Meet our preachers
Rev. Jim Benz
Speaks: English
Father Jim Benz has ministered as pastor and associate pastor to parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Louis for nearly 50 years. He enjoys meeting and sharing faith with people but especially enjoys listening to people talk about their own faith journey. His travels include 10 trips to the Holy Land, a church mission to El Salvador and a journey to Rome. He loves science, history, and reading the comics and local newspaper.
"My hope is to build bonds between people of distant lands. That is the experience of those who have sponsored the poor through Unbound. Through Unbound, we can give flesh to the words ‘to walk in solidarity with the poor and marginalized of the world,’ and prove them true." — Father Jim Benz
Rev. Bob Bonnot
Speaks: English
As a priest of the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, Father Bob Bonnot served as an associate pastor, senior pastor, high school teacher and as diocesan director of communication services. He also directed satellite communication for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ interfaith efforts and served as a chaplain for the Army National Guard in Ohio, New York and Maryland. His faith journey was strengthened through seeing the world. He visited a fellow Youngstown priest in El Salvador, traveled to Maryknoll missions in Panama, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Brazil, and worked alongside the bishop of Ngong, Kenya. Now retired, Father Bonnot enjoys reading, writing, golf and traveling. He sees Unbound as a way to express his Christian concern for the human race while reaching out to the margins with his talent, treasure and person.
"Working with Unbound makes real my desire to do work with the poor in a global dimension." — Father Bonnot
Rev. Vittorio Boria, OFM CAP
Speaks: English
Spending most of his life in his native Eritrea, Father Boria is a Capuchin Franciscan friar living in Colorado. He has served as a hospital chaplain, high school and university teacher, pastor and formator in seminary. Father Boria spent 10 years in Canada, where he worked in refugee ministry, Catholic schools, and youth and university ministry. Currently, Father Boria minsters as a part-time chaplain at the Swedish Medical Center, and gives mission appeals on behalf of the Capuchin Franciscans. He enjoys reading books, walking and animating Eritrean communities around the country.
"It is humbling that I can be used for something so great (a voice for the poor and marginalized). I, myself, did not grow up in a well-to-do family. It was through the solidarity of neighbors and the Church that I made it. So, now I feel I can pay back in that way." — Father Boria
Rev. George Brennan
Speaks: English
As a priest of the Diocese of Albany, New York, Father George Brennan worked with Catholic Charities and ministered to the homeless. He also served as a pastor and as director of the Council of Churches. While with the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette, he served as the director of the La Salette Shrine in Massachusetts, a retreat master in Connecticut and as a psychologist for various counseling centers in New England. Now retired, he enjoys genealogy research, reading Scripture and golf.
"All my life I have been blessed with opportunities to learn and serve. None of them were the result of my personal plan. Now, I want to be of service to people who never had opportunities that I had. I am very blessed and grateful." — Father Brennan
Rev. Bill Donnelly
Speaks: English
As a priest of the Diocese of Rochester, New York, Father Bill Donnelly served as an associate pastor, pastor and chaplain. He also ministered to the homeless and worked with regional group homes. Now retired, he assists in a health care facility for the elderly and celebrates Eucharist at a homeless shelter as well as with college students. He enjoys water walking, traveling and supporting others.
"I love being part of a community that works to empower our sisters and brothers in poverty and pursue their path forward to become fully the gift they are. It is a privilege to walk and be with people in such a way that we all grow into our best selves." — Father Donnelly
Rev. Jerry Frank
Speaks: English/Spanish
Father Jerry Frank worked as teacher and coach in Quito, Ecuador, as well as with migrant farmworkers in Renville County, Minnesota. Ordained for the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, he founded Esperanza Home for Boys, served as campus minister and taught biblical studies at Pan American University. He was the director of the diocesan lay ministries and deacon programs for many years and served as pastor of four parishes in the Brownsville diocese. He has been involved in community outreach efforts related to just wages, housing for the poor, job training, health care and prison ministry.
"Preaching on behalf of Unbound fits into my life trajectory. I want my life to be a gift to the poor and downtrodden. My entire life has been a commitment to the poor: Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God."
— Father Frank
Rev. Cyrus Gallagher, OFM CAP.
