Five Parish Priests from the United States to Participate in International Meeting of Priests in Rome

This release has been edited with updated information provided to USCCB Public Affairs by the USCCB’s synod team.

WASHINGTON – Last month, the Holy See announced a global gathering of parish priests as part of the Synod on Synodality to be held this spring in Rome. “Parish Priests for the Synod: An International Meeting,” will be held April 28-May 2.

At the request of the Holy See, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was asked to submit a list of five priests who have been participating in synodality in their local parishes to send to the meeting. Per the guidelines of the Vatican’s General Secretariat of the Synod, the USCCB selected four Latin Rite priests, and one Eastern Catholic priest to represent the United States. In consultation with the local bishop, the priests were selected based on the parameters set forth by the Synod Secretariat, including levels of engagement with the Synod, and in consultation with the USCCB’s Executive Committee.

For more information on the meeting, please visit: https://www.synod.va/en/news/parish-priests-for-the-synod.html.

The following priests were selected to participate:

• Rev. Artur Bubnevych
  Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix
  Pastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church (Albuquerque, N.M.)
   
• Rev. Joseph Friend
  Diocese of Little Rock
  Pastoral Administrator, Holy Cross Church (Crossett, Ark.), Holy Spirit Church (Hamburg, Ark.), and Our Lady of the Lake Church (Lake Village, Ark.)
   
• Rev. Luis Navarro
  Diocese of Stockton
  Pastor, St. George Church (Stockton, Calif.)
   
• Rev. Donald J. Planty, Jr.
  Diocese of Arlington
  Pastor, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church (Arlington, Va.)
   
• Rev. William Swichtenberg
  Diocese of Green Bay
  Pastor, St. Mary’s Parish (Appleton, Wis.)

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