By Anne Marie Amacher
Assignment changes will take effect this summer for 13 priests in the Diocese of Davenport. Eleven of the changes take effect July 1 and two will take effect June 26. One priest will retire, one will go on leave for military duty, one will return to full-time parish ministry, three will receive title changes and seven will assume new or additional assignments.
Retiring
• Father William Wiegand, 73, will retire July 1 after serving as a parish priest for four years this June. He previously served as a deacon in the diocese for 17 years.
Born in Granite City, Ill., he attended schools in Granite City and St. Louis. From 1955-59 he served in the U.S. Air Force and then worked for Sheller Globe in Keokuk, AE Staley in Decatur, Ill., Pella Corp in Pella and SHARE Iowa in Oskaloosa. On June 9, 1956, he married Ruth. They had three children together. She died Oct. 13, 2001. Fr. Wiegand graduated from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree and in 1994 with a master’s degree. He was ordained a deacon June 4, 1988, by Bishop Gerald O’Keefe. Then-Deacon Wiegand served at St. Mary Parish in Pella until beginning studies for the priesthood at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corner, Wis. On June 4, 2005, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.
Fr. Wiegand served as a parochial vicar at Ss. John & Paul Parish in Burlington from 2005-2007, and as administrator and then pastor of St. Peter Parish in Buffalo and St. Alphonus Parish in Davenport.
Going on leave
• Father William Kneemiller, 58, will return to active duty as a chaplain in the Army Reserves. He leaves for military duty June 26. He was ordained in 1999 and was called to active duty in Iraq in 2003. Since his return in 2004, he has served as pastor at Sacred Heart parishes in Lost Nation and Oxford Junction, along with St. James Parish in Toronto.
Title changes
Three priests in the diocese will receive title changes:
• Father Paul Appel, 31, the administrator of St. James Parish in Washington, will become its pastor.
• Father George McDaniel, 66, while remaining chancellor, will return to his position as parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish in Davenport. He had been serving as the parish’s administrator.
• Father Joseph Phung, 51, administrator of St. Alphonsus Parish in Mount Pleasant, will become its pastor.
New assignments
Priests receiving new assignments:
• Father Paul Connolly, 57, will become pastor of St. Joseph Parish in DeWitt. Born in Troy, N.Y., he moved with his family to the Quad-City area where he attended Lourdes Memorial School in Bettendorf and Assumption High School in Davenport. He graduated from Coe College in Cedar Rapids and taught physical education, coached and was a director of the Bettendorf Parks and Recreation Department before beginning his theology studies.
He completed his master’s degree in sacramental theology from St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., and was ordained to the priesthood June 11, 1983, by Bishop O’Keefe at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Bettendorf.
He was an associate pastor, administrator, then parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Parish in Clinton from 1983-84 and parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish in Davenport from 1984-88. He was pastor of St. Boniface Parish in Farmington and St. Mary Parish in String Prairie from 1988-92. He served on faculty at Assumption High School from 1992-96, and as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in East Pleasant Plain and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish in Richland from 1996-2000. Since 2000 he has been pastor of All Saints Parish in Keokuk. From 2001-06 he also was pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Montrose.
• Father H. Robert Harness, 58, will become pastor of Holy Family Parish in Davenport.
He was born and raised in Ottumwa where he attended St. Mary Grade School and Walsh High School. He graduated from Northeast Missouri State with a bachelor’s degree in biology education and a Master of Science degree in biology. Before entering the seminary he taught. He completed his theology studies at St. Paul Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood June 5, 1982, at St. Mary Parish in Ottumwa by Bishop O’Keefe.
He was an associate pastor at St. Joseph Parish in DeWitt and St. Anne Parish in Welton from 1982-84. He then served as pastor at Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Clear Creek and St. Elizabeth Parish in Harper from 1984-92, St. Mary Parish in Keota from 1988-92 and Holy Trinity Parish in Keota from 1992-94. Since 1994, he has served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in DeWitt. While serving in DeWitt he also served as pastor of Ss. Philip & James Parish in Grand Mound from 1996-98, and as administrator and then pastor of that parish from 1999-2006. He served as temporary administrator at Ss. Mary & Joseph Parish in Sugar Creek in 1997 and as canonical pastor from 2005-06. He was administrator of Sacred Heart parishes in Lost Nation and Oxford Junction along with St. James Parish in Toronto in 2003 and 2004. Fr. Harness also was canonical pastor at Assumption & St. Patrick Parish in Charlotte from 2005-06.
• Father Anthony Herold, 55, will serve as administrator of Sacred Heart parishes in Lost Nation and Oxford Junction and St. James Parish in Toronto in addition to remaining pastor of Prince of Peace Parish in Clinton and dean of the Clinton Deanery.
A native of Fort Madison, he graduated from St. Mary Grade School, St. Joseph Junior High and Aquinas High School there. He attended Northeast Missouri College and St. Ambrose College in Davenport. He completed his theology studies at the North American College in Rome.