Speaks: English/Spanish
Father Cyrus Gallagher is a Capuchin Franciscan friar living in Colorado. He has served as a high school teacher, diocesan director of marriage and family life, retreat master, vocation director and the director of religious formation for his Capuchin community. Spending time in the Capuchin mission in Papua New Guinea, Father Gallagher taught English as a second language.
"The personal relationship Jesus offers to people is made present by Unbound’s invitation of personal relationship to individual children, youth and elders. I am honored to offer this to people in our parishes." — Father Gallagher
Rev. Joseph Gosselin, M.S.
Speaks: English
Father Joseph Gosselin, a Missionary of Our Lady of La Salette, served as missionary working with the poor and seminarians in the Philippines, did research in France, and led groups of people for workshops in Mexico at the Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue & Development. He believes his missionary experiences in the Philippines and Haiti help him explain poverty with greater clarity and feeling to American congregations. Father Gosselin served as pastor in Ontario, New Hampshire and Louisiana and continues to work part of each year in Haiti. It is out of deep respect for their dignity that, humbled but privileged, he dares to be the voice of the voiceless.
"I speak of how Unbound works on two levels … doing charity and doing peace and justice … both approaches unbind people. Charity [unbinds] by giving individuals and their families the wherewithal to be unbound from chains of hunger, thirst, sickness, lack of education. Justice [unbinds] by empowering groups of women to find strength in working together to transform their society, surroundings and neighborhoods. Unbound uses both head and heart for the ‘Kin-dom’ of Christ." — Father Gosselin
Rev. Jerry Hackenmueller
Speaks: English/Spanish
As a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Father Hackenmueller not only served as a pastor in his home diocese but also in Venezuela. Spending 11 years in Venezuela, he came to treasure the culture of Latin America. He applied his work to the Spanish-speaking communities of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
"I love the opportunity to help people on a one-to-one basis in all aspects of ministry." — Father Hackenmueller
Rev. Charles Hammond
Speaks: English/Spanish
Father Charles Hammond was incardinated into the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, where he served as a pastor. He served in Latin America for seven years as a missionary pastor, vocation director, and in youth and elder ministry. Father Hammond also was a university campus minister in San Antonio, Texas, and diocesan director of lay ministry in San Angelo, Texas. He currently lives in Denver.
"Jesus reached out and touched the poor of his day: orphans, widows, lepers. Through the ministry of Unbound we, too, can participate in that lifelong relationship and mission in partnership with those less fortunate than ourselves." — Father Hammond
Rev. Martin Holler
Speaks: English
Father Martin Holler, a priest of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, served as pastor at Christ the King University Parish and in campus ministry at Ohio University. He taught seminary philosophy. Now in retirement, he makes annual service trips to a small school in Kenya and preaches for Unbound. He is inspired by the ‘Oscar Romero Prayer’ of Bishop Ken Untener: “We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.” Father Holler enjoys reading, walking, keeping fit, cooking and visiting family and friends.
"As best I can, the ‘something’ that I do will be to continue to serve those in poverty. It brings me great joy. Yes, I am Unbound." — Father Holler
Rev. John Malasi Ighacho
Speaks: English
Reverend John Malasi Ighacho is a priest of the Diocese of Owensboro, Ky. Originally from Kenya, Father Ighacho has also served in Jamaica and Canada as a pastor and chaplain. He considers the experience of being able to work in different countries and relate to new people as a miracle, and he considers his work with Unbound an opportunity to express gratitude for all he has received.
"It is indeed very humbling and liberating to be the voice of Christ’s message of hope, compassion, and love for the poor and the marginalized." — Father Ighacho
Rev. Tom Keyes
Speaks: English/Spanish
As a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, Father Tom Keyes has served in various parishes as a pastor and parochial vicar and has seen the importance of building relationships of mutual respect between people. As a missionary with the St. James Society of Boston, Father Keyes also has worked with the poor and marginalized in Bolivia and Peru. In his free time, he enjoys walking by the ocean, reading, traveling and spending time with family.
"As a sponsor of children and elders, I have been a part of Unbound. Supporting the work of Unbound, I want to share how investing in sponsored friends who live on the margins impacts me and those I sponsor." — Father Keyes
Rev. Arthur Kirwin, O.P.
