Fourteen priests, brothers, and sisters serving the Diocese of Wilmington will gather on April 8 with Bishop Koenig to mark their years of service to church at Holy Child Church in Wilmington.
The following religious are celebrating religious jubilees this year:
70 Years Professed
- Sr. Mary Lou Robino, OSB
Sr. Marylou Robino, OSB, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of St. Gertrude Monastery in Newark, is a native of Wilmington. She is a graduate of St. Elizabeth High School, Seton Hall University, and the University of Maryland. She taught at several local schools, including St. Edmond’s in Rehoboth Beach, where she was the principal. She was a clinical social worker at Catholic Charities for 26 years, and a school counselor at Holy Angels. After her retirement she was a volunteer at St. Francis Hospital for nine years, and now she volunteers at the Blood Bank of Delaware. She is an active member of her community.
- Sr. Dolores Marie Sambuco, OSF
Sister Dolores Marie Sambuco was born and raised in Philadelphia where she met the Sisters of St. Francis while attending John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School. There, she was influenced by the Sisters’ prayerfulness, joy and simplicity. She entered the Franciscan community in 1954 and was professed in 1956. After profession, she was assigned to teaching in the Shrine of the Little Flower School in Baltimore, Md., and St. John Vianney School in Orlando, Fla. In 1965, her teaching ministry continued in the Wilmington Diocese at St. Ann, St. Anthony of Padua, St. John the Beloved and Immaculate Conception schools. After her ministry in education, she volunteered at Immaculate Conception Parish Outreach program, Elkton Pregnancy Center, Men’s Shelter, and Laurelwood Nursing Home. Currently, Sister is retired and lives in Immaculate Conception Parish and continues to share her Franciscan spirit with those she encounters in her daily life.
- Sr. Theresa Ulshafer, OSF
Sr. Theresa was born in Philadelphia, where she met the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia at West Catholic High School for Girls. In 1954, she entered the Sisters of St Francis in Aston, Pa. She made her first profession in 1956 and her final profession in 1962. Her years in community were blessed by sisters and her years in elementary education in the Diocese of Wilmington; Fullerton, Md., Washington, D.C., and Orlando Fla. Sister prepared for chaplaincy and parish ministry studying at DeSales School of Theology. She later served as hospital chaplain at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington and parish ministry at Our Lady of Fatima in New Castle. She is presently retired and active in the ladies’ group who serve the needy at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.
- Rev. Joseph C. Zuschmidt, OSFS
Father Zuschmidt was born in Philadelphia, in 1937. Following graduation from Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia in 1955, he entered the Oblate Novitiate and made his first profession of vows in 1956. Father Zuschmidt earned a Bachelor of Arts from Niagara University, an M.A. in Theology from Theologische Hochschule (Eichstätt, Germany), an M.S. from Georgetown University, and also attended University of Bonn (Germany). He was ordained to the priesthood on Nov. 20, 1965, at Salesianum Chapel in Eichstätt, Germany, by Bishop Edward Schlotterbach, OSFS. Following ordination, Fr. Zuschmidt went to Washington, D.C., studied at Georgetown University and took part in a teaching experiment in the public schools in D.C. at Calvin Coolidge High School, Salesianum School, Wilmington, Allentown College (later De Sales University, Center Valley, Pa.). He was the founding Pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte, N.C., and campus minister at UNCC in Charlotte, N.C. Fr. Zuschmidt was parochial vicar at St. Joachim, Philadelphia, and St. Paul the Apostle, Greensboro, N.C., and Immaculate Heart of Mary, High Point, N.C., pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, High Point, N.C. and Holy Infant Durham, N.C., and administrator and Pastor of Queen of Apostles, Belmont, N.C. Fr. Zuschmidt is retired and currently resides in Childs, Md.
65 Years Professed
- Rev. Joseph P. Becker, OSFS
Father Becker was born in Wilmington in 1942. Following graduation from Salesianum School in Wilmington in 1959, he entered the Oblate Novitiate and made his first profession of vows in 1961. Father Becker earned a B.A. in English from Niagara University, an M.A. in theology from DeSales Hall School of Theology, an M.A. in English from Catholic University, and certification in English from Holy Family College. He was ordained to the priesthood on Sept. 6, 1969, at the Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia by Bishop John Graham. Following ordination, Fr. Becker taught at Father Judge High School, Philadelphia, for 13 years, and Holy Name High School, Reading, Pa., for 12 years. Fr. Becker was chaplain at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Allentown, Pa., for 26 years. Fr. Becker also assisted at Incarnation Parish, Bethlehem, Pa., and at St. Ursula Parish, Fountain Hill, Pa. Fr. Becker is retired and currently resides in Childs, Md.
