Visiting Clergy

Visiting Priests

Throughout the season we are honored to welcome distinguished priests from across the country. Below are our current and upcoming visits, along with a look back at those who have joined us in years past.

Upcoming & Current

No visiting priests are scheduled at the moment — please check back soon for upcoming visits.

Welcome a Priest

Interested in inviting your priest to Ocean Reef?

If you know a priest who would be a blessing to our community, we would love to hear from you. Share their details through our inquiry form and our team will follow up.

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Past Visits

2026 17 visits

Fr. Tom Fanta

Apr 11 – Apr 12

Rev. Tom Fanta grew up the 4th of eight children in North Olmsted, Ohio. He graduated from John Carroll University with a Business Degree. He has a Masters Degree from St. Mary Seminary and a Doctorate in Preaching from The Aquinas Institute in St. Louis, MO. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1988 and has been pastor at St. Dominic since 2001. Rev. Fanta is a former board member at Thea Bowman Center, West Side Catholic Center, St. Ignatius High School Board of Regents. St. Dominic has more than 500 volunteers in their "Project Serve" initiative, which offers opportunities to serve the poor and forgotten in our local community as well as at our partner parish, Santo Domingo, in El Salvador. The church partners with the Thea Bowman Center in the Mt. Pleasant Community, Ronald McDonald House, West Side Catholic Center, St. Herman's House, and the Warrensville Developmental center to provide both volunteers and financial support for their efforts. More than 200 parishioners have gone on mission trips to its partner parish in El Salvador, where they sponsor a medical clinic, a teaching farm, and make it possible for 36 Salvadorans to attend college.

April 19, 2026 visit cancelled

Fr. Gary Kastl

Apr 5

Fr.Gary Kastl is the full time Vicar General for the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Tulsa in 2007, Fr. Kastl has served as the Associate Pastor at the Church of St. Mary, Pastor at St. Pius X, Pastor of St. Anne Catholic Church and has served in several leadership capacities for the Diocese of Tulsa, including Chair of the Priestly Life and Ministry Committee, the Director of Continuing Education for the Diocesan Clergy and the Coordinator of Priest Retreats and Study Days Fr. Kastl ministered in a full time capacity with Catholic Leadership Institute for two years as the Manager of Ministry Development before being asked to return to his diocese by his bishop to be a pastor of a parish. Fr. Kastl graduated from Conception Seminary College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and continued his theological studies and formation at St. Meinrad School of Theology in Southern Indiana. Fr Kastl has also completed a year long leadership intensive with the Stagen Institute in Dallas. Fr. Kastl is currently a member of many boards in the Diocese of Tulsa, Chaplain to the Legatus Chapter in Tulsa, Board member of Saint Francis Healthcare System, Tulsa.

Easter — 8:30 AM

His Eminence Cardinal Wilton Gregory

Mar 28 – Mar 29

Wilton Cardinal Gregory is the first African American Cardinal in the Catholic Church. Cardinal Gregory has generously served in a variety of leadership roles in our local and global Church communities. Appointed to the College of Cardinals in 2020 by Pope Francis, Cardinal Gregory is a leading voice in the Catholic Church for racial and social justice, immigration reform, and numerous life issues that challenge our unity in our shared humanity and ability to treat each other with dignity and respect. In 2019, he was installed as the seventh Archbishop of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. Pope Francis accepted his resignation, at age 77, in 2025. As a young priest, Cardinal Gregory first served in his hometown of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He was then installed as the bishop of Belleville, Illinois, before being appointed the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 2004. In 2001, he was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the first time an African American bishop held that position. Under Cardinal Gregory’s leadership, the bishops implemented the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” a comprehensive document that responded to the sexual abuse crisis within the Church, outlining guidelines and procedures for abuse prevention, accountability, reconciliation, and healing. Cardinal Gregory has written and spoken prolifically on the intersection of social justice and faith. As Archbishop of Washington, he led The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington with the initiative “Made in God’s Image: Pray and Work to End the Sin of Racism (CCC 1935),” providing opportunities for community prayer, social justice involvement, and education to combat racial injustice. Cardinal Gregory is a member of the Vatican Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life and on the Board of Trustees for the Papal Foundation. Additionally, he is the Catholic Co-Chair of the National Council of Synagogues consultation for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In July 2023, Cardinal Gregory was appointed by Pope Francis as a member for the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. In 2025, he participated as a cardinal elector in the papal conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.

