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Priest 25TH Anniversaries
Wings of Faith
Twenty-five years on, ministry of Father Gadenz opens the Word of God to clergy and faithful
BY LOIS ROGERS Correspondent
Father Pablo Gadenz recently marked the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood in a familiar way, by preparing to settle into a new assignment as associate professor of Sacred Scripture in Mount St. Mary Seminary and University, Emmitsburg, Md.
Reflecting on the task that he was invited to assume, with the approval of Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., Father Gadenz noted that opening the door to Scripture for seminarians has been a focus of his ministry since 2008 when he joined the faculty of Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University, South Orange.
As he sees it, this is a vital mission.
For in the classes will be seminarians, including a number from the Trenton Diocese. They will one day preach homilies in its churches, employing the lessons of faith and reason in the Catholic tradition that they learned in these classes, he said.
“I remember Pope John Paul had written on faith and reason that these are the two wings on which, together, we ascend to the truth of God,” said Father Gadenz. “With all the studies, using reason, I try to open up the Word of God in Scripture written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in ways that
will help [them] nourish the faith of Catholics who hear the Scriptures every time they go to Mass.”
BEFORE THE PRIESTHOOD
The youngest of three children of Renato and Cecilia Gadenz, who hailed from Italy, the family emigrated from Italy to the Trenton Diocese by way of Chile and California. Settled in Tinton Falls when he was six years old, the family joined Eatontown’s St. Dorothea Parish where Pablo was a member of the youth group. After graduating from Red Bank Catholic High School as valedictorian in 1984, he commenced studies in electrical engineering in Princeton University, attended Mass regularly and Father Pablo was active in the university’s
Gadenz Catholic campus ministry program at the Aquinas Institute. In an article that appeared in The Monitor in 1996 shortly before his priestly ordination, Father Gadenz noted that he had been “content to serve as a dedicated Catholic layman” while pursuing a master’s degree at Columbia University in New York and working three years of employment at AT&T in Middletown. But, he added, during those three years of secular employment, he “began to see the Lord calling me full time to the
Father Gadenz teaches a group of seminarians by the Sea of Galilee during a visit to the Holy Land in December 2016. Courtesy photo
�� ““I try to open up the Word of God ... in ways that will help [them] nourish the faith of Catholics ...”
service of the Church.”
JOURNEY OF FAITH
In late 1990, he connected with the Trenton Diocese to begin exploring the priesthood. The next year, he began a year of preparatory studies at Franciscan University, Steubenville, Ohio. The following year, he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa.
There, he completed the rigorous mix of priestly formation studies, parish service in the summer in the Trenton Diocese and assignments in the Philadelphia Archdiocese that culminated in his ordination by Bishop John C. Reiss on May 18, 1996.
After serving as parochial vicar in St. Ann Parish, Keansburg, for two years, he was named priest secretary to Bishop John M. Smith, an assignment he held from 1998-2002. “During that time of living and working with the Bishop, we discussed the possibility of further studies with a view to my teaching in a seminary,” Father Gadenz said.
There followed a wide-ranging priestly journey that PRIEST has included ANNIVERSARY pastoral and administrative 25assignments; advanced �� YEARS �� Biblical studies in Rome; educational assignments in seminaries and universities, and completion of a substantial body of research, writing and lecturing on Scripture.
The author of various publications, including a well-received commentary on the Gospel of Luke in the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture Series, Father Gadenz said he gets “energized when I get feedback from people who found the book very helpful.”
“Even if I’m not working day-to-day in a parish,” he said, “I think I’m reaching many people this way through my writing.”
Most recently, he’s also reaching people through Living Word, a television series he co-hosts on the Catholic Faith Network with Bishop Richard Henning, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York.
The show focuses on Biblical foundations, themes, passages and Scriptures of the liturgical year and airs regularly on weekdays.
In ways he likely could not have anticipated when he was ordained, fulfilling these duties reflects his original intention to serve the faithful of the Trenton Diocese “in whatever capacity” the sitting Bishop of Trenton would ask of him.
That capacity right now is centered on teaching in St. Mary Seminary and University. Long drawn to the lectern, Father Gadenz said that when he first decided to become a priest, he thought “teaching would be an aspect of living out my priesthood.”
“One enters the seminary to be a priest,” he said. “And what one does depends on so many different things. I believe the way my priesthood has unfolded is how God has called me to serve the Church at this time.”
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today,
and creates vision for tomorrow.
