St. Louis Installation Mass Coverage

St. Bridget Installation Mass Coverage

Pastor Biographies

The following are brief biographies of the seven new pastors (courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald):

Father Brian G. Bashista, newly appointed pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Lake Ridge, was born May 22, 1964, to John and Aileen Bashista. He was raised in Springfield with two brothers and a sister. He attended Lake Braddock High School in Burke and graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg in 1987, earning a bachelor's degree in architecture. He then went on to work in Charlotte, N.C., for seven years.

While attending Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., he took part in the Spanish language program for seminarians in Puebla, Mexico, and was an organizer for the Youth 2000 Prayer Festival held at the Mount in 1997.

Also in 1997, Father Bashista designed the pro-life memorial at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, and coordinated a vocations awareness weekend for Scouts.

As an acolyte, he served at Holy Spirit Church in Annandale and as a deacon, at Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria.

He was ordained by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde May 15, 1999, at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. He was parochial vicar at St. Mary of Sorrows Parish in Fairfax until 2002, when he was named diocesan promoter of vocations, a position he held through 2013.

From 2013 to 2015, Father Bashista served as chaplain and director of campus ministry at Marymount University in Arlington. From 2015 to 2017, he was parochial vicar at St. James Church in Falls Church.

Father Edward R. Horkan is the newly appointed pastor of Church of Our Lady of the Valley in Luray. 

He was born to William and Lilla Horkan. He was baptized at St. Philip Church in Falls Church. He attended St. Luke School in McLean and graduated from Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington in 1986. He earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia in 1990, and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1993. He worked as an attorney in Washington from 1993 to 1997.

He was accepted as a seminarian by Arlington Bishop John R. Keating and did pre-theology studies at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, 1997-98. He continued his studies at the North American College in Rome from 1998 to 2001.

In 2001, Father Horkan earned a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from the Angelicum.

He was ordained a deacon June 2, 2001, by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde. As a deacon he served at St. Michael Church in Annandale, 2001-02.

In 2002, he returned to Rome to complete his studies and earned a master’s in spiritual theology in 2003. He was ordained by Bishop Loverde June 7, 2003. He served as parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Church in Annandale, 2003 -07; St. Raymond of Penafort Church in Fairfax Station, 2007-08; St. Rita Church in Alexandria, 2008-10; and St. James Church in Falls Church, 2010-16.

He became parochial administrator at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Luray in 2016.

Father Stanley J. Krempa will be the founding pastor of St. Bridget of Ireland Church in Berryville, effective July 12.

Born April 21, 1945, in Buffalo, N.Y., he was the only child of Stanley and Charlotte Krempa. He attended Corpus Christi grammar school and Canisius High School, both in Buffalo. He studied for the priesthood at St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora, N.Y., and graduated in 1970.

He was ordained Dec. 18, 1970, by Buffalo Bishop James A. McNulty. He served in parish ministry, as a high school chaplain, as an adjunct professor at St. John Vianney Seminary and on the diocesan personnel board for the Buffalo Diocese.

Father Krempa came to the Washington area in the mid-1970s to attend George Washington University Law School and began helping out at parishes in Northern Virginia. He was incardinated in the Arlington Diocese in 1985.

Father Krempa served as parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist Church in Front Royal, 1985-86; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Lake Ridge, 1986-88; and St. Louis Church in Alexandria, 1988-91. He was pastor of St. Mary Church in Alexandria, 1991-99.

Father Krempa is a former member of the college of consultors and a  Gospel commentator for the Catholic Herald.

He has served as pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Winchester since 1999.

Father Bjorn C. Lundberg, newly appointed pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Winchester, was born Nov. 26, 1974, in Nurnberg, Germany, to John and Marlene Lundberg. He spent his childhood as a self-described “Army brat,” traveling with his family from post to post.

While stationed in Northern Virginia, the family attended St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Christendom College in Front Royal and interned at Vatican Radio in Rome for two months before working as an associate producer for the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) for two years.

He was ordained a deacon in June 2005 by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde, and was assigned to St. William of York Church in Stafford. He was ordained a priest June 10, 2006, by Bishop Loverde and was assigned to the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.

Father Lundberg was appointed parochial vicar of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church in Fredericksburg July 1, 2009. He has served as chaplain at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Dumfries since August 2012.

Father David P. Meng, newly appointed pastor of St. Timothy Church in Chantilly, was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop John R. Keating May 20, 1989.

He was born Nov. 1, 1963, in Washington to John and Barbara Meng.

He attended St. Francis College in Loretto, Pa., for one year before transferring to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., where he earned a bachelor’s in philosophy in 1985. He completed his theological studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., earning a master’s in divinity in 1989 and a master’s with a specialization in moral theology in 1990. As a seminarian, he was assigned to St. Joseph Church in Alexandria in 1987.

After ordination, he was assigned to St. Bernadette Church in Springfield as parochial vicar, 1989-93. He was in residence at St. John the Beloved Church in McLean while serving as chaplain at Bishop O’Connell High School, 1993-96. He served as parochial vicar of St. Theresa Church in Ashburn, 1996-99. In 1999, he was assigned as the founding administrator of St. Matthew Church in Spotsylvania and named pastor in 2000. He served as pastor of St. William of York Church in Stafford, 2004-08. He has been pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Lake Ridge since 2008.

Father Meng also served a term on the diocesan college of consultors and on the priest’s council.

Father Keith M. O’Hare, newly appointed pastor of St. Louis Church in Alexandria, was born Feb. 25, 1972, to Barry and Kathleen O’Hare. He has two brothers and one sister. He graduated from Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax in 1990 and attended the University of Miami on a full music scholarship from 1990-92.

He took classes for one year at Northern Virginia Community College, before earning his bachelor’s degree in history from George Mason University in Fairfax in 1996.

He spent his diaconate year at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Arlington. He was ordained June 8, 2002, by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde and assigned to Queen of Apostles Church in Alexandria. He served as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Angels Church in Woodbridge, 2007-08.

He has served as a pastor in the Banica Mission in the Dominican Republic since 2008.

Father Matthew H. Zuberbueler, newly appointed pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Falls Church, was born March 14, 1970, in Del Rio, Texas, to John and Betty Zuberbueler. He attended Comstock High School in Comstock, Texas, and graduated in 1992 from Christendom College in Front Royal with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

He attended Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. After spending his transitional diaconate year serving at Our Lady of Angels Church in Woodbridge, he was ordained to the priesthood by Arlington Bishop John R. Keating at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington May 18, 1996. Since then, he has served as parochial vicar of St. Timothy Church in Chantilly, 1996-99; Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria, 1999-2002; the Cathedral of St. Thomas More, 2002-06; and Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Winchester and its mission, St. Bridget of Ireland in Berryville, 2006-08.

In 2003, Father Zuberbueler was appointed defender of the bond for a five-year term. He then served as chaplain and assistant principal at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Dumfries from 2008 to 2012, when he was appointed parochial administrator of St. Louis Church in Alexandria. He has served as pastor of St. Louis Church since June 2013 and is a  Gospel commentator for the Catholic Herald.

Reproduced with permission from the Arlington Catholic Herald © 2017 all rights reserved.