Seven ordained transitional deacons

Detroit — Seven men studying for the priesthood locally were ordained transitional deacons April 12 at Sacred Heart Major Seminary’s chapel. Deacons Mario Amore, Sean Bonner, Brian Meldrum, Jacob VanAssche and Radoslaw Zablocki are expected to be ordained priests next year for the Archdiocese of Detroit, while Bro. Jeremy Davis and Bro. Beau Schweitzer will be ordained priests for the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT). Deacon Zablocki is studying at SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake. The seven were ordained by Bishop Jeffrey Monforton of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, former rector of Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

Former church becomes Maronite parish

Livonia — The former St. Maurice Parish church in Livonia is once again home to a Catholic community. The former Roman rite church, which merged in 2012 with nearby St. Genevieve, was purchased last August by St. Rafka Maronite Catholic Mission and officially became St. Rafka Maronite Catholic Church on April 6. Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Eastern-rite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, based in St. Louis, celebrated a Mass of dedication for the new parish. St. Rafka has seen growing membership for the past eight years, according to Fr. Tony Massad, its pastor.

Catholic Central appoints new principal

Novi — Fr. Dennis Noelke, CSB, will become the 20th principal of Detroit Catholic Central High School on July 1, the Novi school has announced. Fr. Noelke, a Detroit native and Catholic Central graduate (1971), has previously served as president of Holy Redeemer High School in Detroit and secretary/treasurer general of the Basilian Fathers in Toronto. Fr. Noelke succeeds Fr. John Huber, CSB, who will become the school’s fourth president. Fr. Noelke’s uncle, Fr. Bill Gibbons, is also a past Catholic Central principal.