About Our Clergy

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About Our Clergy

Welcome!

Our Parish Priests

PASTOR FR. RUSSELL GOVERNALE, OFM CONV.

I, Fr. Russell Governale, am the third of five children of +Russell J. and Sara E. (Sally) Governale. I was born in “beautiful Brooklyn”, NY and I have one brother, who lives in Peachtree City, GA and three sisters, all of whom live in different towns in New Jersey. My siblings are all married and have children (and my brother has granddaughters!).

I attended Catholic grade school and High School and joined the Conventual Franciscan Friars after High School graduation. I made my Novitiate beginning in August, 1978 and professed Simple Vows in 1979. I then went to our College Seminary (St. Hyacinth College-Seminary) graduating in 1983 with a BA in Philosphy. As was common at that time, I then had an Apostolic year at St. Francis High School in Hamburg, NY where I taught Religion and Spanish. At the end of that year, in August, 1984, I professed my Solemn Vows.

I was blessed to be asked to continue my studies for the Priesthood at our International Faculty in Rome, Italy (the Seraphicum: Facolta San Bonaventura in Urbe.) There, I received and STB in Theology and was ordained a Deacon in April, 1987.

I was asked to have a Deaconate year in Brooklyn, NY where I served as a Deacon and for three years afterwards as a Priest. I was ordained on May 28, 1988 with classmates in Albany, NY.

My ministerial experiences developed and changed as I began studies in 1989 at Fordham University in NYC where I obtained an MSW degree. In short, I have served as a Franciscan Formation Director at the Novitiate, Pre-Novitiate and Post Novitiate levels. Prior to my most recent assignment, I was vocation director for the Our Lady of the Angels Province for six years. I have been graced with having served two parishes as a Pastor (Most Holy Trinity, Brooklyn, NY, 1997-2006) and St. Adalbert Church in Elmhurst NY, 2010-2014). I was also blessed with having been a full-time staff member of the Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs for four years. Presently, and for the past four years, I have been serving as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Psychotherapist) in Brooklyn, NY.

I look forward to returning to St. Philip Benizi Church where I spent six months assisting in 1996.

God continues to bring us on different paths and journeys. I trust he will be ever present during this new moment in my and our lives.

Fr. Russell

You can reach Fr. Russell at rgovernale@stphilipbenizi.org

FR. PAUL PANTIRU, OFM CONV.

Fr. Paul Pantiru was born on July 5, 1980 in a small city on the Danube river of Romania. He is the oldest of three siblings. At the age of 14, during his high school years, he joined the minor seminary. He entered the Franciscan Order where he continued his religious formation which included philosophical and theological studies. Fr. Paul graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Theology from the Franciscan Institute in Romania, which is affiliated with the Pontifical University of St. Bonaventure, commonly known as The Seraphicum in Rome, Italy.

After his time at the university, Fr. Paul received the mandate to serve as a missionary in Ghana, West Africa, where he was stationed for about eleven years. In general, he worked in parish ministry as Associate Pastor, and in educating children through our Franciscan schools ministry; he was involved in social activities and also in providing healthcare facilities (operated by the Friars) for people in need.

Upon his return to Romania, Fr. Paul was assigned as a community member in Bucharest, the country’s capital and largest city. While there, he continued to acclimate himself to a new Franciscan community that included various apostolates: care of the homeless; spiritual and pastoral help to parishes throughout the city; the ministry of reconciliation; and spiritual assistance to young people, such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Finally, Fr. Paul expressed his desire to serve the Church in the United States. At the end of the summer in 2019, he came to the U.S., all the way from Romania. His first assignment brought him to St. Anne Catholic Church in Columbus, GA. Later, he arrived at St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in Jonesboro, GA in August 2022 to begin his new assignment as Parochial Vicar.

Fr. Paul has a few hobbies and loves sports and music, although he claims that he’s not a good singer. He enjoys reading, watching good movies and funny videos. He enjoys interacting with any human being, and he hopes to put a smile on people’s faces. Fr. Paul pictures himself as an active person, ready to be of service to anyone who gets to know him. He hopes that this is what the people of St. Philip Benizi Parish will soon find out! He is looking forward to “enjoying” this new life experience with the community of Franciscan Friars and Y’all!”

You can contact Fr. Paul via email at ppantiru@stphilipbenizi.org.

FR. CALIXTO SALVATIERRA, OFM CONV.

Father Calixto was born on October 14, 1974, in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, to his mother +Maria Elena Moreno, and father + Donald Salvatierra, along with three sisters and two brothers.

He entered postulancy in 1994 in the city of Santa Cruz, professed vows on December 8, 1997, and was ordained to the priesthood on October 7, 2004, in the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Apart from the academic base in philosophy and theology, he completed a civil and ecclesiastical Master of Arts in Missiology from the Bolivian Catholic University.

He held different positions in the initial priestly religious formation, including university teaching while he supported, as far as possible, the required parish pastoral area.

