Religious Staff

Both Priests and Religious Brothers of the Society of St Pius X make up the religious staff at St Anthony's Priory.

Priests

Fr François Laisney was ordained by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1982. He was first assigned to Australia, far from his native France. He has held positions as District Superior of the United States, District Superior of Austrailia, Bursar-General for the SSPX, as well as previoulsy being Prior of St Anthony's in Whanganui from 2005 to 2012. After taking up a post as District Bursar of the Asian District in Singapore, he returned to New Zealand as Prior in January 2018. His responsibilities include :

  • Prior of St Anthony's Priory and Pastor of St Anthony's Church
  • Teaching : Latin at St Dominic's College

 

 

Fr Erik Julian Ladner hails from the town of Dickenson near Houston, Texas in the United States. He entered the seminary in Winona, Minnesota, and after finishing his studies in Philosophy was sent to finish his Theological studies at the SSPX Seminary in Goulburn, NSW, Austrailia. Ordained as a priest for the Society of St Pius X in December 2016, he was assigned to the Austrailian District, and stationed in the Sydney suburb of Rockdale, then for a time at the St Philomena's school near Brisbane, QLD. In July 2021 he was sent to join the SSPX priests in New Zealand. His responsibilities include :

  • Parochial Vicar of St Anthony's Church
  • Chaplain for the Eucharistic Crusade
  • Teaching : Latin & Catechism at St Dominic's College

 

 

 

 

Fr Ian Andrew Palko was also born in Maryland in the United States, and grew up in Annapolis. After obtaining a Bachelor's of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kansas in 2004, he worked in industry for several years, then taught History, Chemistry, Biology, Catholic Doctrine, and Music at St Vincent de Paul Academy in Kansas City, Missouri for four years before entering St Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Winona, Minnesota. Ordained by Bishop Bernard Fellay among the first class of the new Dillwyn, Virgina seminary in July 2017, his first assignment was in New Zealand. He subsequently earned a Graduate Diploma in Secondard Education in 2019 from Bethlehem Tertiary Institute in Tauranga, New Zealand. Here his responsibilities include :

  • Pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Avondale, Auckland, New Zealand
  • Actin Principal of the St Anthony's Primary School & St Dominic's College
  • Chaplain to the Children of Mary, Archconfraternity of St Stephen, and the Bosco Cadets
  • Teaching : Chemistry, Introduction to Scholastic Philosophy, and Senior Religion at St Dominic's College

Fr Elias Campbell, O.S.B. is a Benedictine priest from Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery in the Gila National Wilderness near Silver City, New Mexico, USA. Originally from Florida, he was ordained as a priest for the monastery in 2011. On loan to the Austrailian District from the monastery, he came to New Zealand to assist as chaplain for the Dominican Sisters of Wanganui, and also assists the SSPX priests with their pastoral apostolate.

Coadjutor Brothers

Br Bartholomew Demafeliz hails from the Philippines and perfomed his novitiate at St Bernard's Novitiate in Iloilo in the Phillipines. He has been assigned to the Whanganui Priory since 2010. His responsibilities include :

  • Building and Vehicle Maintenance
  • Priory Cooking
  • Church, Priory and School Grounds

 

Br Vincent Mary Rustila also hails from the Philippines and perfomed his novitiate at St Bernard's Novitiate in Iloilo in the Phillipines. He has been assigned to the Whanganui Priory since 2013. His responsibilities include :

  • Management of the Sacistry
  • Accounting
  • Training for the Archconfraternity of St Stephen
  • Priory, Church and School Laundry