Priests Assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish

Records go back to 1844, when the parish was formally established as the “Staunton Mission.” It became a pastorate in 1845.

1844-57The Rev. Daniel Downey, Pastor
1858-59The Rev. T. O. AI Sears, Pastor
1859-61St. Francis was visited by the Rev. John Teeling or another priest from Richmond every 4th Sunday.
1861-66The Rev. Joseph Bixio, S.J., Pastor (In 1867 he was sent by his superiors to California.)
1866-67The church was visited monthly by Father Ferran and other priests from Lynchburg.
1867-71The Rev. J. Ambler Weed, Pastor
1871-1900The Rev. John McVerry, Pastor
Assistants: The Rev. John E. Reilly, 1874-76;
the Rev. Peter Fitzsimmons, 1875-78;
the Rev. Hugh J. McKeefry, 1878-80;
the Rev. Jacobus O’Farrell, 1880-83;
the Rev. E. E. Maynadier, 1883-84;
the Rev. Charles E. Donahoe, 1884-85;
the Rev. William B. Hanly, 1885;
the Rev. Lawrence F. Kelly, 1885-88;
the Rev. W Fallon, 1889-92;
the Rev. William Hanly, 1891;
the Rev. W G. Payne, 1892-98;
the Rev. Fred J. Lucke, 1897-98;
the Rev. F. X. McCarthy, 1899-1900
1900-06The Rev. Joseph Frioli, Pastor;
the Rev. J. Van Ingelgem, Asst.
1906-09The Rev. William A. McKeefry, Pastor;
the Rev. John A. Curran, Asst., 1907-09
1909-11The Rev. William A. McKeefry, Rector;
the Rev. John A. Curran, Administrator
Assistants: The Rev. William A Gill, 1909-10;
the Rev. Ambrose Gallagher, O.S.B. (summers)
1912-13The Rev. William A. McKeefry, Pastor
Assistants: The Rev. William A. Gill, 1912;
the Rev. William D. Delaney, 1913
1913-16The Rev. Timothy J. Crowe, Pastor
Assistants: The Rev. T. Bernard Martin, 1913-14;
the Rev. James Hanratty, 1914-15;
the Rev. John Kornbrust, 1914;
the Rev. E. A. Brosnan, 1915-16
1916-17The Rev. Joseph J. DeGryse, Administrator;
the Rev. P. F. O’Kane, Asst.
1918-20The Rev. Joseph J. DeGryse, Rector
Assistants: The Rev. William J. Meredith, 1918-19;
the Rev. Edward P. Kilgalen, 1919-20;
the Rev. Patrick J. Morahan, 1919-20
1920-27The Rev. Timothy J. Crowe, Rector
Assistants: The Rev. Patrick J. Morahan, 1921-22;
the Rev. Edward P. Kilgalen, 1921-24;
the Rev. Thomas A. Healey, 1924-25;
the Rev. Julian F. Bullock, 1925-27;
the Rev. Emmett P. Gallagher, 1927
1927-37The Rev. Timothy J. Crowe, Rector;
the Rev. Emmett P. Gallagher, Administrator
Assistants: The Rev. Julian E Bullock, 1928-29;
the Rev. Charles Cornaskey, 1930-31;
the Rev. Peter Van Ganzewinkel, 1932;
the Rev. Thomas J. Walsh, 1933;
the Rev. Bernard J. McKenna, 1933-36;
the Rev. J. Bernard Moore, 1935-36;
the Rev. Edmund C. Kiefer, 1936-37
1937-47The Rev. Emmett P. Gallagher, Pastor
Assistants: The Rev. Edmund C. Kiefer, 1937-38;
the Rev John J. Donovan, 1938-39;
the Rev. R. Guillozet, C.P.P.S., 1939;
the Rev. Patrick J. Tierney, 1940;
the Rev. Albert P. Campbell, 1940-41;
the Rev. John E McMahon, 1941-46;
the Rev. Michael J. Hartigan (resident), 1941-43;
the Rev. Edwin J. Lee, 1944-45;
the Rev. Donfred H. Stockert, C.P.P.S., 1945-47
1947-51The Rev. James P. Gacquin, V.F., Pastor
Assistants: The Rev. Donfred H. Stockert, C.P.P.S., 1947-49;
the Rev. Thomas E Egan, 1949-50
1951-53The Rev. Francis J. Klemmer, V.F., Pastor
Assistants: The Rev. Thomas E Egan, 1951-52;
the Rev. Francis Bowler, 1953
1953The Rev. Donfred H. Stockert, Administrator (for 5 months following the death of Father Klemmer)
1953-64The Rev. James H. McConnell, Pastor
1964-66The Rev. William D. McGonigle, Pastor
1966-68The Rev. Paul T. Gaughan, Pastor
1968-70The Rev. R. Roy Cosby, Pastor
Assistants: The Rev. Francis G. Bowler, the Rev. Gerald Brouwer, C.I.C.M., and the Rev. Roland E. Leveille, 1969-70
1970-71The Rev. John J. Munley, Pastor
Assistants: The Rev. Gerald Brouwer, C.I.C.M., 1970-71, the Rev. Ralph Hamlet and the Rev. Robert Warren, 1971
1971-73The Rev. Anthony Justs, Pastor
Assistants: The Rev. Ralph Hamlet and the Rev. Robert Warren
1973-76The Rev. Thomas Summers, Pastor
Assistants: The Rev. Ralph Hamlet, the Rev. Robert Warren, and the Rev. Thomas Henry, 1974
1976-81The Rev. William S. O’Brien, Pastor
1981-89The Rev. Hollis Gregory Dean Dodge, Pastor
1989-2005The Rev. John A. Abe, Pastor;
Assistant: The Rev. Francis P. Ernst, S.J., 1994
Deacon: The Rev. James Kledzik, 2004-2017
2005-2011The Rev. Gerald Przywara, Pastor (on leave 2008-2011)
2008-2011The Rev. Burt Sare, Administrator (Pastor, February-July 2011)
2011-2021The Rev. Joseph Wamala
2021-PresentThe Rev. Matthias Lusembo

