PRIESTS &
BROTHERS

PIME Priests Are Dedicated To Transforming Lives

Fr. George Palliparambil

PIME Regional Superior and Mission Center Director

A native of India, Fr. George was ordained in 2003. He served as a missionary in Cameroon for ten years before coming to Detroit. Upon his arrival in the States, he served as Mission Center Director, and took over the additional role of Regional Superior in June of 2015.

Fr. Giancarlo Ghezzi

PIME Vice Regional Superior

In addition to his council role, Fr. Giancarlo Ghezzi, is the administrator of All Saints Parish in southwest Detroit. He served as a missionary to the Philippines from 1990 – 1998. He served as a missionary to the Philippines from 1990 – 1998.

Fr. Dino Vanin

PIME Treasurer

Ordained in 1972, Fr. Dino served the people of Thailand as a missionary for six years. In addition to his current council role, he assists Fr. Giulio Schiavi, PIME, at San Francesco Italian Parish in Clinton Twp., MI. At this parish, and at the Regional headquarters, he makes himself available for counseling, spiritual direction, reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as well as for talks, conferences and retreats. A master carpenter, Fr. Dino constructed the altar, tabernacle and pews used in the priest’s common chapel at the US Regional Headquarters.

Fr. Rinaldo “Ronnie” Boccali

PIME Member of the U.S. Region

Fr. Ronnie hails from Zurich, Switzerland. A convert from the National Evangelical Church, he was ordained in 1960. Fr. Boccali taught at PIME’s seminary in Newark, Ohio for 26 years. There he taught German (his native tongue) Latin, Religion and Photography and served as Dean of Students and Vice Rector. Besides teaching, Fr. Boccali also provided spiritual direction, assisted by his studies at the Dominican School of Spirituality in Chicago, and provided the sacraments at nearby Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish. Since 2003 he has served as retired priest-in- residence at St. Leonard Parish in Heath, Ohio.

Fr. George Berendt

PIME Member of the U.S. Region

Fr. Berendt served as a missionary to Japan for 10 years. Currently assigned to the U.S. Region as Outreach Director, he serves a minister to patients at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital where he celebrates Mass for the staff, visits the sick and provides counseling to those facing serious health issues or enduring traumatic experiences or tragedies. He also celebrates Sunday Mass at Selfridge Air National Guard Base and provides Sunday help for local Archdiocese of Detroit parishes.

Fr. Vijay Marneni

PIME Member of the U.S. Region

Fr. Marneni was born in Nalgonda, India and ordained in 2004. He has served in the PIME missions in Mexico and now serves as pastor at St. Ann’s in Harlem, New York, a parish serving approximately 12 different nationalities.

Fr. Phil Mayfield

PIME Member of the U.S. Region

Fr. Mayfield was ordained in 1978 and assigned to the missions of Papua New Guinea, where he served for 18 years. Currently he is the rector of the PIME house in Detroit. As rector, Fr. Phil is responsible for the management of the House. He is a trained spiritual director (Creighton University) and also assists with Sunday Mass at local Archdiocese of Detroit parishes.

Fr. Ken Mazur

PIME Member of the U.S. Region

Fr. Mazur is a native Detroiter, who was ordained in 1982. He worked as Dean of Students and Principal at Sts. Peter and Paul Seminary High School in Newark, Ohio for eight years, and then served as a missionary in Japan, most of the time in the Diocese of Yokohama. He returned to the States in 2004 and was elected Regional (Provincial) Superior in 2005, and re-elected twice. His term ended in the spring of 2015. Fr. Ken frequently assisted at Masses at St. Blase Catholic Church in Sterling Heights and is an active volunteer in the city of Detroit. He is currently on sabbatical.

Fr. Giulio Schiavi

PIME Member of the U.S. Region

Fr. Schiavi was assigned to the Dinajpur Diocese in Bangladesh soon after his ordination in 1963. After 17 years of missionary life in that country, he was asked to re-open PIME’s mission in Papua New Guinea, which had been closed since 1856. He came to the United States in 1995, and currently serves as pastor at San Francesco Parish in Clinton Township, Michigan (metro-Detroit).

Fr. Marco Brioschi

PIME Member of the U.S. Region

Fr. Marco Brioschi is from Milan, Italy and was ordained on June 8, 1985. He worked in the Italy Region of PIME from 1985-1990.

From 1991-1996 Fr. Marco was assigned as a missionary in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He was appointed by the Bishop of Kaohsiung for the pastoral care of foreign migrant workers, pastoral care of foreign women married to Taiwanese and their children and for Para-legal assistance to foreign migrant workers in distress.

After his time in Taiwan, Father served in the Philippines as the Para-legal coordinator of the Philippine Bishops Conference Migrant Commission, in cooperation with the Philippine Government and local NGOs. In addition to these works Fr. Marco aided local Filipinos as the Director of the Grievance and Ethics Committee, focused on the protection of applicants for overseas jobs against local exploitation as well as abroad. After this work was completed in 2010, he was Consultant of the Grievance and Ethics Committee and Spiritual Adviser of recruiting and deploying agencies.

Starting in September of 2015, Father was assigned to the U.S. to work with the Chinese immigrant community of St. Rosalia - Regina Pacis Parish in Brooklyn.

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WHAT DO PIME PRIESTS
DO IN THE MISSIONS?

Our Priests dedicate their lives to the missions by not only proclaiming the Gospel, but by being someone an individual, village, or entire community can rely on for healing. PIME Priests often serve in foreign lands for many years and can be responsible for the sacramental needs of very large groups of citizens. It is not uncommon for them to serve as many as 30,000 people, traveling to multiple villages throughout the course of an entire month. Our Priests strive for creativity in promoting dialogue and understanding across religions and cultures. Working in underdeveloped countries allows us to engage in the ground-up development of trade schools, hospitals, clinics, and educational programs. We are able to do accomplish these things through the promotion of justice and peace and pastoral care of newly founded Catholic communities. From going into a mission and abandoning personal truths, to working with people of many cultures and beliefs, to sustaining projects that provide resources for relief, our Priests uphold a certain faith-based strength. Helping His people build better lives is the job of our Priests, regardless of the economical or religious status of the area. Our Priests selflessly put their lives at risk in many ways to proclaim the Gospel, and to heal physically and spiritually the world over.

HELP SUPPORT PRIESTS

THE IMPORTANCE OF
OUR PIME BROTHERS

The Missionary Brotherhood is offered for men who desire to give their life to missionary work. While not being responsible for administering the sacraments, they minister to the spiritual and physical needs of the people they serve. Using the skills and talents they have already acquired, a PIME brother shares himself with his mission community. PIME brothers are lay people with varied professional or vocational experiences. Doctors, businessmen, accountants, artists, craftsmen, teachers, and more, are serving God’s people in the PIME missions. Without the responsibility sacramental care presents, the missionary brothers can better care for the people they serve. By using their skills and talents, they can share themselves with the missions.

BECOME A BROTHER

WONDERING WHERE OUR PRIESTS & BROTHERS GO?

EXPLORE OUR CURRENT MISSIONS