Cooper: Sescon moves to Cleveland parish

The Rev. Alberto Sescon, a priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu in the Philippines but serving the church in the United States, has been assigned as parochial administrator of St. Therese of Lisieux Church in Cleveland, Tenn., according to Diocese of Knoxville Bishop Richard F. Stika.

He will assume his position in Cleveland on July 1 after serving as temporary parochial administrator at Holy Cross Church in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., during June. Before this month, he had served since 2010 as a chaplain at the University of Tennessee Medical Center and a substitute priest in the diocese.

The Rev. Tom Moser, associate pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle in Lenoir City, Tenn., and once pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in South Pittsburg, Tenn., and Shepherd of the Valley in Dunlap, Tenn., will become associate pastor at St. Therese of Lisieux.

The Rev. Peter Iorio, a former pastor at St. Augustine on Signal Mountain and former pastor of St. Joseph the Worker in Madisonville, Tenn., will become the pastor of St. Mary in Johnson City, Tenn. Before taking sabbatical leave in 2010, he was senior pastor at St. Therese of Lisieux.

Other changes involving priests who once served in Southeast Tennessee:

n The Rev. Bede Aboh, once chaplain at Alexian Village on Signal Mountain, pastor at St. Catherine Laboure in Copperhill, Tenn., and associate pastor of St. Joseph the Worker, will become the pastor of St. Mary in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

n The Rev. John Appiah, once spiritual director at Notre Dame High School, will become associate pastor at All Saints Church in Knoxville and remain chaplain of Knoxville Catholic High School.

n The Rev. Antonio Giraldo, current temporary parochial administrator at St. Therese of Lisieux, will become associate pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle.

n The Rev. Manuel Perez, once associate pastor at Chattanooga's Our Lady of Perpetual Help, will become associate pastor at St. Mary in Johnson City.

Contact Clint Cooper at ccooper@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6497.

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