Speaks: English/Spanish
Father Art Kirwin, a friar of the Southern Dominican Province, has spent his years as a priest in prison ministry, hospital ministry and, to a lesser extent, parish work. He lives in the Dominican community in St. Louis. He served as promoter of vocations for his Dominican province and prior of Holy Rosary Priory in Houston. He was born in Albany, New York. Before joining the Dominicans, Father Art taught at the secondary and college levels and spent two of those years in Zambia in Southern Africa. He has preached for Unbound for over 20 years and counts among his blessings visiting four of the countries where Unbound serves — Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador — and being a sponsor of Douglas from Honduras for 15-plus years. His brother, Father John Kirwin, also preaches for Unbound.
"I have to say, since the late 90s until now, I’ve never had a bad experience preaching for Unbound. In a church, after the Mass, coming to our conferences, going on awareness trips, I have just not had a bad experience. I really feel the presence of the Spirit at Unbound. It is one great community of love and service striving to build God’s kingdom on earth, a community of friendship among sponsors, sponsored friends, staff, leadership and preachers."
— Father Kirwin
Rev. John Kirwin
Speaks: English
As a priest of the Diocese of Albany, New York, Father John Kirwin not only worked for people in Catholic education as a high school teacher and campus minister but also in parishes as pastor. As a young man apprehensively embarking on a year of service, he had coffee with Servant of God Dorothy Day and was encouraged by her. Now, as a retired diocesan priest, he helps other priests in weekend parish support and serves where needed.
"Unbound affords me an opportunity to visit a variety of parishes and ‘hopefully to affect (afflict) the comfortable and in turn comfort the afflicted!’"
— Father Kirwin
Rev. George Knab, O.M.I.
Speaks: English/Spanish
Father George Knab is a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate living in Belleville, Illinois. Pope Francis has renewed Fr. Knab’s designation as a Missionary of Mercy — along with 895 others globally — in order that each may be a “Joyful proclaimer of divine mercy and its faithful dispenser.” Previously serving as director of religious services at a Buffalo, New York, Catholic high school, hospital chaplain in Indianapolis and pastor in South Carolina and Florida, he promoted outreach to poor communities in the developing world. Currently he conducts Bible studies at a soup kitchen and his parish mission collections now support Oblate seminarians in Zambia. Father Knab has written a booklet of bedside Eucharistic devotions.
"To spread the joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis wants believers to double-down the practice of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Within a faith community, I find joy in preaching a Gospel message that promotes sponsorship as a sign of divine mercy to the children of the poor. I cherish the opportunities Unbound is giving me to proclaim joyfully that sponsorship is a concrete sign of God’s mercy." — Father Knab
Rev. John Kolencherry, O.F.M. Cap.
Speaks: English, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Chichewa, Tumbuka
Father John Kolencherry is a Capuchin Franciscan living in Lawrence, Kansas. He served as associate pastor in Malaytoor, one of the shrines of St. Thomas the Apostle in Kerala, India. Spending 17 years in the Capuchin mission of Malawi, Africa, Father Kolencherry served as pastor, administrative manager in schools and project manager. While in Denver, Colorado, he served as pastor of the Indian community, confessor, chaplain at Catholic Charities and hospital chaplain. As associate pastor at St. John the Evangelist in Lawrence, Kansas, he serves both the parish and school.
“I know the difficulties in the poor countries of the world since I have had many experiences in Malawi, Africa. Working with Unbound, I can continually work with the poor and marginalized. Every moment of my life I carry the message that I heard: ‘Nothing has happened to you without my knowledge.’ This is my strongest faith and simple faith.” — Father Kolencherry
Rev. Frederick LaBrecque
Speaks: English/Spanish
Ordained in New Hampshire, Father ‘Rick LaBrecque is a priest for the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina. Most of his priesthood has been spent serving the Spanish-speaking community, and he found the experience of helping to introduce Hispanic ministry to a traditional U.S. parish particularly rewarding. He has also served in vocations work, communications and continuing education, as well as organizing mission trips for parishioners to Honduras. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and reading.
