May 28, 2010
Father Fröhlich named pastor in Celestine and Dubois
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
Father Attila Fröhlich has been appointed by Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger as the pastor of St. Peter Celestine Church in Celestine and St. Raphael Church in Dubois, effective Wednesday, June 2.
“I hope it will be ‘a good marriage,’” said Father Fröhlich May 24, in a telephone conversation. “I have already received a nice, welcoming email, offering me help in moving, whatever I need.”
Father Fröhlich was most recently assigned as Sacramental Minister at Good Shepherd Church in Evansville.
The current pastor of the parishes in Celestine and Dubois, Father Ron Kreilein, has been named pastor of St. Mary Church in Ireland, also effective Wednesday, June 2.
St. Mary Church has been without a pastor since January, when Father Zach Etienne moved from Ireland to become pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Evansville.
Father Fröhlich, who will be 44 on June 13, was ordained a priest on June 9, 2001. He is a native of Hungary, who earned a degree in theology in Innsbruck, Austria, and started teaching school there.
After meeting Father Joseph Kane, who was visiting Innsbruck on a sabbatical, Attila visited in the United States, and began preparing for priesthood.
After assignments at Resurrection Church in Evansville and Precious Blood Church in Jasper, Attila was ordained a deacon in 2000 and a priest in 2001. His first assignment was as associate pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Newburgh in 2001, and then of Holy Rosary Church in Evansville in 2003.
Father Fröhlich was appointed pastor of St. Bernard Church in Rockport and St. Martin Church in Chrisney in 2005. At Good Shepherd Church he was resident sacramental minister from September 2006 to November 2009.
During Lent and Easter this year, Father Fröhlich helped with sacramental ministry at Christ the King Church in Evansville; and more recently, he has been celebrating Mass on weekends at St. Matthew Church in Mount Vernon. This weekend, May 29 and 30, will be his last weekend in Mount Vernon.
St. Peter Celestine has 469 families, or 1,327 total persons, according to the 2010 Diocesan Yearbook and Directory. St. Raphael has 319 families, or 873 total persons. Both parishes are in the Jasper Deanery.
Deacon Michael Seibert has been assigned to the two parishes since 2005.
Father Fröhlich is just one of 13 priest ordained for the diocese since 2000, but no ordinations are scheduled for this year or next.
Father Eugene Schmitt was ordained in 2000; Father Fröhlich in 2001; Fathers Claude Burns and Paul Ferguson in 2002; Fathers Zachary Etienne, Jason Gries and John Silva in 2004; Fathers John Brosmer and Alex Zenthoefer in 2005; Father Gary Kaiser in 2006; Father Ron Kreilein in 2007; Father Chris Forler in 2008, and Father Ryan Hilderbrand in 2009.
Seminarians Brian Emmick and Jeff Read are completing their second year theology studies, looking toward ordination to the diaconate in 2011 and the priesthood in 2012.