieville with his assigned Ministry of Charity to serve the needs of those incarcerated at Dixon Correctional in Jackson, Louisiana.  
 
Deacon David Odland is appointed as Deacon Assistant at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in St. Amant with his assigned Ministry of Charity to serve the spiritual needs of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. 
 
Diocesan Appointments
 
Father Albert Blount is appointed Diocesan Director of Vocations in addition to his new assignment as Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel in St. Gabriel.
 
Father Reuben Dykes, currently Pastor of Mater Dolorosa in Independence and St. Helena in Amite, and Dean of the Northeast Deanery, is appointed Diocesan Director of Seminarians in addition to his other assignments.  
 
Father Joshua Johnson, currently Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Baton Rouge, is appointed Director of the newly established Blessed Stanley Rother Propaedeutic House of Formation in addition to his parochial assignment.  
 
Father Mathew Dunn, currently Pastor of Christ the King at LSU, is appointed as a Vocation Recruiter in addition to his parochial assignment.  
 
Father Joseph Bresowar, currently Parochial Vicar at Immaculate Conception in Denham Springs, is appointed as a Vocation Recruiter in addition to his parochial assignment.
 
Father Huy Tran is appointed as a Vocation Recruiter in addition to his new role as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in St. Amant, St. Anne in Sorrento, and St. Anthony of Padua in Darrow.  
 
Father Joshua Zelden is appointed as a Vocation Recruiter in addition to his new role as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Mercy in Baton Rouge.  
 
Deacon Glenn Farnet, currently Deacon Assistant at St. George in Baton Rouge, is appointed Associate Director of the Office of the Diaconate in addition to his parochial assignment.
  
Chaplain Appointments

Bishop Michael Duca makes the following appointments effective at the beginning of the school year 2025:
 
Father Michael Alello is reappointed Chaplain to Catholic High School in Baton Rouge. This appointment is in addition to his other assignments as Pastor of St. Aloysius in Baton Rouge and as Dean of the Baton Rouge Deanery.  Father Albert Blount is appointed as Chaplain to Catholic High School in Baton Rouge.  This appointment is in addition to his other assignments as Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel in St. Gabriel and as Diocesan Vocations Director. They will assist Br. Ray Hebert, SC, who also serves as Chaplain.  
 
Father Chris Decker is reappointed Chaplain to Catholic Interparochial of Pointe Coupee in New Roads.  This appointment is in addition to his other assignments as pastor of St. Mary of False River in New Roads and as Secretary for Communications for the Diocese.  
 
Father Matthew Dupre is reappointed Chaplain to Ascension Catholic Diocesan Regional School in Donaldsonville.  This appointment is in addition to his other assignments as pastor of Ascension of Our Lord and St. Francis of Assisi in Donaldsonville and as Dean of the South Deanery.   
 
Father Paul Gros is reappointed Chaplain to St. Thomas Aquinas Diocesan Regional High School in Hammond. This appointment is in addition to his other assignment as pastor of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland in Albany.
 
Father Joseph Bresowar and Deacon Michael Parker are reappointed Chaplains to St. Michael the Archangel in Baton Rouge. This appointment is in addition to their other assignments: Father Bresowar as parochial vicar of Immaculate Conception in Denham Springs; Deacon Parker as deacon assistant at Our Lady of the Rosary in St. Amant.  Father Pravin Jadhav is appointed as Chaplain to St. Michael the Archangel in Baton Rouge. This appointment is in addition to his assignment as Parochial Vicar of St. John the Evangelist in Prairieville.  
 
Father Joshua Zelden is appointed Chaplain to St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge. This appointment is in addition to his other assignment as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Mercy in Baton Rouge.
 
Conclusion of Assignments
 
Father Albert Blount has concluded his assignment as Chaplain of St. Michael the Archangel Diocesan Regional High School in Baton Rouge.  
 
Father Mathew Dunn has concluded his assignment as Chaplain of St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge.  He will retain his assignment as Pastor of Christ the King at LSU.
 
Father Joshua Johnson has concluded his assignment as Diocesan Vocations Director.  He will retain his assignment as Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Baton Rouge and along with new responsibilities.  
 
Father Andrew Merrick has concluded his assignment as Diocesan Director of Seminarians. He will retain his assignment as Pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Prairieville.  

Father  Trey Nelson has concluded his assignment as Chaplain of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge.  He will retain his assignment as Pastor of St. Jude the Apostle in Baton Rouge.
 
Deacon Tim Messenger has concluded his assignment as Associate Director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate.   He will retain his assignment as deacon assistant at St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland and as Chaplain at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW).  
 

The Diocese of Baton Rouge thanks these priests and deacons for their many years of service in their various diocesan ministries.

Congratulations to all these men on their new appointments!
 
Given at the Chancery of Baton Rouge
Thursday, 08 May 2025 – Thursday of the Third Week of Easter