Bishop Ruggieri announces new priest assignments
His Excellency Bishop James T. Ruggieri has announced new priest assignments. Additional assignments will be announced as they are finalized.
Effective July 1
Reverend Simon Assogba, SMA has been appointed pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in St. Agatha and Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish in Madawaska. He has also been appointed as the director of the Christian Life Center in Frenchville, replacing Reverend Antony Alexander Maria Doss, HGN who is returning to India. Since April 1st, 2022, Fr. Assogba has served as parochial vicar of Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou. Ordained in 2012 in the Archdiocese of Cotonou in the Republic of Benin, Africa, he is a member of the Society of African Missions. Prior to coming to the United States, Fr. Assogba was bursar at a seminary house of formation in Ibadan, Nigeria, superior of another seminary house of formation in Lomé, Togo, and mission assistant in Benin.
Reverend Edward Clifford has been appointed pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Wells. He is replacing Reverend Hyacinth Fornkwa, administrator of the parish, who is returning to his native Cameroon. Fr. Clifford has been the pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Bridgton and St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Norway since July of 2017. Previously, he served a parochial vicar of St. Michael Parish in Augusta and the Portland Peninsula and Island Parishes. Fr. Clifford was ordinated to the priesthood in 2014. Prior to entering Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, he had a 20-year career in municipal government.
Reverend Joseph Jum has been appointed parochial vicar of the Parish of the Holy Eucharist in Falmouth. Fr. Jum has most recently served as a chaplain at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston beginning in September of 2024 and has been in residence at St. Brendan the Navigator Parish in Camden while completing his clinical pastoral education (CPE). Fr. Jum has served as vice chancellor of the Catholic University of Cameroon, Bamenda, as well as registrar. In the Diocese of Buea, Cameroon, he was Catholic education secretary and diocesan chancellor. Since his ordination, he has held variety of teaching, school leadership and pastor roles. He earned both a PhD and a master's degree from the University of Southampton, England.
Reverend Peter Kaseta, OFM, Cap. has been appointed senior priest for the Parish of the Holy Eucharist in Falmouth, where he has been parochial vicar since September of 2011. Prior to that assignment, Fr. Kaseta served at St. Joseph Church in Portland from 2002-2010. Since his ordination in 1967, he has served in many capacities, including several positions at St. John the Baptist Church in New York City, as director of personnel for the Capuchin Province of St. Mary, and at St. Francis Chapel in Springfield Massachusetts.
Reverend Anthony Korir, SMA has been appointed pastor of St. Peter Chanel Parish in Van Buren. Fr. Korir will continue to be assigned as pastor in solidum (shared administration with Rev. Sahaya Remgius, SAC and Rev. Thomas Andrews John Xavier, SAC) for the Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou, where he has served as pastor since July of 2024, and was previously parochial vicar. A native of Kenya, Fr. Korir was ordained to the priesthood at St. John Bosco at in Kaptagat, Kenya. He has served in the Diocese of Sokodé in Togo; as a director of vocations and administrator at St. Joseph Church in the Archdiocese of Nairobi, Kenya; at the development office of the American Province of the Society of African Missions (SMA); and at the Church of St. Anne in Garwood, NJ.
Reverend Paul Marquis has been appointed as part-time parochial vicar for the Portland Peninsula and Island Parishes. He will continue to serve as chaplain in the Portland hospital ministry. Fr. Marquis has been part-time parochial vicar of Parish of the Holy Eucharist in Falmouth since February of 2018. Prior to that assignment, he was the pastor of St. Peter the Fisherman Parish in Machias beginning in 2016. Fr. Marquis has served in a number of capacities in the diocese since he was ordained in 1986, including assignments at St. Michael Parish in Augusta, Corpus Christi Parish in Waterville, Holy Cross Parish in Lewiston, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Madawaska, amongst others. He has served as chaplain at several hospitals including Maine Medical Center, and Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland, St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor, and Maine General Hospital in Augusta.
Reverend Sahaya Remgius, SAC has been appointed as pastor in solidum (shared administration with Reverend Anthony Korir, SMA and Rev. Thomas Andrews John Xavier, SAC) for the Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou. Fr. Remguis has served as pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Oquossoc since July of 2024. Fr. Remgius, a member of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, more commonly known as the Pallottines, was previously parochial vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Westbrook beginning in October 2023. Prior to his service in Maine, Father Remgius’ assignments in India included serving as either a parish priest or pastor at four parishes and as an assistant novice master.
Reverend Luc Tougouma, SMA has been appointed parochial vicar of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in St. Agatha and Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish in Madawaska. A native of the Ivory Coast, Fr. Tougouma is member of the Society of African Missions. Since arriving in the United States, he has been serving in the Archdiocese of Newark.
Reverend Thomas Andrews John Xavier, SAC has been appointed as pastor in solidum (shared administration with Reverend Anthony Korir, SMA and Reverend Sahaya Remgius, SAC) for the Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou, where he has served as parochial vicar since October of 2023. Fr. Xavier is a member of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, more commonly known as the Pallottines. His assignments in India following his ordination in 2017 included serving as an assistant parish priest at St. Augustine’s Church, Kulashekaram, a parish priest at St. Antony’s Church, Surulacode, and as a prefect and bursar at Anbaham, Chennai.
Effective August 1, 2025
Reverend Claude Gendreau will retire from active ministry this summer. Since June 2012, Fr. Gendreau has served in the diocesan tribunal as the notary. From July 2014 to September 2016, he also served part-time as the rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland and as parochial vicar for the Portland Peninsula Parishes. Since his ordination in 1993, following studies at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, Fr. Gendreau has served in a variety of roles in the diocese, including as parochial vicar for St. Louis in Ft. Kent, and St. Francis de Sales, Notre Dame and Sacred Heart in Waterville; pastor of St. Charles in St. Francis, St. John in St. John, St. Paul Mission, in Allagash, St. Agatha in St. Agatha, St. Joseph in Sinclair and St. Luce in Frenchville, St. Louis, Fort Kent; and administrator of Holy Family in Lewiston.
