Gulf Pine Catholic

P ine C atholic Gulf MAY 26, 2023 > VOLUME 40, NO. 20 > WWW.BILOXIDIOCESE.ORG THE NEWSPAPER OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BILOXI Bishop Kihneman announces changes in diocesan leadership, priest assignments Father Necaise Father Ajayi Monsignor Fullam Father Urbaniak Father O’Connell Father Adhav Father Milton, H.G.N. Father Varghese, C.M.I. Father Somers, S.V.D. Deacon Allen DIOCESE OF BILOXI -- After serving as vicar general for the past 14 years, Msgr. Dominick Fullam is stepping down to concen- trate solely on being a parish priest. Father Adam Urbaniak will replace Msgr. Fullam, while continu- ing to serve in his parish. Bishop Kihneman shared that news and other priestly appoint- ments in a May 15 letter. “Monsignor Fullam’s work has been exemplary, and I express the deep gratitude of myself and the previous two bishops he has served,” said Bishop Kihneman. “His service has been a blessing to all of us in the Diocese of Biloxi.” Msgr. Fullam will continue to serve as pastor of St. Michael Parish, Biloxi. “It has been a tremendous honor and privilege to serve as Vicar General for Bishops (Roger) Morin and Kihneman and for the clergy and people of the diocese,” said Msgr. Fullam. “We are blessed by Bishop Kihneman’s leadership; he is a fantastic, humble, hard- working servant of God and his people. He and the people of the diocese deserve someone with more energy and enthusiasm as V.G.” That someone is Father Urbaniak, who will continue to serve as pastor of Our Lady of Victories Parish in Pascagoula. • In each diocese the diocesan bishop must appoint a vicar gen- eral who is provided with ordinary power according to the norm of the following canons and who is to assist him in the governance of the whole diocese. -- Code of Canon Law Vicar General The position of vicar general is an appointed office in the admin- istrative structure of the Diocese which is established to assist the Bishop in the governance of the whole Diocese. Every diocese is required to have at least one vicar general as prescribed in the Code of Canon Law, canon 475 . By virtue of office, the vicar general has the executive power over the whole diocese which belongs to the diocesan bishop by law, namely, the power to place all administrative acts except those, how- ever, which the bishop has reserved to himself or which require a special mandate of the bishop by law. The vicar general must report to the diocesan bishop concerning the more important affairs which are to be handled or have been handled, and he is never to act con- trary to the intention and mind of the diocesan bishop. Moderator of the Curia The Moderator of the Curia, under the authority of the Bishop, oversees the curia offices and assists the Bishop in coordinating the activity of the members of the curia in accord with the prescripts of canon 473 §2 of the Code of Canon Law . SEE DIOCESAN APPOINTMENTS, PAGE 18