Fr. Rocky Hoffman

Mar 21 – Mar 22

Rev. Francis J. Hoffman “Fr. Rocky” serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Relevant Radio. Since 2003, Fr. Rocky has been a regular contributor to the Relevant Radio programs and has served as CEO since 2010. Born and raised in suburban Chicago (Mundelein), Fr. Hoffman has been a member of Opus Dei for over 40 years. Ordained as a priest in 1992, he holds a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, an M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, and a B.A.from Northwestern University in History. Prior to his ordination, he worked in sales for the Inland Steel Company and later in tax and audit for Crowe, Chizek and Company, CPAs. For over 30 years, Fr. Hoffman has ministered to youth, serving in education since 1996. Prior to joining Relevant Radio, Fr. Hoffman served as Chaplain of Northridge Preparatory School in Niles, Illinois, a college prep school for boys in grades 6-12. During the summers of 1994-2009, he worked with the rural poor in the mountain regions of central Mexico. He is an author of seven books and has appeared on the major television and radio networks. He currently hosts the Family Rosary Across America every evening at 7:00 PM CT, sponsored by Ave Maria University. Relevant Radio broadcasts 24/7 on over 215 AM and FM stations in the USA, including all top 20 markets. Five million persons tune in during the course of the year, with 3 billion prayers prayed in 2022. The Relevant Radio App is the #1 Catholic radio app in the world with over 22 million sessions in 2022.

Fr. Lukas M. Laniauskas

Mar 14 – Mar 15

Father Lukas M. Laniauskas, SJ, was born to a Lithuanian-American family in Cleveland, Ohio, where he attended Catholic schools that helped develop his vocation. He and his three siblings were raised by Egle (Giedraitis) and Marius Laniauskas. He graduated from Lake Catholic High School in Mentor, Ohio, and studied at Loyola University Chicago and Loyola Chicago’s Rome Center. During college, Fr. Laniauskas visited several religious orders and discerned the priesthood, but while in Italy, he met the provincial of the Jesuits’ Lithuanian Province, whose question — “Where do you think God’s calling you?” — ultimately led Fr. Laniauskas to join the Society of Jesus in Lithuania. He returned to the United States after completing the novitiate and earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Loyola University Chicago, before serving as chair of the theology department and teaching junior high and high school students at St. John’s Jesuit High School and Academy in Toledo, Ohio. As a Jesuit, Fr. Laniauskas obtained a Master of Divinity degree through the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, Calif., while also serving as chaplain to the Berkeley Fire Department. He was a deacon at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Oakland, Calif., and has served on the board of trustees for a Lithuanian youth camp and remained an active member of other Lithuanian communities throughout the United States. He will serve as chaplain at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago and pursue a doctorate in ministry.

Fr. Edward Seton Fittin

Mar 9 – Mar 13

Fr. Edward Seton Fittin continues to follow the advice of his novice master: Whenever an opportunity arises, say ‘yes’. “I never could have predicted doing some of the things I have done since arriving at the monastery,” says Fr. Edward Seton. “Being a monk has brought me around the world, but each journey began with discernment and a response to God’s invitation.” Fr. Edward Seton serves as prior of St Mary’s Abbey, the second in command, and teaches in the Theology of Delbarton School. He also oversees an annual exchange program with Glenstal Abbey School in Co. Limerick, Ireland. The program allows a group of Delbarton and Glenstal students to visit these Benedictine schools in the winter and spring, respectively. Fr. Edward Seton is also a weekend assistant at St. Joseph Church in nearby Mendham. Fr. Edward Seton is also the liturgy director and abbey advancement officer.

Fr. Timothy Kesicki

Mar 7 – Mar 8

Fr. Timothy Kesicki, SJ is the Rector of the Bellarmine House of Studies at Saint Louis University. Before this, he served as president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States based in Washington, D.C. He served as provincial superior of the Chicago and Detroit provinces from 2008 – 2014 and was president of Saint Ignatius High School from 2000 – 2008. He has done graduate work in philosophy, theology, and educational administration at Loyola Chicago, Santa Clara University, Xavier, New Orleans, and Columbia Teachers College. He has ministered with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Uganda and secondary schools in the Midwest. He currently serves on the boards of Loyola University Chicago, and Pine Ridge Indian School in South Dakota. He Chairs the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Trust. Father Kesicki entered the Jesuit Order in 1984 after graduating from John Carroll University. He was ordained a priest in 1994.

Fr. Mike Schmitz

Feb 28

Father Mike Schmitz is the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth as well as the Chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The Duluth Newman Center focuses on being fed through the Sacraments as well as study and knowledge of the Church and has thrived under his humble and Spirit-filled guidance. He has preached to thousands locally and nationally. He is the host of the widely popular podcasts, “Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year” produced by Ascension. Father Mike also offers weekly homilies on iTunes, Hallow, and bulldogCatholic.org and has appeared in programs for youth and young adults through Ascension Press, as well as through regular short video messages on Ascension Presents.