Priestly and Religious Vocations from St. Francis of Assisi Parish

Information and images courtesy of parishioner Joan Kivlighan Murphy

Mass card for Msgr. William Meredith (died January 28, 1953)

Mass card for Msgr. William Meredith (died January 28, 1953)


Mass card for Fr. Edward Kilgalen (died September 11, 1945)

Mass card for Fr. Edward Kilgalen (died September 11, 1945)


Mass card for Fr. Thomas Mitchell (died March 4, 1950)

Mass card for Fr. Thomas Mitchell (died March 4, 1950)

Over the years St. Francis has fostered the vocations of the following men to the priesthood:

The Rev. Timothy O’Brien1878-1880
The Rev. Michael Dineen1878-1880 (Fr. Dineen and Fr. O’Brien were the first men to enter the priesthood from St. Francis)
The Right Rev. Monsignor William J. MeredithOrdained at St. Francis on December 22, 1917, and later served as pastor of Blessed Sacrament in Harrisonburg (the large crucifix hanging over the sanctuary was a gift from Msgr. Meredith).
The Rev. Edward Payne KilgalenOrdained in Baltimore on May 16, 1918, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Francis on May 19, 1918.
The Rev. Thomas Edward MitchellOrdained in Rome on March 12, 1927, and later received a doctorate in theology at the North American College in Rome, served as Director of Catholic Charities, and eventually became Dean of Social Service at the Catholic University of America.
The Rev. Robert O. HickmanOrdained in Rome on May 30, 1936, and later served as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Harrisonburg and as Chancellor of the Diocese of Richmond.
The Rev. William O’BrienAttended St. Francis Parish and School, served as pastor of St. Francis from 1975 to 1981, and appointed later as pastor of St. Andrew’s in Roanoke and St. John’s in Waynesboro.
The Rev. Dillon BruceOrdained in Richmond, Virginia, on June 25, 2022, and served as parochial vicar of St. Vincent de Paul, Newport News; St. Mary Star of the Sea, Fort Monroe; and St. Joseph, Hampton.

St. Francis has also fostered the vocations of the following sisters:

Sister Mary Bernard Noonan
Sister Margaret Stack
Sister Elizabeth Stack
Sister Romana Dineen
Sister Helen McAleer		Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul
Sister Marian KivlighanSchool Sisters of Notre Dame
Sister Sophie Barrat (Crickard)Missionary Helpers of the Sacred Heart
Sister Marie SheehanSisters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky
Sister Mary Karen ToomaySisters of Life