Jesus Christ

Jesus the Nazorean, Son of God. Son of Mary. He was born in Bethlehem during the time of Caesar Augustus. After being exiled to Egypt with Mary and Joseph, he lived in Nazareth for roughly 30 years. He went about doing good and healing all of those oppressed by the devil. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, was buried and rose on the third day. He ascended into heaven and now is present in our midst as he promised: “... I am with you always, until the end of age." (Mt 28:20)

Jesus is the founder of the Catholic Church. He endowed his community with a structure that will remain until the kingdom is fully achieved. Before all else there is the choice of the twelve with Peter as their head: “... I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Mt 16:18-19)

Pope Francis

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis on March 13, 2013, when he was named the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Bergoglio, the first pope to hail from the Americas, reportedly took his papal title after St. Francis of Assisi of Italy. Pope Francis made his first international visit in July 2013, traveling to Brazil for World Youth Day. In December 2013, Pope Francis was also named Person of the Year by TIME magazine.

Most Rev. John P. Dolan

Most Reverend John Dolan was ordained to the priesthood on July 1, 1989 and has served as a priest in the Diocese of San Diego for nearly 28 years.  He is a San Diego native and grew up in Clairemont. He was educated in local Catholic schools at St. Mary Magdalene parish and University High School, before attending St. Francis Seminary and the University of San Diego, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy.

Most Rev. Eduardo A. Nevares

The Most Reverend Eduardo Alanis Nevares was ordained as the first Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Phoenix on July 19, 2010, at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Avondale. He began his priesthood as a Missionary of Our Lady of La Salette on July 18, 1981, and was later incardinated into the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, in May 2007.  He served as Vice Rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, after serving as the Co-Director of Vocations in the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, from 2002 until 2008. Before serving in Tyler, he was the Pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Lufkin, Texas. For 25 years, Bishop Nevares served as a Missionary of Our Lady of La Salette before he sought incardination to the Diocese of Tyler.

Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop Emeritus

Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, July 2, 1973. He was installed as the Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix December 20, 2003. Prior to his arrival in Phoenix he served as Bishop of Wichita, Kansas, after being ordained Coadjutor Bishop on April 20, 1999. Before serving in Wichita, he served as the Rector / President of the Pontifical College Josephinum, a Catholic Seminary in Columbus, Ohio.

Father Keith Kenney

Fr. Keith Kenney was ordained to the priesthood on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart on June 28th, 2014.  He served as the parochial vicar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Glendale, Arizona and as chaplain to St. Mary's Catholic High School.  On July 1, 2016, he was assigned as the parochial administrator of St. Margaret Mary in Bullhead City where he was later installed as pastor on October 1, 2017.  On August 1, 2022 he was assigned as the pastor here at St. Anne Roman Catholic Parish.

Father Bitrus Maigamo

Revd. Fr. Dr. Bitrus Maigamo joined St. Anne in July of 2023.  He was ordained in August 11th, 2001 and is a Nigerian Catholic Priest, from the Catholic Diocese of Zaria.  He began working in the Diocese of Phoenix in July of 2013 at St. Margret Mary in Bullhead City.  Before arriving at St. Anne, he served at St. Paul's Parish in Phoenix.  Revd. Dr. Bitrus received an international Award as the Best Doctoral Dissertation Student for 2019/2020, by the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy.  He was sent to Rome on further studies by his Bishop, Most Revd. George Jonathan Dodo.  The work that won him the award was on "Islamic Extremism and it's Challenges to the Catholic Missionary Activities in Northern Nigeria." 

Father Charlie Goraieb

Father Charlie Goraieb joined St. Anne in July of 2023.  He has served as a priest of the Diocese of Phoenix for more than 28 years. His parish assignments include OLPH Glendale, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Henry, Queen of Peace, St. Timothy in Mesa, and St. Louis the King Parish in Glendale.  In 2002 Fr. Goraieb did post-graduate studies at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family in Washington, DC, focusing John Paul II’s teachings on God’s plan for married love, entitled the Theology of the Body. In addition to his pastoral duties at the parish, Fr. Goraieb co-hosts a weekly radio program entitled, “Siempre SI” on En Familia, the local Spanish-speaking Catholic Radio station. His pastimes include photography, hiking, visiting families, reading and playing guitar.