Daily Mass, 8:00 AM

Fr. Jim Greenfield

Feb 28 – Mar 1

Rev. James J. Greenfield, OSFS, is the fourth president of DeSales University. He became the first alumnus of the university to serve as president when he began the position on Jan. 1, 2018. He previously served as the provincial of the eastern province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales from 2008 to 2018. While provincial, he served as president of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men. He taught human development at The George Washington University and pastoral theology at The Catholic University of America and the former Washington Theological Union, all in Washington, D.C. He serves on the boards of the Minsi Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America; Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network; St. Luke’s Hospital-Sacred Heart Hospital; and Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, Inc. He also serves on two higher education boards — the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities — and on the boards for two Catholic high schools in Philadelphia. He earned a degree in politics at DeSales University, a masters of divinity at the DeSales School of Theology, and a masters degree in counseling and doctoral degree in human development at The George Washington University. He is a certified counselor and author of a number of articles on religious life, life-long faith formation, and the intersection of spirituality and human development.

Fr. Ray O'Brien

Feb 21 – Feb 22

Rev. Raymond C. O'Brien, professor of law, is a graduate of La Salle University and the University of Virginia Law School. In addition, he has earned a master's degree in church administration and a doctorate in ministry from The Catholic University of America. He is an ordained Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Washington. Father O'Brien has published extensively in the area of family law, elder law, and decedents’ estates. Among his publications are four editions to the casebook, Domestic Relations: Cases and Materials (with Walter Wadlington and Robin Fretwell Wilson), three editions of a companion book on statutes and related materials, and three editions of Family Law in Perspective. In addition he has published a casebook, The Fundamentals of Elder Law (with Michael T. Flannery). These publications are with Foundations Press. Associated with elder law he has published Long Term care; Federal, State and Private Options for the Future (with Michael T. Flannery). He and Professor Flannery have also published three additional casebooks, The Prudent Investing of Trusts, three editions of Decedents’ Estates, and The Sexual Exploitation of Children, all with Carolina Academic Press. Father O’Brien has published book chapters on family law as it relates to AIDS, as well as numerous law review articles on AIDS, child support, the due process rights of children, pedophilia, marriage, religious liberty, Medicaid, posthumous conception, and spousal rights to elective share. He has taught at the law school since 1977 and since 1986 has served as a permanent Visiting Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center. In addition, he has taught summer courses at Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), St. Mary’s Law School in San Antonio, Texas, and lectured for BARBRI, teaching bar preparation courses on Virginia, Georgia, and New York trusts and estates. Father O’Brien also serves as a weekend associate at St. Elizabeth’s Roman Catholic Parish, Rockville, Maryland.

Fr. Anthony Abraham

Feb 14 – Feb 15

Rev. Fr. Anthony Abraham was born in Arima, Trinidad, in 1972. As a child growing up, God was absent from his home and his life. At the age of 19, he had a conversion experience listening to Aunty Babsie preach. This experience led him back to the Catholic Church. He became a member of the Word of Life Prayer Community and began serving the homeless and the poor. In his desire to give back to God the years the locust ate, Fr. Anthony successfully completed his studies at St. John Vianney Seminary and obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in theology at the University of the West Indies. He has no greater joy than to see a soul capitulate to the living God. At present, he serves in the Diocese of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He is the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church on St. John. He also serves as Vicar for Clergy and Diocesan Liaison for Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of St. Thomas. He is also a Chaplain in the U.S. Army. Fr. Anthony is well known in the Caribbean church for his preaching and life stirring testimony. He has preached at Catholic conferences and has conducted youth workshops. He has also been invited to preach at the Moravian and Methodist churches. He understands the importance of Ecumenism. Fr. Anthony’s motto for life is “When God calls you, he enables you.

The Most Rev. Thomas Wenski

Feb 7

Archbishop Thomas Wenski has served the Catholic Church in ordained ministry for more than 40 years. He was ordained a priest in 1976 and has dedicated his ministry to pastoral leadership, immigrant outreach, and social justice. A native of South Florida, Archbishop Wenski has played a significant role in serving Hispanic and Haitian Catholic communities. He founded multiple Haitian Catholic missions, established the Pierre Toussaint Haitian Catholic Center, and launched Lavwa Katolik, the first Creole-language Catholic newspaper in the United States. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Miami in 1997, served as Bishop of Orlando beginning in 2004, and became Archbishop of Miami in 2010. At the national level, he chaired the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration and co-authored the pastoral letter Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope. As Archbishop of Miami, he has led parish revitalization efforts, pastoral planning initiatives, and ongoing advocacy for the dignity of human life and the rights of immigrants.