He arrived in Georgia on March 30, 2017, wherein he was assigned as parochial vicar to Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Winston-Salem, a small city in North Carolina. After a year and a half, he was transferred to Atlanta to Holy Cross Parish where he carried out ministry for 4 years, and from September 15, 2022 to present is part of the Saint Philip Benizi parish community, serving as parochial vicar.

His hobbies are reading, music, soccer, and walking, and appreciating nature, among others.

You can contact Fr. Calixto via email at csalvatierra@stphilipbenizi.org.

Our Deacons

Vatican II initiated the restoration of the role of the Permanent Deacon in the Church. The Deacon is ordained by the Bishop to serve within the Bishops' diocese.

The assigned deacons to St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church are: Reverend Mr. Etienne Rodriguez, Reverend Mr. Gregory Pecore, Reverend Mr. Matias Casal, Reverend Mr. Tom Nemchik, Reverend Mr. Jim Windon, and Reverend Mr. Henry Ohaya. They assist the priests during Mass with specific functions that include the Penitential Rite, the Prayers of the Faithful, Proclamation of the Gospel and Preaching.

The Deacons generally preach on the third Sunday of each month. They also celebrate Communion Services during the week when necessary, prepare couples and witness marriages, prepare families for infant baptisms, and baptize these infants.

In our parish, the Deacons can be called upon to lead Penance Services, Benediction, Stations of the Cross and other non-Eucharistic liturgies. Generally, the Deacons assist in the parish ministries where the Pastor has identified a need. The Deacons at St. Philip Benizi Church minister to people in hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, to shut-in parishioners, and wherever the need arises.

DEACON TOM NEMCHIK

Born April 7, 1957, Deacon Tom was raised in Uledi PA, a coal mining patch town. All four of his grandparents passed through Ellis Island and attended St Mary’s Church, a Slovak immigrant parish. For his parents, English was a second language. Deacon Tom worked in the family business as a young man, and he earned Eagle Scout in 1974. He graduated from California University of PA in 1979 with a BS (Ed) and was commissioned as a 2Lt in the US Army. Tom served in US Army for 22 years (7 Active + 15 Reserve). He met his best friend (Susie) in May 1987 at an SPB Bible study. Susie and he were married at SPB on April 1, 1989. Blessed with four children (John, Katie, Melissa and Andrew), Deacon Tom says his most challenging and rewarding vocation is to be a good husband and (grand)father. He and Susie have extra blessings from two granddaughters, Hattie and Penny. Deacon Tom's past volunteer roles include BSA Troop 182, SPB Katrina Relief 2005- 2006, and Christ Renews His Parish (CHRP). He is a member of Catholic Schools Advisory Councils (2000-2014) SJECS, OLM, and AoA., and has served as Chair from 2012-2014. Deacon Tom was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate January 2019. He is an active member of the Knights of Columbus, and his Parish Ministries include: Legion of Mary, Ultreya, Pro Life sidewalk prayer ministry, Eucharistic Adoration Guardian, Ministry of Care, RCIA Instructor, 9:00 AM Choir, Citizenship Instructor in ESL. His Archdiocesan Ministries include: Retreat spiritual director for PATH (Post Abortion Treatment and Healing.

DEACON HENRY OHAYA

Deacon Henry Obilo Ohaya was born on the 7th of February, 1969 to + Chief Hyacinth and Lolo Paulina Ohaya, in Amaigbo, Nigeria. He has two brothers and five sisters. He is married to Ihuoma, his wife of 17 years. They have three children; Amarachi, Akunna and Arinze. Deacon Henry is a practicing pharmacist with the Kroger Company in Atlanta, Georgia. He was ordained a permanent deacon on February 6th, 2021 and resides with his family in Fayetteville, Georgia. Deacon Henry has been a member of SPB parish since 2005 and has served in various parish ministries and councils, notably as an Acolyte, Lector, Sacristan, Extra-ordinary Eucharistic Minister, Baptismal Preparation Instructor, member of Angels of Mercy, St. Vincent De Paul Society, Pastoral Council, Stewardship Council, African Council and the Nigerian Community. He was the first president of the Nigerian Catholic Community at SPB (2009-2011). Deacon Henry’s hobbies and interest include coaching youth soccer, watching competitive sports, traveling and experiencing different cultures, reading inspirational books and watching inspirational movies, listening to music, journaling, writing, speaking and teaching. His favorite quote is from Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; “Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service”. The most influential person in his life is his dad, +Chief Hyacinth Ohaya.

DEACON JIM WINDON

Deacon Jim Windon was born in 1963 in Virginia, but he was raised in South Georgia. He is a Marine Corps Veteran and met his wife, Beth (also a Marine), while they were both stationed in California. They were married in 1991, after which Jim went through RCIA at St. Philip Benizi. He entered into the Catholic faith in 1996 with Fr. John Koziol officiating. Jim and Beth have three sons, two daughters, and three granddaughters. Deacon Jim was ordained on February 1, 2020, and loves being a servant to God and to his SPB family. He has served in the following ministries at SPB: RCIA, Religious Education Catechist, Lector, EM Coordinator, Family Program, and Confirmation Program.