On July 14, 1979, he was ordained by Bishop O’Keefe at St. Mary Parish in Fort Madison. He served as an associate pastor at St. Paul Parish in Burlington from 1979-82 and St. Mary Parish in Clinton from 1982-84. He was spiritual director of the St. Ambrose Seminary Department from 1984-85 and diocesan vocation director from 1984-89, while also serving as rector from 1985-89. He was then parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Iowa City from 1989-90, pastor of St. Patrick in Ottumwa from 1990-97, pastor of St. Mary Magdalen in Bloomfield from 1997-99 and parochial vicar of St. Mary of the Visitation in Ottumwa from 1997-99. Since 1999 Fr. Herold has been pastor of Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Parish. He was administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish in Petersville in 2006.
• Father Robert Lathrop, 50, will become pastor of All Saints Parish in Keokuk.
He was born in Orlando, Fla., and moved around the country as his father served in the military. After high school he served in the military from 1977-1995 and took early retirement to pursue his undergraduate work. He graduated from St. Ambrose University and completed his theology studies at the University of St. Mary of the Lake at Mundelein Seminary. On June 9, 2001, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Fr. Lathrop served as parochial vicar at Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish in Muscatine from 2001-02, Our Lady of Victory Parish in Davenport from 2002-04, and All Saints Parish in Keokuk and St. Joseph Parish in Montrose from 2004-06. He has served as administrator, then pastor, of St. Patrick Parish in Georgetown, St. Peter Parish in Lovilia and St. Patrick Parish in Melrose since 2006.
• Father Patrick Lumsden, 62, will become pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Georgetown, St. Peter Parish in Lovilia and St. Patrick Parish in Melrose. Born and raised in Iowa City, he attended the University of Iowa and Iowa City Business School before graduating from Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee. He served in the Army for two years and then entered the workforce. He was ordained a permanent deacon for the diocese in 1988. He completed his theology studies at Sacred Heart Seminary at Hales Corners, Wis.
On Jan. 21, 1996, he was ordained to the priesthood at St. Mary Parish in Iowa City by Bishop Franklin. Fr. Lumsden served as parochial vicar at Holy Family Parish in Davenport from 1996-98. From 1998-2000, he served as parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist, St. Patrick and St. Paul parishes in Burlington along with St. Mary Parish in Dodgeville and St. Mary Parish in West Burlington. Those parishes merged to form Ss. John & Paul Parish in Burlington and Ss. Mary & Patrick Parish in West Burlington while he was there.
Fr. Lumsden served as pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Columbus Junction, St. Mary Parish in Dodgeville and St. Mary Parish in Wapello from 2000-04. He has served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in North English and St. Joseph Parish in Parnell since 2004.
• Father Thomas Parlette, 62, will become pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Davenport and St. Peter Parish in Buffalo.
Born in Ohio and raised in Michigan, he graduated from Judson College in Elgin, Ill., and Eastern Baptist Seminary in Philadelphia in 1970 where he studied to be a Baptist minister. He became a civilian employee of the U.S. Army. In 1982 he joined the Catholic Church and studied at St. Ambrose College and completed his theology studies at The Catholic University of America.
On June 23, 1989, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O’Keefe at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Bettendorf. Fr. Parlette served as parochial vicar at All Saints Parish in Keokuk from 1989-90, Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Parish in Clinton from 1990-94, from 1994-95 at St. John the Baptist in Burlington and from 1995-96 at St. Patrick parish in Burlington, St. Mary Parish in West Burlington and St. Mary Parish in Dodgeville. While in Des Moines County, he also was an instructor at Notre Dame High School in Burlington. He then served as pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Knoxville, Sacred Heart Parish in Melcher and St. Mary Parish in Pella from 1996-99, Ss. Mary & Joseph Parish in Fort Madison from 1999-2007, Sacred Heart Parish in Fort Madison from 2004-07 and St. Joseph Parish in Montrose from 2006-07. He has served as pastor of St. Ann Parish in Long Grove since 2007.
• Father Joseph Roost, 62, will remain as pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Marengo and St. Mary Parish in Williamsburg, but add St. Joseph Parish in North English to his duties.
A native of Keokuk, he graduated from St. Vincent School and Cardinal Stritch High School there. He graduated from Loras College in Dubuque. He also studied at St. John University in Collegeville, Minn., and St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore.
He worked for his family’s business before deciding to complete his seminary studies. He graduated from Sacred Heart Seminary at Hales Corners, Wis. On Nov. 25, 1989, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O’Keefe at All Saints in Keokuk.
He served as parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Fort Madison in 1990 and Holy Family Parish in Davenport from 1990-94. He served as pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Colfax and Sacred Heart Parish in Valeria from 1994-96 and has served at Marengo and Williamsburg since 1996.
• Msgr. Drake Shafer, 62, will become pastor of St. Ann Parish in Long Grove.
A native of Davenport, he attended St. Alphonsus School there and graduated from St. Joseph College High School in Edgerton, Wis., where he also did collegiate studies. He graduated from St. Ambrose College and completed his theology studies at the American College of Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. On July 28, 1973, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O’Keefe at St. Alphonsus Church in Davenport.
He served as an associate pastor at St. Mary Parish in Fort Madison from 1973-75. He did advanced studies in Belgium from 1975-76. Upon his return, Fr. Shafer was an associate pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Clinton from 1976-77. From 1977-2000 he served on faculty at St. Ambrose. From 2000-2003 he was vicar general for the Diocese of Davenport. He was on leave from 2003-2008 because of a claim of sexual abuse against him dating back to the 1970s. He was exonerated in late 2008 and returned to active status in the diocese.