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Counting on the Spirit
PRIEST
ANNIVERSARY 25
�� YEARS ��
Father Kegley credits Holy Spirit for 25 joyful years
BY JOHN SPINELLI Correspondent
Reflecting on 25 years of priestly ministry, Father Jeff Kegley admits that he wasn’t seeking religious life until an encounter with the Holy Spirit marked a turning point in his future.
“I felt the call to the priesthood after an experience I had with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit – a renewal of the grace of my Baptism – and it changed my life,” reflected the pastor of St. Mary Parish, Middletown. “I first became involved with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in 1985 when two parishioners from St. Ann, [Keansburg], invited me to the New Jersey Charismatic Conference. … �� “The biggest From that moment on my life challenge is hasn’t been the same.” presenting the Gospel in our Father Kegley was ordained May 18, 1996, by Bishop John C. Reiss in St. current culture.” Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton. He began his priestly journey at his current assignment as a parochial vicar and chaplain for Mater Dei High School, now Mater Dei Prep, Middletown. Although the priesthood was not his first aspiration, he came from a faithbased household. St. Ann’s was a great parish to grow up in,” Father Kegley said. “My family was involved with the parish; we always went to holy Mass on Sunday. We had wonderful priests, religious sisters, and amazing parishioners.” Father Jeff Kegley Born to Leon and Kathryn Kegley in May 1959, Father Kegley attended St. Ann School, Keansburg, then graduated from Keansburg High School as a member of the Class in 1978.
After high school, he entered the workforce and was involved in politics at a young age, being elected a county committeeman at 19 and to the town’s Board of Education at 21, serving as board president.
“As a young man, I wanted to work in New York City,” Father Kegley said. “I was hired by a bank that would also pay for college. I enjoyed my 10 years in the banking industry, but God had other plans for me.”
He attended Thomas Edison State University, Trenton, and later studied at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Seton Hall University, South Orange. After his first assignment as paro-
Father Kegley meets with students and faculty during the school’s participation in the diocesan Day of Service in 2018.
Mike Ehrmann photo
chial vicar in Middletown, he served as parochial vicar in the parishes of St. Catharine, Spring Lake, and St. Veronica, Howell; administrator, then pastor in Holy Angels Parish, Trenton, and pastor in St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish in Hamilton, before returning to Middletown in 2012.
Other influencing figures in Father Kegley’s life included a grandmother who was a daily communicant and a great aunt, Sister of Mercy Victoria Kolodziej who was one of the community’s first missionaries to Costa Rica. “I was blessed to have them as great examples of love for the Lord, his Church and his people,” he noted.
Sharing some of the highlights of his ministry, Father Kegley mentioned the establishment of the Catholic youth program, Life Teen, in three parishes in which he has served. “Life Teen’s mission is to lead teens closer to Christ” through the celebration of Holy Mass where the homily and music are directed to teens. Father Kegley has also been involved with establishing perpetual Adoration chapels in St. Mary and St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parishes.
Across 25 years Father Kegley experienced many ups and downs. “The most exciting part about being a priest is celebrating the holy Sacraments,” he explained. “I also love the work of new evangelization, presenting the Gospel in ways that people will have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.
“The biggest challenge is presenting the Gospel in our current culture,” he continued. “Over the years, we have changed so much as a society, we are more secularized, and many people are not dialed in to God or their faith … There are so many
Father Kegley elevates the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament during a celebration for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
in 2017. Ken Falls photo
Continued on 55
Clearly Marked Path
St. JPII, family devotion inspired Father Vicente Magdaraog
BY EMMALEE ITALIA
Contributing Editor
PRIEST
ANNIVERSARY
AAsk most seven-year-olds today about their future plans, and chances are the �� 25 YEARS �� priesthood doesn’t make their top 10 list. But for Father Vicente Magdaraog, parochial vicar in St. James Parish, Red Bank, the choice would have been number one.
However, Father Magdaraog – known affectionately to many as “Father Vic” – will be the first to assert that the priesthood is “not that you just choose to go to school to become a priest – it is a call from God.”
Born in 1964, this year Father Magdaraog marks 25 years of priestly ministry. He believes he knew at seven years old what God had in mind for him because of the deep family faith that surrounded him on all sides in his native Philippines. “Because my parents really loved the Church, we would go to Mass every day, and most especially Sunday,” he remembered fondly. “It’s like the family get-together – church, then breakfast.
Father Vicente Magdaraog “My parents did not push me” toward a vocation, he said, “but my father was always [teaching] me the beauty of priesthood and [example] of married life.”
