By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – A handful of churches in St. John the Baptist and St. Charles Parishes will be getting new head and associate pastors as part of a recent flurry of reassignments handed down by Archbishop Gregory Aymond.

Sarah Comiskey McDonald, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, said the reassignments are part of a typically annual announcement from the Archdiocese that usually comes in June or July. All of the changes being made will be effective July 1.

McDonald said she could not comment on the specific reasons behind the reassignments, calling them “personnel matters.” She said the Priest Personnel Committee under the archbishop recommends changes annually and considers several things when making those decisions, including the needs of the parishes and the strengths of the priests and deacons.

Among the churches in the Archdiocese getting new head pastors is St. John the Baptist Church in Edgard, where Rev. Joel Cantones is leaving to become Head Pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Marrero. His replacement will be Rev. Rubustiano Morgia, who is the spiritual advisor for the Filipino Catholic Ministry in New Orleans East.

St. Charles Borromeo Church in Destrehan will be getting a new associate pastor, or parochial vicar, as Rev. Daniel Brouillette will be leaving for St. Peter Church in Covington. McDonald said his replacement has not yet been assigned.

The congregation at St. Joan of Arc Church in LaPlace will also be getting a new parochial vicar as Rev. Hoai T. Nguyen is being transferred to St. Luke in Slidell. Nguyen’s replacement will be newly ordained Rev. Garrett O’Brien.

St. Joan of Arc will also be getting a new deacon as the Rev. Colin Braud will be assigned deacon intern in the parish effective June 1. Aymond also announced he has reappointed Rev. John-Nhan Tran, head pastor at St. Joan of Arc, as dean of the St. John-St. Charles Deanery.

The Deanery includes 14 churches in the St. John-St. Charles area. Tran’s new three-year term begins July 1.