JULY 30, 2015 • www.TrentonMonitor.com
ANNIVERSARIES Continued from • S-25
Father Philip Cordisco
T
rinitarian Father Philip Cordisco was born Oct. 7, 1932, in Bristol, Pa. He grew up in St. Ann Parish, Bristol, Pa., a parish staffed by Trinitarian priests, and attended the parish school which was operated by Trinitarian sisters. Following in their footsteps, he attended St. John DeMatha Preparatory Seminary, Hyattsville, Md., and entered the novitiate of the Trinitarian Fathers in Sacred Heart Monastery, Pikesville, Md., in 1951. He professed temporary vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in 1952, embarked upon his collegiate studies in The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and made his permanent profession of vows in 1955. He was ordained to the priesthood June 4, 1960, by Bishop John McNamara in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. As a priest, Father Cordisco has served as parochial vicar and as pastor in Trinitarian parishes in Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey – including serving as pastor of his home parish in Bristol. In the Diocese of Trenton, Father Cordisco has served in St. James Parish, Trenton, which is now part of Incarnation-St. James Parish, Ewing, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Asbury Park – which has since become part of Mother of Mercy Parish. In St. James, he was parochial vicar from 1961 to 1965, was pastor from 1975 to 1978, and returned to St. James as parochial vicar from 1987 to 2007. In Our Lady of Mount Carmel, he was pastor from 1971 to 1975. In 2007, Father Cordisco became a weekend assistant in Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, and chaplain of St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton. In 2011, he was installed as chaplain to the Hamilton Township #6213 and Trenton Council #355 of
the Knights of Columbus. He currently resides in Incarnation-St. James Parish, Ewing and assists with Masses in Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, and Incarnation and St. James Parish.
Father Lawrence Kunnel
F
ather Lawrence Kunnel was born Jan. 25, 1933 in Ayarkunnam, India. His faith journey began during his time in St. Mary High School in Ayrkunnam, a town in the southern Indian state of Kerala. In commencing his studies and preparation for the priesthood, Father Kunnel contacted the ordinary of the religious order his older brother, a Capuchin Franciscan priest, had joined. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1960 by Bishop Thomas Pothakmurry in Bangalore. As a young priest, he traveled widely on behalf of the order, serving in a number of capacities including: pastoral student and assistant at St. Francis Cathedral, Nagpor, India; diocesan chaplain for Young Christian Workers, Young Christian Students, and the Newman Club at St. Francis Friary, Cochin, India. Also, while in India, he was named pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Bhopal, in 1968. He then served as guardian and assistant novice master in St. Louis Friary, Palmaner. He was the guardian, rector and pastor at Franciscan Philosophical and Theological Seminary, Banglaore, and guardian and pastor of St. Francis Friary Church, Heyderabad. He decided in 1986 to come to the United States to continue his ministry, receiving an invitation from thenBishop John C. Reiss of the Trenton Diocese. Incardinated into the Diocese in 1990, he served as parochial vicar in St. Raphael Parish, Hamilton, for five years. He also served as parochial vicar in St. Catherine Parish, Middletown, before being assigned to Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune, where he served as parochial vicar until his retirement at the age of 75 at which time he returned to his native India.
Father Jose Fernandez-Bangueses
F
ather Jose Fernandez-Bangueses, parochial vicar of St. Mark Parish, Sea Girt, was born in Arnoia, Orense, Spain, on April 23, 1945. He prepared for the priesthood in the Diocesan Seminary of Orense and the University of Conpostela where he earned degrees in both English and Spanish. He was ordained on Sept. 7, 1970 by Bishop Miguel A. Arauxo Iglesias. While in Spain, Father Fernandez-Bangueses served as parochial vicar, administrator and pastor in several
parishes, as well as teacher, and director of the migration apostolate and vocations of his diocese and teacher in the diocesan seminary. Upon coming to the United States, Father Fernandez-Bangueses served in the Archdiocese of Newark and was assigned as parochial vicar in St. John Parish, Orange, and, later, in St. Joseph of the Palisades Parish, West New York. He came to the Diocese of Trenton in 2006 and was assigned as parochial vicar in Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, until June 2010 when he was named parochial vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Red Bank, and then as parochial vicar of St. Mark Parish last year. He was incardinated into the Diocese in 2008. See Priest • S-29