Marianist Province of the United States

NEWLY APPOINTED MEMBERS OF NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM

ASSISTANT FOR RELIGIOUS LIFE

Fr. George Cerniglia has served the last five years with the general administration in Rome as assistant for religious life. Prior to that assignment, he served two terms as assistant provincial of the former New York Province. From 1997 to 2001, he was president of the Marianist Conference, which included the provincials and assistant provincials of all U.S. provinces and the Region of Canada. Fr. George holds a master's of divinity from Saint Louis University; a master's in religious education from Loyola University Chicago; and a doctor of ministry (D.Min.) from the University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto. He grew up in New York City.

ASSISTANT FOR EDUCATION

Bro. Ed Brink has served as the director of the Center for Catholic Education at the University of Dayton since 2005. The Center runs the Lalanne Program, which Bro. Ed has directed since 1998. From 1985 to 1998, he was a teacher, campus minister, assistant principal and principal at Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton. Bro. Ed has a bachelor's degree in technology from the University of Dayton and a master's in education, with a major in private school administration, from the University of San Francisco. His home is upstate New York.

ASSISTANT FOR TEMPORALITIES

Since the new Province began in 2002, Bro. Joe Markel has served as accountant in the Office of Temporalities. Prior to that, he was assistant treasurer for the former Cincinnati Province and director of operations at Bergamo Center. He taught at Memphis Catholic High School, Msgr. Hackett High School in Kalamazoo, Mich., and Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati. Bro. Joe earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Dayton and a master's of science in administration from the University of Notre Dame. He was raised in Cleveland.

ASSISTANT FOR DEVELOPING REGIONS

Fr. Joe Lackner has accepted reappointed to this position. Prior to his ministry with the Province office, he was assistant provincial and director of education for the former Cincinnati Province. Fr. Joe has had a long teaching career, both at the high school level and at the university level at Thomas More College in Covington, Ky., St. Mary's University in San Antonio and the University of Dayton. He also served as director of campus ministry at Thomas More and UD. Fr. Joe earned a master's in education in counselor education from UD; a master's in biblical languages and literature and a doctorate in historical theology from Saint Louis University; and a doctorate in private school education from the University of San Francisco. Cincinnati is his hometown.

ADVISOR

Bro. Jack Ventura serves the Province's Office of Religious Life as assistant, networking with the communities of the Marianist Family as well as retreat center boards. He also is guiding the Province's board formation process. Bro. Jack was executive director of the Center for Marianist Spirituality and Communities in Philadelphia from 1996 to 2002. He also served as vocation director for the former New York Province. Bro. Jack earned a master's in business administration in information systems management from Iona College in New York; a master's in applied spirituality from the University of San Francisco; and a master's in pastoral ministry with a major in small Christian communities from Loyola University New Orleans. He grew up in New York City.

ADVISOR

Fr. Oscar Vasquez is a teacher and campus minister at Chaminade College Preparatory in St. Louis and also serves the Province as director of temporary professed. He taught at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio and Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, and was principal of Nolan Catholic from 1997 to 2002. Following ordination in 2005, Fr. Oscar spent a year in ministry at Our Lady of the Pillar parish in St. Louis. He earned his bachelor's degree in sacred theology (STB) at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome and his master's degree at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Fr. Oscar is a native of San Antonio.

ADVISOR

In his long and distinguished career in teaching and administration, Fr. Steve Tutas served as superior general for the Society of Mary and president of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men. He was one of five founders of Chaminade University of Honolulu. Fr. Steve served as rector of the Marianist International Seminary in Fribourg, Switzerland. More recently, he was vicar for clergy for the Diocese of San Jose and associate pastor of St. Anthony Church in Maui. Fr. Steve earned a licentiate of sacred theology (STL) from the University of Fribourg. He is a native of Hamilton, Ohio.