- Fr. William R. Gore, OSFS
Father Gore was born in Philadelphia and attended St. Hugh Roman Catholic and St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church. He attended Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia. After completing high school, he entered the Novitiate of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales in 1959. Father Gore made his first religious profession on Aug. 21, 1961. After completing college and theology at Catholic University and De Sales School of Theology, and graduate school at Villanova, he was ordained a priest on Sept. 6, 1969, for the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. After ordination he began his long career teaching in secondary education at Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria Va., and Salesianum School in Wilmington. During his time in education, Fr. Gore worked as science teacher, guidance director, religion teacher, psychology teacher, and school chaplain. While teaching he ministered in various parishes on weekends in both Roman Catholic and Byzantine (Ukrainian) parishes, having facilities for both rites. In 1988 he was assigned religious superior of the Oblate College community in Center Valley, Pa. During this time, he also assumed administration of Ss. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Parish in Bethlehem, Pa. In 1992 Father took a sabbatical and went to Ukraine to work with the establishment of a seminary of the Eastern (Ukrainian Catholic) Church in the city of Lviv, Ukraine, after the fall of communism. At the end of 1993 he completed his sabbatical and returned to Wilmington. Upon returning he was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wilmington and St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic Church in Chesapeake City, Md. While pastor of these two parishes he was also appointed religious superior of an Oblate community in Wilmington. Having completed his term as religious superior in 1999, he returned to Ukraine to teach in the seminaries of the Eastern Catholic Churches in the cities of Lviv and Drohobych. During this time he returned every summer to preach around the country to raise money for Oblate Missions and his work in Ukraine. In 2014, he returned home and at the suggestion of Bishop Malooly, requested permission from his religious superiors to assist at some of the beach parishes. Since then, he has been assisting at St. Edmond’s Parish in Rehoboth Beach as a senior retired priest.
60 Years Professed
- Rev. John P. Connery, OSFS
Father Connery was born in Norristown, Pa., in 1941. He graduated from Corpus Christi Parochial School in Philadelphia in 1955, and from Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia in 1959. After earning a B.A. in English from St. Joseph University in Philadelphia in 1964, he entered the Oblate Novitiate and made his first profession of vows in 1966. He then earned a Master of Arts in English from Niagara University in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and a Master of Divinity from DeSales Hall School of Theology in Washington, D.C., where he completed his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained to the priesthood at Our Lady of Ransom Church in Philadelphia by John Cardinal Krol on June 5, 1971. Following ordination, Fr. Connery was assigned as a teacher to Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Va., Father Judge High School in Philadelphia, and Salesianum School in Wilmington. He also served for 25 years as the director of communications for the W.P. Province and was managing director for DeSales Publishing, Inc. Father also served as chief of chaplains at the VA/Medical Center in Wilmington for 28 years and as a chaplain at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington for eight years. He retired to the Salesianum Oblate Community in 2020.
- Rev. Michael C. Connolly, OSFS
Father Connolly was born in New York City in 1946 and attended St. John Baptist School in Kenmore, N.Y. Following graduation from Archbishop Stepinac High School, White Plains, N.Y., in 1964, he entered the Oblate Novitiate and made his first profession of vows in 1966. Father Connolly earned a B.A. in French from Allentown College, an M.Ed. in French from West Chester University, an M.A. in Theology from De Sales School, and a J.C.L. in Canon Law at Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. He completed his studies for the priesthood at De Sales Hall School of Theology in Hyattsville, Md. He was ordained to the priesthood at Our Lady of Ransom Church in Philadelphia by Bishop Gerald V. McDevitt, D.D., on Dec. 21, 1974. Following ordination, Fr. Connolly was assigned to Father Judge High School, where he was a teacher. Fr. Connolly also taught at DeSales University, Center Valley, Pa., and Salesianum. He was the director of development for the W.P. Province, judicial vicar, vice-chancellor and diocesan consultor for the Archdiocese for the Military, Washington, D.C., pastor, St. Brendan the Navigator in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., novice master, Oblate Novitiate in Brooklyn, Mich. He currently serves as the provincial canonist for the W.P. Province. Fr. Connolly retired in 2017 and currently resides in Childs, Md.
- Sr. Catherine Godfrey, OSB
Sister Catherine Godfrey, OSB, is a native of New York City and the youngest of six children born of Irish immigrants. Her call to religious life was present even before entering kindergarten and continued to be nurtured through the guidance of her parents and the Sparkill Dominican Sisters. In her junior year of high school, she volunteered at the Little Sisters of the Poor and entered their community in 1963, completing first vows in 1966. Having had the privilege of caring for the aged population in the United States and France for 24 professed years as an LSP, Sister transferred to the Benedictine Sisters of Ridgely, Md., where she served in the nursing department of the Benedictine School for Special Needs Children. Currently, sister serves her community in the local council and attends the Monastic Congregation of St. Gertrude for major congregational meetings.
