Ponticello named temporary administrator at St. Mary's in Jackson

Jackson, TN - Bishop J. Terry Steib, S.V.D. has appointed Father Robert Ponticello, Episcopal Vicar of the Diocese of Memphis, as temporary administrator at St. Mary (Roman Catholic) Church in Jackson and St. John Church in Brownsville.

This past Sunday, Bishop Steib celebrated the 9 a.m. Liturgy at St. John Church in Brownsville and the 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Mary Church in Jackson. He made the announcement about Father Ponticello at each parish.

As Episcopal Vicar of the Diocese of Memphis, Father Ponticello works closely with Bishop Steib and also is the Moderator of the Curia. As moderator, Ponticello coordinates the administrative activities of the Diocese, under the authority of the Bishop.

Bishop Steib appointed him to be the Episcopal Vicar in April of this year. In July, Father Ponticello was also appointed Director of Villa Vianney, the Diocese of Memphis' residence for senior and retired priests.

The appointment of an administrator at St. Mary's was made necessary when Bishop Steib accepted Father Richard Mickey's request for an administrative leave on August 12, after Mickey was made aware of sexual abuse allegations against him. Mickey denies the allegations.

Father Ponticello was the Chancellor of the Diocese from 1992 to 1998, and has served in many different administrative posts in the Diocese. He has also been a pastor for 11 years, most recently at the Church of the Nativity in Bartlett.

While temporary administrator at St. Mary and St. John parishes, Father Ponticello will maintain his other posts.

Father Ponticello, 50, comes from Philadelphia. He applied to become a priest of the Diocese of Memphis in 1979 and was ordained in 1981 by Most Rev. Carroll Dozier, the first Bishop of Memphis.

Father Ponticello has college degrees in psychology, and in philosophy and religion. He also holds a Licentiate in Canon Law from St. Paul University in Ottawa.

In other developments:

Counselors were sent to Jackson this past week, making themselves available to parishioners and students for on-site counseling. Dr. Colleen Butterick, director of counseling services for the Roman Catholic schools, and her team also returned this week for additional counseling sessions. They also traveled this past week to the Church of the Ascension, where Father Mickey served for eight years, to avail themselves to families of the Raleigh parish.

Also, the diocese has engaged former Shelby County District Attorney John Pierotti and given him full authority to conduct an independent investigation of the allegations.

(Submitted)

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