Assignments Affecting 11 Priests Announced

Amarillo—Assignments affecting 11 priests have been announced by Bishop Patrick J. Zurek of the Diocese of Amarillo.
Effective Monday, Feb. 17:
• Father Anthony C. “Tony” Neusch is appointed Moderator of the Curia;
• Father Juan Carlos Barragán is appointed Pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, Stratford, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Cactus;
• Father Víctor Hugo Andrade is appointed Pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, Perryton, and St. Peter’s Church, Booker;
• Father César A. Gómez is appointed Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church, Amarillo;
• Monsignor Michael Colwell, JCL, is appointed to Hospital Ministry at BSA and as Chaplain at the Capuchin Monastery, Amarillo;
• Father Nicholas Gerber is appointed Pastor at St. Teresa of Jesus Church, Friona, and St. Ann’s Church, Bovina;
• Father Haider Quintero is appointed Dean of the Central Deanery;
• Father Luis René López is appointed Dean of the North Deanery; and,
• Father Taylor Elzner is appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Amarillo.
Effective Monday, Feb. 24, Bishop Zurek appoints:
• Father Lawrence John, JCL, Vicar General of the Diocese of Amarillo and Pastor of St. Anthony’s Church, Hereford; and,
• Father Grant Spinhirne, Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church, Dalhart and St. Mary’s Church, Texline. Father Spinhirne is also appointed Chaplain at the Dalhart Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

A native of Panhandle, Father Neusch, 48, was ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 2004. He has served at parishes in Pampa, Hereford, Wellington, Shamrock, Tulia and Kress. He also served as Chaplain at Northwest Texas Hospital, Amarillo. Father Neusch continues as Rector at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo.

Father Barragán, 57, was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 1997. He has served at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Pampa; Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Dumas; Christ the King Church, Sunray; and, Blessed Sacrament Church, Amarillo. He was formerly Chaplain at BSA.

Father Andrade, 36, was also ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 2019. He previously served as a Parochial Vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Amarillo, and formerly was Parochial Administrator at St. Joseph’s Church, Stratford, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Cactus.

Father Gomez, 60, was ordained to the priesthood on March 19, 1998. Prior to arriving in the Diocese of Amarillo, he served at parishes in Queens and in Delaware. Father Gómez formerly served as Pastor at Immaculate Conception Church, Perryton, and St. Peter’s Church, Booker.

Monsignor Colwell, 63, was ordained to the priesthood on May 28, 1994. He was named a Prelate of Honor with the title of Monsignor by Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 8, 2008. His last assignment was at Sacred Heart Church, Canadian, and St. Mary’s Church, Wheeler.

Father Gerber, 45, was the first priest ordained by Bishop Zurek to the priesthood for the Diocese of Amarillo on June 7, 2008. He has served at parishes in Amarillo, Canadian, Wheeler, Childress, Memphis, Wellington and Hereford. He was formerly Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church, Amarillo.

A native of Ocaña, Colombia, Father Quintero, 52, was ordained to the priesthood on May 13, 2011 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Amarillo. He previously served at St. Anthony’s Church, Hereford and Blessed Sacrament Church, Amarillo. He continues as Pastor at St. Laurence Church, Amarillo, where he has been since Sept. 30, 2017.

Father López, 55, was ordained to the priesthood on March 19, 2011 in Machiques, Zulia, Venezuela. He had previously served as Parochial Vicar at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Pampa. Father López continues as Pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Dumas and Christ the King Church, Sunray.

Father Elzner, 36, was ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 2019. He has served at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Pampa, the Rufe Jordan Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Pampa and at St. Laurence Church, Amarillo. Father Elzner continues as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Amarillo.

Father John, 50, was ordained to the priesthood on April 5, 2002 in K.K. Pudur, India. He received a Licentiate in Canon Law from St. Paul University in Ottawa. Father John has served as diocesan Chancellor since Nov. 4, 2013 and was formerly Pastor at St. Anthony of Padua Church, Dalhart, and St. Mary’s Church, Texline.

Father Spinhirne, 37, was ordained to the priesthood on June 3, 2017. He has served at parishes in Umbarger and Happy and is a past Chaplain/Executive Director at the Catholic Student Center at West Texas A&M University, Canyon. Father Spinhirne formerly served as Pastor at St. Anthony’s Church, Hereford.