Father Dennis Riccitelli

Father Dennis Riccitelli was a former pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Mesa, AZ.  He has been celebrating Mass and hearing confessions in the Phoenix area for a long time and we are grateful to have him here at St. Anne.

Deacon Andrew Gilliland

Currently serving as the Director of Parish Administration here at St. Anne since June 2013, Deacon Andrew was recently ordained as a Permanent Deacon for the Diocese of Phoenix and is now serving at Resurrection Catholic Church in Tempe. He and his beautiful wife Jessica have been married for twelve years. Those twelve years have brought them 4 wonderful blessings! Their names are Hadrien, Liam, Simon, and Elizabeth.

When Dcn. Andrew isn’t at church, he enjoys reading and learning about the liturgy and naval history, along with watching baseball! Some of his favorite saints are St. Pio of Pietrelcina, St. Joseph, St. Therese of Lisieux, and St. John of the Cross.

Deacon Keith Boswell

Born and raised in Iowa, Deacon Keith has served at St. Anne for fourteen years since his ordination for the Diocese of Phoenix. He and his wife of thirty-seven years, Karen, have a daughter named Erin. While Dcn. Keith doesn’t have any serious hobbies or pastimes, he enjoys a variety of activities. His favorite saint is St. Charles Borromeo.

Deacon Joe Spadafino

The St. Anne community has been blessed with Deacon Joe’s cheerful smile since he was assigned here in 2006. He and his wife of twenty-five wonderful years have four children (one of their children is deceased). His favorite saint is St. Joseph, and his favorite Bible story is the widow’s mite.

Deacon Bob Carey

Ordained on January 16^th, 1999, Deacon Bob Carey initially served at St. Anne from the date of his ordination through April 2005, until his reassignment in May of 2005 to St. Mary Magdalene. After serving there for 8 years, he was again reassigned to our beautiful St. Anne.

A New York native, he married in 1967, and later moved to Arizona in 1983. He and his wife Beatrice Carey have six children: Jill lives here in Phoenix, Marla resides in Spokane, Barbara lives in Tucson, Chris in San Diego, Craig in Laveen, and Amy lives in San Diego.

Currently, Dcn. Carey is a member of the Diocesan Deacon Council, Diocesan Coordinator of Diaconal Life and Ministry, member of the Diocesan Deacon Retreat Committee, Cursillo Associate Director (English speaking), Spiritual Director to the East Phoenix Legion of Mary Curia and represents the Diocese in Jail Ministry two to three days per month.

Deacon Ivan Rojas

Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. He and his wife, Ines, married in 1995 and moved to the US shortly before their first anniversary. Since then their home has been blessed with three daughters: Maria, Catalina and Ana Lucia. Ivan and his family have been members of St. Anne since 2001.

Deacon Rob Estes

Our fellow parishioner, Deacon Rob Estes, was ordained to the diaconate on November 5th, 2022.  His favorite saint is St. John of the Cross. “His relationship with the Lord, his contemplative prayer, and how he just had that union with the Lord in his prayer.”

Norma Guzman

Born and raised in Superior, Arizona, Norma moved to the valley in 2007 with her family. She has been married for forty years to her husband Michael, and together they have three wonderful daughters named Alicia, Elaine, and Valerie. They have been blessed with nine grandchildren and one great grandson. Norma has worked at St. Anne as the Administrative Assistant to Youth Ministry since 2007. She enjoys her job because it has brought her closer to God, and continues to help her grow in her faith. When Norma isn’t working or spending time with her grandchildren, she loves crocheting and being outdoors.

Nancy Piña

Nancy began working with us in August of 2021.  She is from Mexico City.  She like hiking, painting, and riding bicycles.  Some of Nancy's favorite saints are Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Giuseppe Moscati.  

John Caballero

John is from Oxnard, California, and has been a faithful, wonderful volunteer and parishioner at St. Anne for a few years.  He also happens to be a movie star and an adventurous person!  He is one of the pilgrims appearing in Footprints: The Path of Your Life.  He walked "The Way of St. James" in Northern Spain with Fr. Sergio Fita and several other men from our parish.  We are thankful John is currently working with our Youth Ministry.