Father Magdaraog also found profound friendships among the many priests at his family’s parish. He served as an altar boy from fifth grade until college, learning the intricacies of the ministry.
He graduated from Bicol University, Legaspi City, with a bachelor’s degree in industrial education – a degree like automotive engineering that could potentially assist the family business if he was not called to become a priest.
“My father said, ‘You never know, you could be a missionary [in another country] and need to work on cars or fix something in the church,’” he explained. Father Magdaraog celebrates Mass in St. James Church, Red Bank, where he has been assigned as parochial vicar since 2017. John Batkowski photos
Father Magdaraog chose to come to the United States at the suggestion of Father Thomas Gier, a missionary priest and friend. “He said, ‘Remember this, if it were not for the Spanish missionaries [who introduced Catholicism to the Philippines], I do not think you �� “[It’s] not that you just choose would be Catholic.’” to go to school to
He was also influenced by become a priest – it Pope John Paul II, who visited is a call from God.” the Philippines in February 1981. “I was so amazed with him that he was able to preach in Tagalog, like a native Filipino,” Father Magdaraog remembered. “Then I heard his voice to all young people, ‘Do not be afraid of giving up your life for the Church.’”
Destined for Vocation
PRIEST
ANNIVERSARY 25 �� YEARS ��
Celebrating 25 years of priesthood, Father Robles gives all glory to God
BY ROSE O’CONNOR Associate Editor
It might be said that the seeds of Father Ariel Robles’ vocation to the priesthood trace back to his birth.
As Father Robles explains, “In 1969, there was a oneyear old baby boy in the Philippines who was seriously ill. His mother was distressed knowing she could lose her baby anytime. The father, in his strong faith, went to Quiapo church in Manila to pray to the miraculous image of Jesus called ‘The Black Nazarene.’ He walked on his knees, a custom in the Philippines, on the aisle toward the altar begging the Lord to heal his son. His prayer was heard, the baby was cured and grew up to be a healthy young man. “I was that baby boy,” said Father Ariel F. Robles, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, West Trenton.
And on the occasion of his 25 years in the priesthood, he speaks with joy that “The Lord cured me and gave me a second chance to live.
“In gratitude, I offer back my life by serving him as priest. To God be the glory!”
The now 53-year-old Father Robles was one of six children born to Rene and Corazon Robles in Malolos, Philippines.
He attended schools in the Philippines and began his preparation for the priesthood in1985, when he entered Immaculate Conception Seminary, earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He went on to Loyola School of Theology,
Father Ariel Robles greets parishioners following a July 18 Mass in Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, West Trenton,
Mike Ehrmann photo
Ateneo de Manila, and received a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology in 1995. Father Robles was ordained in Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Manilla, Philippines, July 31, 1996.
Upon his ordination, Father Robles served as a professor and later as dean of studies in Immaculate Conception Seminary in the Philippines. He also served as a parochial vicar in several parishes in his home diocese from 1996-1998 and again from 2004-2007.
In 2008, Father Robles arrived in the United States and served as parochial Father Ariel Robles vicar in St. James Parish, Red Bank, during which time he also pursued post-graduate studies in Seton Hall University, South Orange. Following the death of longtime pastor Msgr. Philip A. Lowery in 2019, Father Robles took on the role of parish administrator and remained there until July 2020, when he became pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish.
As he reflects on his priesthood, Robles remains committed to bringing Jesus to those he serves, something he believes is his greatest accomplishment.
“The people can give a priest so many compliments: ‘Father, you’re a very good manager’ …. ‘Father, you give good homilies’… but the greatest compliment I have ever received was this: ‘Father, thank you for always giving me Jesus.’
“Giving Jesus to the people – that is the essence of the priesthood, and that is what I learned for the past 25 years as a priest,” he said. “A priest may be an excellent speaker, or a good manager, or he may be good at handling big projects, but if he fails to give Jesus to the people, then his priesthood is a failure. Mother Teresa put it so well when she said to the priests: ‘Give us Jesus, only Jesus, always Jesus.’”
Father Robles shared that whatever blessings his priesthood has brought the people in the Diocese of Trenton is all due to God’s glory and grace.
“Everything is God’s work. Everything is grace,” he said of his 12 years in St. James Parish and now at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish. “Whatever little things I did for these two parishes are not my achievements, but God’s.” Father Robles’ humility is matched by his sense of gratitude to those who have provided guidance and support.
“I am very thankful to Bishop David O’Connell, the late Msgr. Philip Lowery, and my brother priests with whom I worked in Red Bank, for trusting and helping me reach where I am now.”
