Bishop Kmiec to ordain three men to the priesthood

Rev. Mr. James Fugle	Rev. Mr. James Kirkpatrick	Rev. Mr. Robert Zilliox

Three transitional deacons will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, May 17, by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo. The Mass will take place at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St. in downtown Buffalo, at 10 a.m.

Bishop Kmiec will confer holy orders on Rev. Mr. James L. Fugle, Rev. Mr. James W. Kirkpatrick Jr., and Rev. Mr. Robert W. Zilliox Jr. through the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the imposition of hands.

Rev. Mr. Fugle, 44, a native of Varysburg in Wyoming County, is a graduate of Attica Central School and Canisius College. He also studied with the Art Instruction School in Minneapolis. His employment experience has included working as a subcontractor, nursing home orderly, sketch artist and toll collector.

During his seminary studies, Rev. Mr. Fugle worked at the Response to Love Center, Bishop Timon/St. Jude High School, St. John the Evangelist Parish and Sisters Hospital, all in Buffalo, as well as St. Elizabeth’s Residence, Lancaster. He spent his pastoral year at St. Andrew Parish, Kenmore, and, after his ordination as a transitional deacon, he was assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Lake View.

The youngest of the three men to be ordained, Rev. Mr. Kirkpatrick, 28, grew up in Lewiston and attended Niagara Wheatfield High School and Canisius College before entering Christ the King Seminary. He has five years of work experience at Yankee Doodle Brochure Distribution.

Rev. Mr. Kirkpatrick’s field and summer ministry included time in parishes, health care and social service organizations. He spent a year working at Bissonette House with the late Sister Karen Klimczak, SSJ; VOICE Buffalo; St. Vincent de Paul, North Evans; St. Benedict, Eggertsville; and Sisters Hospital and St. Francis Nursing Home, both in Buffalo. To gain pastoral experience, he served at St. John the Baptist Parish, Lockport, and served as a transitional deacon at St. Benedict, Eggertsville.

Rev. Mr. Zilliox, the third candidate for ordination, is a native of Buffalo. He spent several years as a chef before entering the seminary. He studied at Cardinal O’Hara High School, Canisius College, Wadhams Hall Seminary College, Ogdensburg, and Christ the King Seminary. Upon his ordination as a transitional deacon, Rev. Mr. Zilliox, 42, was assigned to Holy Cross Parish, Buffalo. His field education assignments were in campus ministry at the State University of New York at Buffalo and in the Family Life Department at the Catholic Center. He spent his summer ministry at St. Mary, Medina; Sisters Hospital, Buffalo; Holy Cross, Buffalo; and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Lake View, where he also completed his pastoral year assignment.

Following their ordination, the new diocesan priests will receive their first pastoral assignments at a parish in the eight-county Diocese of Buffalo.