Archbishop of Miami — ABCD Campaign

Fr. Kevin Gillen

Jan 31 – Feb 1

Fr. Kevin Gabriel Gillen, O.P. is a FOCUS national chaplain based at the Dominican Priory in Washington, D.C. A former Wall Street stockbroker, his vocation began after a Marian pilgrimage and a season working on a fishing boat in Alaska. He studied in Kenya and Italy, earned degrees from the Angelicum, and was ordained in Subiaco, Italy, in 2000. He has served as a hospital chaplain, college chaplain at NYU, and Vicar Provincial for ten years. Today, he supports FOCUS missionaries serving on over 300 campuses across the United States. Father Gillen will celebrate Mass at the ORC Chapel on Saturday January 31, 2026 at 4:00 pm and Sunday February 1, 2026 at 12:00 pm. He will also celebrate daily Mass on Thursday January 29, Friday January 30 and Monday February 2 at 7:30 am. He will give talks directly after the daily Masses on 1/29 and 1/30

Fr. Brian Sullivan

Jan 24 – Jan 25

Father Brian Sullivan is Pastor of the Church of Christ the King in New Vernon, New Jersey. Father comes to us at the invitation of several of his parishioners who live here at Ocean Reef: Jim and Clare Meenan, Susan and Norm Scott, and Patti O’Connor. He played a critical role in increased outreach by his Parish to its local community through Catholic Charities and spearheaded increased participation by young people in worship services.

Fr. Daniel Pajerski

Jan 17 – Jan 18

A native of Raleigh, NC, Fr Daniel felt the call to become a priest early in high school but only decided to pursue the path while in college. After graduating from NC State University with a degree in Chemical Engineering, in June of 1994 he entered the Legionaries of Christ seminary in Cheshire, CT. His formation took him to Connecticut, New York, Rome, São Paulo, Brazil, Dallas, and then back to Rome where he was ordained a priest on November 25, 2004. In the summer of 2005, he was assigned to work at Everest Collegiate High School and Academy in Clarkston, MI where he oversaw the faith formation programs for the students, faculty, and parents. God blessed him with over thirteen years of service there striving to help students and families to get to know Jesus Christ and their Catholic faith better. In his free time, Fr Daniel keeps in shape mainly through running and is a 13-time marathoner, including five Boston marathons.

Daily Mass, 7:30 AM

Fr. Michael Sliney

Jan 17 – Jan 18

I have spent 26 years of priestly ministry serving youth and families. I started The Leadership Training Program in the greater DC area in 1997, with the focus on forming men and women of both character and a deep Faith. I was the regional coordinator for over 20 youth programs, ranging from elementary school to high school and college; culminating in a vibrant group of young professionals. Over 2,500 boys and girls have benefited from these youth programs. My pastoral experience with these youth included outreach to the homeless, supporting the needs of the local Boys and Girls Clubs and annual national mission trips to an Indian reservation in Montana and St. Michael's special needs school in New Orleans, as well international mission trips to Mexico, El Salvador, and Colombia to help impoverished rural communities. I have also coordinated several ecumenical youth groups both in DC and recently in Greenwich, CT., trying to bridge the religious gap, with the common goal of living virtue and giving back to the under privileged. I also served as the Chaplain for Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg, Va. My last fourteen years of ministry have been as the Chaplain for the Lumen Institute. My spiritual coaching of business leaders is centered around helping the members find that proper balance to make space for God, family and outreach within the busyness of their daily lives. I transitioned from Lumen chaplain in Manhattan, NY to Lumen Chaplain in Washington, DC on June 1, 2019. I also began as guest host of "Vigilant Heart" on Radio Maria on the 3rd Monday of each month from 7-8 pm et. I am also active on social media and have written regularly for various media outlets such as Lifezette. On the side, I am an avid marathon runner (having qualified and finished the Boston Marathon in 2022/24’) and enjoy playing golf. My seminary studies include a BS, License focused in Philosophy, Theology from St. Thomas Aquinas, Regina Apostolorum, Rome.

Daily Mass, 7:30 AM

Bishop John Iffert

Jan 10 – Jan 11

John C. Iffert was born on November 23, 1967 in DuQuoin, Illinois. In 1992, he entered Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein Illinois as a seminarian for the Diocese of Belleville where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology and a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1997 by Bishop Wilton Gregory. Over the years, Father Iffert served as parochial vicar, administrator, and pastor of many different parishes and concurrently in numerous diocesan positions including as a member of the Diocesan Personnel Board, Defender of the Bond for the Tribunal, Spiritual Moderator for both the Belleville Deanery Catholic Youth Organization and the Teens Encounter Christ movement, Vicar Forane, diocesan Co-Vicar for Priests, member of the Diocesan Finance Council, and as a member of the College of Consultors. He was appointed Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Belleville in 2020. On July 13, 2021, Father Iffert was appointed Bishop of Covington. He was consecrated and installed on September 30, 2021 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.

2025 1 visit

Fr. Gary Kastl

Dec 20