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Congratulations and best wishes to the following priests and deacons: ST. BARNABAS, BAYVILLE Fr. Daniel Price ~ 5 years Fr. Carlos Florez ~ 10 years ST. ALOYSIUS, JACKSON Fr. John Bambrick ~ 30 years ST. DOMINIC, BRICK Fr. Mike McClane ~ 15 years Fr. Brian Woodrow ~ 15 years ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, BRANT BEACH Deacon Robert Cunningham ~ 20 years ST. BARNABAS, BAYVILLE Deacon George Swanson ~ 15 years ST. ALOYSIUS, JACKSON Deacon Uku Mannikus ~ 20 years ST. MARY, BARNEGAT Deacon Philip Fiore ~ 20 years Deacon Patrick Martin ~ 25 years Deacon Robert Klein ~ 25 years OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, LAKEWOOD Deacon Silverius Galvan ~ 25 years EPIPHANY, BRICK Deacon Michael Mullarkey ~ 25 years Deacon Ronald Nowak ~40 years ST. ELIZABETH, WHITING Deacon Kyran Purcell ~30 years Deacon Ralph Cordasco ~ 40 years ST. JOHN PARISH, LAKEHURST Deacon James Gonzalez ~ 15 years
St. Aloysius Parish and Staff JACKSON Wish to thank and congratulate Very Rev. John P. Bambrick, V.F. For 30 years of service
Always for Others
You are the image and likeness of God But with you the morning awakens With the call to rise Not for you But always for others. God handpicked you from a myriad of souls Molded you since you were a babe To prepare you for a journey Not for you But always for others. God blessed you with wisdom To use to give form to his plans And love to carry them out Not for you But always for others. Mary walks with you Guiding and loving you For to her you are a Christ Not for you But always for others. You hold the Body of Christ Embrace his name and proclaim it And a father and counselor you have become Not for you But always for others. God forever bless you Walk and carry you when your feet are weary Bring peace and joy to your heart For though your life is never for you It is Christ’s and he delights in you.
Copyright © 2013 Easter Almuena
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PRIEST
ANNIVERSARY
25 �� YEARS �� Father Rubiano greets parishioners after celebrating Sunday Mass.
Hal Brown photo
With God’s grace
PRIEST
ANNIVERSARY 25
�� YEARS ��
Father Rubiano attributes 25 years in the priesthood to hearing God’s call, little by little
BY LOIS ROGERS Correspondent
In a quiet area amid the otherwise bustling corridors of Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Father Cesar Rubiano thumbed through the lengthy list of Catholic patients he received upon checking in after Mass in Holy Innocents Church, Neptune.
For the recently arrived full-time Catholic chaplain at the 700 bed, Level II trauma center, rounds begin daily at 11 a.m. Since statistics show 60 percent of the patients in the Medical Center at any given time are apt to be Catholic, the rounds will �� “I began to hear this call and likely go on for some time. little by little, I
Still, Father Rubiano, who listened to it.” this year marks the 25th anniversary of his ordination, found time to share insights on the journey that led to this ministry of prayer, comfort and consolation which began, he said, not with a call in the traditional sense, but in an ever-deepening interest in Catholicism.
“Growing up in Colombia, I was a Presbyterian in youth ministry and in the first year of high school,” he said. “I became interested in participating in a Holy Week in the Catholic faith. My attraction to it was not dogma, but history.”
“I was fascinated about knowing what was behind the Church for 2,000 years when the churches of the Reformation had at most 500 years behind them,” Father Rubiano, who resides in Holy Innocents Parish, said. “This opportunity opened my eyes.”
ALONG THE WAY
From his description, the journey built steadily from there.
One of three children of Fanny A. de Rubiano and Gonzalo V. Rubiano, young Cesar was born in October, 1967 in San Juan Rioseco, Colombia. He studied for the priesthood at Valmaria Major Seminary of the Eudist Fathers and was ordained there for the Eudist-Congregation of Jesus and Mary on March 30, 1996, by then Bishop Carlos Jose Ruiseco, now Archbishop Emeritus of Cartagena de Ludias, Colombia. “Through years of study in Colombia and during ministry, I began to hear this Father Cesar Rubiano call, and little by little, I listened to it. I obeyed it and followed the call and with God’s grace, I remained faithful,” he said. “Most of my ministry has involved assisting those with the power to serve (the faithful)” he said. They include Father Rafael Garcia Herreros, Colombian leader of the Charismatic Catholic Minuto de Dios organization, whose cause for sainthood is underway, he said.