Rosaura Tasso (Coco)

Rosaura “Coco” Tasso moved to Phoenix in 1993. She is married to his wonderful husband Lenin for 16 years and blessed with two children Diego and Vicki. Coco loves her job as in Faith Formation assistant because it has help her come closer to God and to the sacraments. She enjoys prayer, outdoors and family time.

Mike Zazick

A New Jersey native, Mike is thankful to his parents for having moved the family to Arizona in 1980. He has been happily married to his wife, Dana, for over 20 years. They have four amazing boys: Zach, Ben, Nick, and Will. A drummer since he was five years old, Mike enjoys playing music within the charismatic and contemporary christian music scene, playing for retreats and prison ministry. He also enjoys photography and videography. He has worked at St. Anne for over fifteen years and continues to seek new ways of using his gifts and talents to serve the church and the family of St. Anne.

Monique Spryszak

Originally from Campbell, California, Monique moved to Arizona with her husband, Mark, in 2007.  In her spare time, Monique likes reading, movies, road trips, and exploring new places. She began volunteering at St. Anne in 2012 and joined the staff full-time in 2015.  One of Monique's favorite saints is St. Madeleine Sophie Barat.

Denise Lichty

Denise joined the St. Anne staff in May of 2022. She is from Seattle, Washington. She moved to the Phoenix area in 2018 with her husband, Bob.  Denise enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, gardening, and attending book clubs. Her favorite saints are St. Theresa of the Little Flower, St. Padre Pio, and St. Faustina.

Steve Greene

Steve Green has served as the Director of Kino Catechetical Institute.  Before that he was the Director of Administration here at St. Anne before Deacon Andrew Gilliland.   Steve Green is a Co-Host of The Catholic Conversation Radio Show with his wife, Becky Greene.  His greatest passion is teaching and presenting Catholic philosophy, theology, ethics and catechetics.

Sister Teresa Norberto Serrano

Sister Teresa is a member of the Carmelite Missionaries of St. Therese of the Child Jesus.  They have a convent in Puebla, Mexico, and in Arizona.  They serve in many parishes throughout Arizona and California.  They have a mission to spread the kingdom of God among the poor.

Sister Lourdes Herrera

I was born and raised in the beautiful San Joaquin Valley and am the youngest of two children. I entered religious life on August 15, 2019. After three years of formation, I professed my first vows on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 24, 2022 in Puebla, Mexico. I enjoy watching baseball, learning more about the saints and have an interest in agriculture.

"The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name." Luke 1:49

Jean Estes-Gonzales

Happily married for forty-four years to her husband, Al Gonzales, she and him raised a family of seven children and now relish spending time with their fourteen grandchildren. Some of that time involves cooking and reading (she makes delicious desserts, by the way). Jean has been at St. Anne since July of 2001. Her favorite story from scripture is the wedding feast at Cana and her favorite Bible quote is from 1 Corinthians: “Love is patient; love is kind…” (1 COR 13:4).

Aurora Sarmiento

A happy marriage and three adult children are only a few of the blessings in Aurora Sarmiento’s life. Since 1997 she has dedicated her time to volunteer and work at St. Anne. Her pastimes include watching EWTN and listening to EWTN Radio ever since she discovered it in 1984, along with reading about the faith. A few of her favorite saints are St. Therese (her patron saint), St. Padre Pio, Pope St. John Paul II, and Archbishop Fulton Sheen. You can find Aurora at the parish at all times of the day always wearing a smile on her face!

Micheal McConnell

Happily married since 1993, Micheal and her husband have raised two wonderful children. In 2012 Micheal began working for St. Anne and loves working with children. Her favorite Old Testament saint is St. Esther because she practices her faith with great dedication and overcomes her fears to do what is right. In the New Testament, one of her favorite Bible stories is the parable of the ten virgins because it speaks of the relationship with God, given at Baptism, and strengthened through prayer and the Sacraments, which keeps our light burning brightly until He comes again.

Lourdes Santiago

We like to thank Lourdes for her years of service and love for our parish families of St Anne.  Her work as a coordinator of Catequesis del Buen Pastor touched countless lives for our Lord Jesus.  May God bless Lourdes greatly as she begins a new chapter of her life.

