Pastor Biographies

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

Fr. Kevin J. Beres

The newly appointed pastor of St. Peter Church in Washington, Va., was born June 27, 1974, to Joseph and Geraldine, the eldest of three children. 

He attended St. Peter Catholic Grade School in Olney, Md., and Centreville High School in Centreville. He earned his bachelor’s in philosophy with a minor in theology from Christendom College in Front Royal in 1996. 

He attended Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., and he was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Paul S. Loverde May 22, 1999, at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Loverde June 10, 2000, at the cathedral.

While a seminarian, he participated in the diocesan Spanish-language program for priests in Puebla, Mexico. He served his diaconate assignment at St. John the Beloved Church in McLean.

He served as parochial vicar of St. Bernadette Church in Springfield (2000-04) and as parochial vicar of St. Timothy Church in Chantilly (2004-08). He underwent a period of discernment with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (June-December 2008). He served as parochial vicar of St. Michael Church in Annandale (December 2008-13), and he has served as parochial vicar of St. John the Baptist Church in Front Royal since 2013. 

Fr. Paul M. Grankauskas

The newly appointed pastor of St. Bridget of Ireland Church in Berryville was born April 20, 1970, in Pittsburgh, the son of Mary and the late Carl Grankauskas. He has four siblings.

After graduating from high school in Pittsburgh in 1988, Father Grankauskas came to Arlington to study English, philosophy and theology at Marymount University, where he graduated in 1992. Before entering Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., Father Grankauskas worked as an intern and staff writer for the Catholic Herald.

He was ordained to the diaconate in 1999 and spent his diaconal assignment at St. Mark Church in Vienna. He was ordained to the priesthood June 10, 2000, by Bishop Paul S. Loverde at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.

Father Grankauskas served as parochial vicar of All Saints Church in Manassas (2000-03), before being transferred to St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax, where he served as parochial vicar (2003-07). He served as parochial vicar of St. Ann Church in Arlington (2007-11). He served as parochial administrator of St. Thomas à Becket Church in Reston (2011-14), and as parochial vicar of St. Mark Church in Vienna (2014-18).

Fr. Wilson “Bill” I. Korpi

The newly appointed pastor of Holy Family Church in Dale City has served as the parochial administrator since Jan. 3 after the Nov. 16, 2017,  death of Father Gerry Creedon. 

He was born March 8, 1945, in Chicago to Wilson and Florence, the middle of three children. He was raised in Dowagiac, Mich. 

He graduated from Dowagiac Union High School in 1962. He earned his bachelor’s from Southwestern University in Washington; a master’s in education at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Ill.; and both a master’s in religious studies and an advanced catechetical degree from Notre Dame Graduate School at Christendom College in Alexandria in 1988. 

He served in the U.S. Army (1962-65), and began a career in financial management in 1965. 

He was ordained to the permanent diaconate May 7, 1988, by Bishop John R. Keating. As a deacon he was assigned to St. Philip Church in Falls Church for 10 years, and then to Church of the Nativity in Burke for another 10 years. His wife died in 2003 while he was a deacon at Nativity. At the end of that year, the widower and father applied to the priesthood. 

He attended Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass., in 2004, which specializes in late vocations.      

Father Korpi was ordained to the priesthood June 14, 2008, by Bishop Paul S. Loverde at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. He served as parochial vicar of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Fredericksburg (2008–10), and as parochial vicar at Nativity (2010–18).

In January, he became parochial administrator at Holy Family.

In addition to his parish responsibilities, he is a spiritual director for diocesan Cursillo and a chaplain to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

Fr. J.D. Jaffe

The newly appointed pastor of Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling, was born June 10, 1976, to Missy and Sid Jaffe in Falls Church. He attended St. Michael School in Annandale and graduated from Annandale High School in 1994. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg in 1998.

After college, he attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa., for a year before attending the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood June 7, 2003, by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.

He served as parochial vicar of Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria (2003-08). He was chaplain and assistant principal of Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax (2008-12) and then served as parochial vicar of St. Luke Church in McLean and as promoter of vocations for a year. Since then, he has served as the vocations director for the Diocese (2013-2018).

Reproduced with permission from the Arlington Catholic Herald © 2018 all rights reserved.