Our Staff
Pastor
Fr. Alphonse Arulandu
Senior Parochial Vicar
About
I am from Tamil Nadu state in south India, my home state which had the privilege of having ministered by St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Francis Xavier and St. John the Britto. I desired to become a missionary and joined the Diocese of Jammu Srinagar, which is in North India boarding Pakistan. I was ordained 05/02/1993. Regarding education, I have M.A. in Political Science, Master of Social Work, Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Administration and MBA in Hospital Management. Some of my assignments are listed below:
Assignments since Ordination:
July 2009 to June 2012 – Parish Priest of Holy Angel’s Church, Jammu and director of St. Joseph’s Community Hospital and Diocesan Pastoral Center.
April 2002 to June 2008 – Director of Catholic Social Service Society of J&K (Catholic Charites), Founding Director of St. Joseph’s Community Hospital and Parish Priest of Holy Angel’s Catholic Church, Jammu.
June 2000 to March 2002 – Parish Priest - Holy Family Catholic Church, Srinagar, Kashmir.
1995 June to 1998 May – Diocesan director of social work and Parish Priest of St. Sebastien’s Church, Vijayapur, Jammu.
1993 June to 1995 May – Assistant parish priest/parish priest- St. Francis Xavier Church, Nagri, Kathua (Dt), Jammu & Kashmir
Other assignments:
Treasurer of Catholic Social Service Society of Jammu & Kashmir; Member of Diocesan Finance Council, Diocesan College of Consulters, Diocesan Women’s Organization, Diocesan Catechetical Team.
Assignments In USA
October 2022 to till date – Parochial Vicar, Catholic Family of South Buffalo, NY.
January 2020 to October 2022 – Administrator, Mary Immaculate Parish, East Bethany/ Pavilion, NY.
February 2016 to December 2019 – Pastor, St. James Catholic Church, Leland, MS
January 2013 to February 2016 – Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Brookhaven, MS
November 2012 to January 2013 – Associate Pastor, St. Jude Catholic Church, Pearl, MS
I am a devotee of Blessed Virgin Mary, I love celebrating any sacraments, family visits (Family Apostolate), visiting sick, reaching out to unchurched people, social outreach, teaching and formation. I love working with individuals and groups and look forward to serving you.
~ Fr. Alphonse
David Augustyniak
Deacon
About
Deacon Dave is married to Kristine Augustyniak and they will be celebrating their thirty-fifth wedding
anniversary this year. They have two adult daughters Kaitlyn Kulesza and Lauren Augustyniak.
Deacon Dave is a retired police officer with over thirty- three years of service in law enforcement in the
Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, Town of Niagara Police Dept., Village of Lewiston Police Dept. and the
Niagara Falls Police Department
He is an alumnus of Niagara University having earned a B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice, a M.S.
in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Deacon Dave also earned an M.A. in Pastoral Ministry from Christ
the King Seminary in East Aurora and is a graduate of the 208 th Session of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation National Academy.
Deacon Dave’s past ministry has included chaplaincy at Niagara Hospice House and individual and family
pastoral counseling.
Deacon Dave is also a spiritual director after recently completing a program through the Spiritual
Director’s Institute.
Deacon Dave presently is employed as a clinical mental health counselor with Monsignor Carr Institute,
a behavioral health clinic of Catholic Charities of WNY.
Deacon Dave enjoys music, listening and playing bass and guitar when he can find the time and his
interest include studying the Mystics and contemplative prayer.
John Phillips
Deacon
Mary Palmer
Music Director
About
Mary Palmer is a frequent sight at special Masses and presentations throughout the diocese. She is the director of choirs at West Seneca East Middle School, former director of music for Our Lady of Pompeii Parish and Niagara University, and now the Director of Music for St. Peter RC Parish (Both Worship Sites - St. Peter-Lewiston & St. Bernard-Youngstown).
She holds a bachelor of arts degree in Music Education, a master’s degree in Music Education, and is a New York state-certified teacher. Her comprehensive master’s project centered around music for children with special needs and emotional disturbance. In this project, she created a K-5 curriculum specifically geared toward minority children from the inner city. Music as empowerment, emotional awareness, and structure has become the backbone of her role as educator and music minister.
Her early dreams of being a professional mainstream musician took her to Las Vegas, where she studied voice with Deborah Lobe, personal voice coach for Bette Midler. During her short stint there, Palmer was privileged to sing at the Stratosphere, Las Vegas Hilton and Flamingo Library, among other venues.
“I started out in Vegas. I was going to be a rock star,” she said. “I had a beautiful conversion out there, and when I came home, the only job I could find was in a Catholic Church. I didn’t want to play music anymore. I just wanted to be the DRE and youth minister.”
She found herself back at her childhood parish. Her pastor knew she played guitar and piano, and told her to learn the organ. Soon, she found herself providing music at weddings and funerals around the diocese.
After learning contemporary music by the likes of Matt Maher, she became a traveling troubadour for the diocese.
“It was just word of mouth. All of a sudden, I’m playing at all these different churches and I love it because it’s all for Jesus,” she said.
Some of her musical adventures led her to sing for Masses at parishes throughout Dublin and Galway, Ireland, chapels and churches throughout Poland, St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy, St. Mary Our Lady Grace in San Giovanni Rotondo, and at the tomb of St. John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
John Scozzafava
Maintenance Director