Bio: Lourdes moved to the desert during the winter of 1989 with her husband and two daughters. A catechist trained in all three levels for English and Spanish, Lourdes came to St. Anne in 1994. She loves working with children! Her favorite Gospel is by John the Evangelist, and her favorite saint is St. Peter Julian Eymar. Learning about his life taught her how to enjoy our greatest gift – Jesus in the Eucharist.

Elvira Gutierrez

Elvira, thank you for your devotion, dedication, the years of faithful service at St. Anne. We are thankful for your work with our community and we will miss you.  May God bless you in this new chapter in your life and always.

Born in Mexico D.F., Elvira is the oldest of 8 children. She came to live in California in 1975 and moved to Arizona in 2003. She has been married for 37 years, has 7 children, and 13 grandchildren (and more to come). Elvira has been parishioner at St Anne since 2003. She had her encounter with the person Jesus and her conversion in 1986. Her favorite saints are St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Monica, and St. Rita of Acacia. Elvira shared, "I love the Lord our God with all my life and have no other desire than to serve him, please him and try my very best to do his will."  Favorite Bible verses: Philippians 4:13;  Mark 12: 29 - 31. 

Ernie McCormack

Ernie McCormack joined our parish staff family in August of 2018. We are glad to have her with us.

Claire Halbur

Claire Halbur grew up in a devout, musical home in Joliet, Illinois and was homeschooled through high school, which provided many opportunities for service and leadership from a young age. Her music degree (vocal emphasis) is from her hometown's University of Saint Francis and she completed a Master's Certificate in Theology through the Augustine Institute. Claire has been serving in parish apostolates for over 20 years, including numerous sacred music initiatives for singers of all ages, and her background in music education influences her formative approach to the choral setting.

By the Lord's invitation, she moved to the Diocese of Phoenix in 2016, and by His gift, she was Consecrated a bride of Christ within the Ordo virginum by Bishop Olmsted on August 22, 2020. When not making or listening to beautiful music, Claire delights in cooking with or for friends, holding babies, and creative projects. Some of her close heavenly friends are St. Cecilia (virgin, martyr, and patroness of musicians), Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Joan of Arc, and the women doctors of the Church.

Francisco Santos

Francisco has been the Spanish Music Leader at St. Anne since 2007. He has been married for more than twenty-eight years. He truly enjoys playing the piano as well as distance running. His three favorite saints are St. Elias, St. John, and of course, St. Francisco!

Contact Francisco Santos for questions about music in the Saturday 6:30 pm, Sunday 1 pm Mass, and weddings or funerals in Spanish.  If you are interested in Francisco singing at your wedding, please contact him at least three months prior to your wedding date to start making arrangements for music for your wedding.

James McCarty

James is from the San Francisco Bay Area, California and has served as a liturgical musician in the Phoenix area since 2021. He has undertaken studies in voice, choral singing, and Gregorian Chant at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH (where he also studied philosophy), and with the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music in Menlo Park, CA. He takes great interest in music, liturgy, history, and philosophy, and enjoys spending time with friends. One of his favorite saints is St. Alphonsus Liguori.

Joe Reed

Happily married for over twenty-eight years now, Joe and his wife have raised two children. He has been at St. Anne since 1996. When he isn’t on campus, Joe enjoys working with his hands to build and create different things. His favorite saint is St. Joseph.

Gene Marquez

Gene Marquez joined the St. Anne staff in 2006.  He is married beautiful wife, Tracy.  They have two adult children, male & female.  In his free time, Gene likes kickboxing, fishing, landscaping, and outdoor activities.  His favorite saint is Mother Theresa.

Abrham Warpness

Abrham joined the St. Anne staff in October of 2021.  He was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona.  He likes reading about Church history and ancient history, and he like listening to podcats.  Abrham's favorite saints are St. Peter, his confirmation saint, St. John Chrysostom, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, and St. Ambrose.

Pat Estes

Phil Austin

Ed Orillo

Stephen Phelan

Sylvia Stock

Gayle Ware

Joe Audia

Kevin Boudreau

Earl Brockert

William Drogo

Eric Schaefer

Adelaida Severson

Judy Gaitan

Mike Graffeo

Priscilla Graffeo

Nereida Luna

Jim Montgomery

Aurora Sarmiento