50 Years Professed
- Sr. Theresa Firenze, OSF
Sr. Theresa Firenze, OSF, was born in Nyack, N.Y., the eighth of nine children. She entered the Franciscan Sisters of Ringwood in 1973 and was professed in 1976, earning degrees in theology, education, and spirituality. Her ministry has included teaching at Assumption School in Emerson, N.J., and St. Catherine’s in Ringwood, serving as principal of St. Catherine’s for 25 years, directing programs for children in need, and providing compassionate care to Sr. Annette Lucchese and her sister Muriel. Deeply shaped by the 2003 merger with the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, Sr. Theresa embraces Franciscan values of trust, discernment, compassion, and relationship. She has been serving as congregational minister since 2021, where she focuses on the well-being of the sisters, nurturing community life, and guiding the congregation with a relational leadership style rooted in love for Franciscan life and a desire to help build a hopeful future.
- Most Rev. Barry R. Strong, OSFS
Father Barry Strong was born in Philadelphia and is the Superior General of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. He graduated from Father Judge High School. Philadelphia, Pa., and DeSales University, Center Valley, Pa., where he majored in Spanish. He made first profession in 1976 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1984. He holds baccalaureate, licentiate and doctoral degrees in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Following studies, he taught graduate theology at De Sales School of Theology and the Catholic University of America and worked in the Oblate formation program in Washington, D.C. He has served as pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Wilmington, N.C., in the Diocese of Raleigh, and as pastor of St. Ann Parish in Naples, Fla., in the Diocese of Venice. Originally a member of the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province, he served as the director of province administration in Wilmington from 2008-18. In 2012 he was elected to the congregation’s General Council. He served as general mission coordinator and then as the assistant superior general. At the July 2018 General Chapter, held in Annecy, France, he was elected Superior General and was reelected in July 2024. He resides at the Generalate community in the Trastevere section of Rome.
- Sr. Louisa Wirmum, SST
Sr. Louisa Wirmum, SST, was born and raised in Cameroon, West Africa. Her journey of faith and vocation began during her years at Our Lady of Lourdes High School, Bamenda, where she first encountered the Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. She remains deeply grateful to the Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis, who lovingly nurtured her early relationship with Jesus by introducing and encouraging frequent Eucharistic adoration during her elementary school years. These quiet moments of Eucharistic devotion planted seeds that later blossomed into a religious vocation. Her spiritual formation was further enriched by the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, who introduced her to the Legion of Mary. Through prayer, service, and Marian devotion, Sr. Louisa’s heart became increasingly attuned to the gentle inner voice of Jesus, inviting her to dedicate her life entirely to God. Answering this call, Sr. Louisa entered religious life with the Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. She completed her initial formation in Kumba, Cameroon, and later pursued professional studies in nursing and midwifery in Nigeria. Throughout her years of religious life, Sr. Louisa has faithfully served in the healing ministry, general administration, and pastoral care. In each mission entrusted to her, she has served her Sisters and Christ’s lay faithful with generosity, compassion, and love, walking faithfully in the footsteps of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, whose words continue to inspire her life and ministry: “My vocation is love. In the heart of the Church, I shall be love.”
45 Years Profession
- Bro. Joseph G. Schodowski, OSFS
Brother Joe was born in Philadelphia in 1959. Following graduation from Holy Name High School in Reading, Pa. in 1977, he entered the Oblate Novitiate and made his first profession of vows in 1981. Brother Joe attended Cecil Community College where he earned an A.A. in air conditioning, refrigeration, heating, and plumbing. He made his perpetual profession in 1989. Brother Joe was on staff at the Oblate Novitiate in Rising Sun, Md., the Provincial Residence, Wilmington; Salesianum School, Wilmington; and DeSales University, Center Valley, Pa., and facilities manager at De Sales Centre Oblate Residence in Childs, Md. Currently, Brother Joe is assigned on the parish maintenance team at St. Anthony of Padua, Wilmington.
25 Years Professed
- Rev. Patrick J. Kifolo, OSFS
Fr. Patrick met the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales when they came to his home parish, Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lewisburg, Pa. He was a junior in high school at the time. He has a degree in Art Education from Millersville University. In 1999, he entered formation with the Oblates. For the first six months of his ordained ministry, he was a parochial vicar at St. John Neumann in Reston, Va. In the summer of 2007, he moved to Salesianum School in Wilmington, where he taught art and religion for the 2007-2008 school year. At the close of that school year, he was asked to become the director of campus ministry at Salesianum. He stayed in that position until the spring of 2015. After the close of the 2014-2015 school year, he transferred to Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C. and served as the director of campus ministry there from the fall of 2015 to the spring of 2022. He then transferred back to Salesianum School and has been serving as part of the team for the Center for Faith, Justice, and Leadership office, a merger of the traditional campus ministry and student activities offices in schools. In 2024 he started serving as the vocation director for the Oblates and has also been serving as a provincial councilor since 2024.