The call persisted when he was sent to live in the United States by his congregation shortly after ordination and throughout his first assignment to the campus ministry program in San Diego State University, a subsequent hospital chaplaincy and outreach to those with HIV/AIDS in
Divine Word Father Miguel Virella, front, center, stands with the team of priests who were charged to minister to the newly formed parish of Mother of Mercy in this 2012 photo. Shown from left are Divine Word Father Florencio L. Lagura, Voluntas Dei Father Paul Janvier and Divine Word Father George Koottappillil. Craig Pittelli photo
God is Calling
Service at heart of Father Virella’s 25-year priesthood
BY MATT GREELEY Special Contributor
“The Lord God calls us to serve.” For Divine Word Father Miguel Virella, these words continue to inspire his priestly vocation that has now reached its 25-year milestone.
Born in 1956 in Ciales, Puerto Rico, the young Miguel first entered the Servants of Mary as a “servite” and was Divine Word Father sent to Epworth, Iowa, to study English Miguel Virellaas a second language in a seminary run by Divine Word Missionaries. There were people from many cultures and places there, and that multicultural environment was something that fed his soul and aided his discernment process toward a missionary priestly vocation.
The now current pastor of Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park, made his first profession of vows Aug. 22, 1992 with the Society of the Divine Word in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Ill. He professed his perpetual vows there Sept. 16, 1995, and was ordained to the priesthood March 23, 1996. His first assignment as a priest was St. Anthony Claret Parish (now part of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish), Lakewood, in the Diocese of Trenton.
As a priest of the Diocese, Father Virella has since served in St. Rose of Lima Parish, Freehold; Our Lady of Providence Parish, Neptune, as well as St. Peter Claver and Holy Spirit Parishes in Asbury Park. In 2012, Mother of Mercy Parish
Divine Word Father Miguel Virella was principal celebrant of the last Mass to be celebrated in Holy Spirit Church, one of two worship sites of Mother of Mercy Parish,
June 10. Vic Mistretta photo
Congratulations Congratulations Msgr. Richard LaVerghetta ... 35 YEARS! Msgr. Richard LaVerghetta ... 35 YEARS! Our community is blessed because you answered the call!
PRIEST Our community is blessed because you answered the call All our best to you from your friends at, !
ANNIVERSARY All our best to you from your friends at,
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was created through the mergers and restructuring of these three parishes along with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, also in Asbury Park.
It was the call to serve the poor that resonated with Father Virella as a young man. “My first call was to serve the poorer communities… When serving the poor, there is joy, as well as, suffering.”
“The Lord God calls us to be his servants… to serve. We are called to serve. We are called to work. We are called to care for those who are entrusted to us.”
Reflecting on his first 25 years as a priest, Father Virella remembered being newly ordained and how he “wanted to change the world.”
“I wanted to be there for everything… for all the Baptisms, the weddings, the funerals, the gatherings in their homes. I wanted to be there in court with them, interpreting for them whenever they were in the hospital or in jail,” he shared. “When I was first ordained, it was a beautiful stage I was in. I still want to do all this, but the energy is not the same.”
One of the looming challenges of Father Virella’s priesthood has been the closing of parishes. Of his 25 years as a Catholic priest, 21 have been spent in the parishes of Asbury Park, where he has accompanied the faith community through transitions of parish closures, mergers and moves.
“I always ask everybody to trust in God and to hope for a stronger and vibrant parish in the future. I share with people that in today’s world, this is the reality of the Church. It is not only in our parish, but �� “I always ask everybody to trust in many parishes.” But that trust and hope is easier said than done because, as Father in God and to hope Virella explained, many for a stronger and generations have baptized vibrant parish in their children, gotten married, the future.” buried their families and so much more in all the churches of Asbury Park, noting that Holy Spirit Church opened in 1889.
It is in the simple things where Father Virella said he finds faith and spiritual nourishment. “Through the relationships with the community, I am strengthened. Through the faith that the families have, I find the motivation and strength to continue my ministry with joy.”
In looking to what’s to come in his priesthood, Father Vire- G. Oliverie, Mgr NJ Lic # 3833 lla said he feels a connection with Moses. “I use that image of Moses because Moses’ relationship with God was one of trust. He tried to do what God asked him to do and he went on even though it was challenging.”
“My hope is that I can continue serving God and the people for as long as I live,” he said. “Al final de mi vida, quisiera morir aun sirviendo… con las botas puestas y bien gastadas. I am grateful to God for having called me to serve!”
