May 17, 2026
Last Saturday at Saint Mary's Cathedral in Miami, Archbishop Thomas Wenski ordained nine men to the ministerial priesthood for service in our Archdiocese of Miami. It was a joyous occasion, indeed!
The news became even more special for us at Saint Gregory, when the Archbishop announced that TWO of the nine were being assigned to Saint Gregory Church in Plantation. Yes! Our parish is receiving two of the newest and youngest priests in the Archdiocese of Miami. A true blessing for us! Father Henri Cardenas and Father Aristides Lima will be joining our staff on June 15th.
Of course, such blessings come with a trade off. Last week in Miami it was also announced that our Parochial Vicar, Father John Buonocore, is being named to the faculty of Saint John Vianney College Seminary, where he will serve in the important administrative role of Dean of Men. It is a tremendous affirmation of Father John to have been selected for this very significant responsibility in the formation of future priests. Meanwhile, Father Gustavo Barros, our other Parochial Vicar, will be assigned to Saint Joachim Church in the Redlands of South Miami-Dade County, where he will serve as Parochial Vicar at a parish that has six Spanish Masses each weekend. It is a parish that will benefit greatly from the linguistic gifts, pastoral aptitude and creativity of Father Gustavo.
In the pre-Covid era we had four full-time priests here at Saint Gregory. In recent years we have had only three, which has caused us significant coverage challenges. The Archbishop has favored us this year with the announcement of the assignment of Father Luis Arboleda as a third full-time Vicar. With five years experience as a priest and perfectly bi-lingual, he, too, will be a welcome addition to our team.
As I begin my eighth year as your pastor, I couldn't be happier for our parish. Grateful for the excellent service of Father John and Father Gustavo, as well as delighted with the caliber of our new incoming staff of priests. We have lots to look forward to.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Rev. Dr. Michael W. Davis