Bishop Ruggieri announces new priest assignments
His Excellency Bishop James T. Ruggieri has announced the following new priest assignments, effective July 1, 2026.
Reverend Antonidass Amirthanathan, HGN has been appointed parochial vicar of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Norway and St. Joseph Parish in Bridgton. Fr. Amirthanathan has been parochial vicar of St. Michael Parish in Augusta since June 2025. A member of the Heralds of Good News, a missionary society of apostolic life, he has also served as parochial vicar of Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish in Madawaska, Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Saint Agatha, and St. Peter Chanel Parish in Van Buren. His previous assignments, all in India, included serving as vice rector and dean of studies at St. Mary’s Minor Seminary in Kerala; assistant parish priest at Holy Cross Church in T. Nagar, Chennai; as parish priest of St. Sebastian Church in Salem, Tamil Nadu; and as principal of St. Antony’s Nursery and Primary English Medium School in Trichy, Tamil Nadu.
Reverend Sefembiy Justin will conclude his assignment as pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Benedicta. He will remain pastor of Christ the Divine Mercy Parish in East Millinocket.
Reverend Peter Kaseta, OFM Cap, who had been assisting as a senior priest at the Parish of the Holy Eucharist in Falmouth, is moving to full retirement from active ministry and will not be assigned to a specific parish but will continue to reside in Maine.
Reverend Kevin Martin has been appointed pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Benedicta, while remaining pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Island Falls and St. Mary of the Visitation in Houlton, where he has served since 2021. A native of Caribou, Fr. Martin was ordained to the priesthood on July 19, 2003, at Holy Rosary Church in Caribou. His first assignment was as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart, St. Philip, and St. Louis Parishes in Auburn, with Our Lady of Ransom Parish in Mechanic Falls and St. Catherine of Sienna Parish in Norway later added. Following a year of academic study in Rome, he returned to Maine to serve as a parochial vicar of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and St. Peter Parish in Portland and, later, the other Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes. Father Martin was then named parochial vicar at St. Michael Parish in Augusta, followed by pastor of Holy Family Parish in Greenville and St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Jackman, and then pastor of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish in Calais.
Monsignor Jean-Paul Labrie will retire from active ministry. He has served as pastor of St. John Vianney Parish in Fort Kent for the past nine years. He also serves as vicar forane and is a member of the Priest Personnel Board. Prior to St. John Vianney Parish, he served as pastor of the Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou for eight years. A native of Frenchville, Msgr. Labrie was ordained in 1982 at St. Luce Church in his hometown. His assignments have included Holy Rosary Parish in Caribou, St. Denis Parish in Fort Fairfield, and St. Louis Parish in Limestone; St. Matthew Parish in Hampden and St. Gabriel Parish in Winterport; Holy Family Parish in Daigle; St. Louis Parish in Fort Kent; St. Andre Parish in Biddeford, where he was also chaplain for University of New England; and Holy Family Parish in Lewiston.
Reverend Arockia Natha Prabu Magimaidass, HGN has been appointed as chaplain at Maine Medical Center and the other Portland hospitals. He currently serves as parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish in Bridgton and St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Norway and previously served as parochial vicar at the Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou. A native of Tiruvannamalai, India, Fr. Magimaidass was ordained to the priesthood for the Heralds of Good News on April 10, 2013, in Melavalady, India. While still in formation, he spent a year in pastoral ministry teaching English to sixth and seventh graders in Prathipadu, India. Following ordination, he served at five churches in four different dioceses in India: the Archdiocese of Bangalore, the Diocese of Dindigul, the Diocese of Dharmapuri, and the Archdiocese of Chennai-Mylapore. He began his service in the Diocese of Portland in 2019.
Reverend Gabriel Odin, OP has been appointed parochial vicar of Good Shepherd Parish in Saco. He has served as chaplain at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston since June 2025, which was his first assignment since arriving in Maine in May from Nigeria. Fr. Odin is a member of the Dominican Order. He has served in several capacities since his ordination in 2013, including as pastor of St. Jude Catholic Church Mafoluku, Lagos, and prior of St. Joseph’s Priory, Mafoluku, Lagos. Fr. Odin earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, a Bachelor of Theology, and a Master of Theology from the Dominican Institute, Ibadan.
Reverend Sahaya Remgius, SAC has been appointed as pastor of the soon-to-be formed Saints Isidore and Maria Parish in Presque Isle. He has served as pastor in solidum (shared administration) for the Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou since July 2025. Previously, Fr. Remigius was pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Oquossoc and parochial vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Westbrook. He is a member of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, more commonly known as the Pallottines. Prior to his service in Maine, Father Remgius’ assignments in India included serving as pastor at four parishes and as an assistant novice master.
Reverend Peter Shaba, SMA, who has served in Maine for more than 10 years, will leave Diocese of Portland. Fr. Shaba has served as parochial vicar of All Saints Parish in Brunswick since 2022. Beginning in 2020, Fr. Shaba was parochial vicar of St. John Paul II Parish in Scarborough, and prior to that, he served as a parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish in Bridgton and St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Norway.
Reverend Amandus Sway, AJ has been appointed parochial vicar of All Saints Parish in Brunswick. A member of the Apostles of Jesus, Father Sway has served as a chaplain at Maine Medical Center and Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland since 2018. Prior to that, he served as parochial vicar at the Parish of the Ascension of the Lord in Kittery. A native of Tanzania, he was ordained to the priesthood on July 14, 2001. He spent 13 years serving at parishes in South Africa before coming to the United States in 2015 to participate in clinical pastoral education (CPE) at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. He also served as a chaplain at the hospital. Father Sway arrived in Maine in 2016.
Reverend Luc Tougouma, SMA has been appointed as pastor of St. John Vianney Parish in Fort Kent. He has served as parochial vicar of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in St. Agatha and Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish in Madawaska since July 2025. A native of the Ivory Coast, Fr. Tougouma is member of the Society of African Missions. Following his ordination in July 2017, he served for six years in Benin and was then sent to the United States, where he served in the Archdiocese of Newark.
A new parochial vicar will be assigned to Our Lady of the Valley Parish in St. Agatha and Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish in Madawaska this summer.
Reverend Felix Udolisa, OP has been appointed parochial vicar of St. Michael Parish in Augusta. He has served as parochial of Good Shepherd Parish in Saco since July 2024. Fr. Udolisa is a member of the Dominican Friars Province of St. Joseph the Worker. Fr. Udolisa came to the Portland Diocese from Nigeria, where he was the pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Gusau. He formerly was the associate chaplain at St. Thomas More Catholic Chaplaincy, University of Lagos; lecturer at Siena Institute of Theology, Yaba, Lagos; associate pastor and youth chaplain at St. Dominic Church in Yaba, Lagos; and pastor of St. Andre du Lac Church, Makoko, Lagos.
Reverend Thomas Andrews John Xavier, SAC has been appointed as pastor of Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou, where he has served pastor in solidum (shared administration) since July 2025. He was the parish’s parochial vicar beginning in October 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.