"Unbound gives me an opportunity to help connect people with our brothers and sisters in poorer parts of the world. It has also been a wonderful way to experience the church today around the country." — Father LaBrecque
Rev. Bill Martin
Speaks: English
Ordained in the Archdiocese of New York, Father Bill Martin served in prison ministry and taught high school. Also, he supported the U.S. Air Force personnel as a chaplain for twenty-two years. Unbound is the efficient organization that empowers Father Martin to make significant change for God’s poor. Father Martin enjoys skiing, flying, reading, and history.
"Unbound turns the yearning of the heart into productive action for those who have nowhere else to turn. Over 21 years I have received a barrage of gratitude from sponsor friends at any moment; this is beautiful background noise in my life." — Father Martin
Rev. Dennis Martin
Speaks: English/Spanish
As a priest of the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, Father Dennis Martin served as a teacher in Catholic schools, pastor and associate pastor of parishes. As a director of pastoral care at a Catholic hospital and chaplain at a V.A. hospital, Father Martin ministered to the spiritual needs of people. For 20 years he enfolded the Spanish ministry into two parishes. Father Martin continues to serve the Diocese of Davenport in Hispanic Ministry. He enjoys celebrating Mass in Spanish because he believes the communities’ positive vibes uplift the human spirit. In his free time, he bikes, golfs and travels.
"Working with Unbound gives me an outlet to answer the pope’s call to solidarity with the poor. I feel personally involved by not only calling on sponsors but sponsoring myself." — Father Martin
Rev. Robert "Mac" McAleer
Speaks: English
Father Robert McAleer, priest of the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, served in parish ministry both in rural and suburban settings, and taught at Catholic high schools. While in seminary, he studied in Mexico and saw true poverty firsthand. After having served as chair of the diocesan presbyteral council, priests’ personnel board and marriage tribunal, he brought his leadership skills to Unbound. He also serves as a trustee at St. Ambrose University and helps local parishes and convents. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, traveling and spending time with friends.
"I look forward to the refreshing challenge of preaching Unbound’s and Pope Francis’ message of serving the poor. I encourage people to experience the richness of being a sponsor, building a relationship and finding Christ embodied in others." — Father McAleer
Rev. Anthony Nguyen, C.SS.R.
Speaks: English/Vietnamese/Spanish
Born in Vietnam, Redemptorist Father Anthony Nguyen has served in various ministries including parish and hospital ministry, formation, retreats, liturgy and music, music composition and Engaged Encounter programs in several dioceses. He’s conducted parish missions in the U.S. and other countries. He served as director of the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, Arizona. He writes articles related to liturgy and sacred music and introduces others to Vietnamese culture and traditions. He serves as consultor on the provincial council of Redemptorists of the Denver Province. Additionally, he teaches liturgical and music workshops and composes music.
"Preaching on behalf of Unbound gives me opportunities to pursue my religious commitment: to evangelize and be evangelized by the poor and marginalized and to practice charity, hope and faith. Practicing charity brings hope for our world as people open themselves, not only seeing the poor but also showing their care as sponsors. Through hope, my faith is enriched as I witness people living their lives in relationship as children of God and members of the Body of Christ." — Father Nguyen
Rev. David Noone
Speaks: English
Ordained at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome for the Diocese of Albany, New York, Father David Noone has served in parishes and as a hospital chaplain in Albany, London, England, and Dunedin, New Zealand. He also served in the office of student affairs at the University of Notre Dame. Currently he assists at parishes and on a local army base in Fayetteville, North Carolina. When Father Noone is not conducting parish missions and days of recollection, he’s involved with an outreach in Haiti, which paved the way for Father Noone preaching for Unbound. Father Noone believes we all have the same ministry: to realize we are God’s instruments, through which He accesses others’ lives, and enters ours through theirs.
"The poor and marginalized, whom Unbound has recognized as having potential, may not be developed without help. My job is to help connect both groups in need; one needing to give and the other needing to help realize their potential. I never expected to find such a meaningful ministry." — Father Noone
Rev. Jeremiah O'Shea
Speaks: English
Ordained for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Father Jerry O’Shea served as pastor of a parish in South Hills of Pittsburgh and as parochial vicar. Retiring from active ministry, he currently lives in the Diocese of Greensburg. He is founder and chaplain of a division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Greensburg, an Irish fraternal organization. One of his most profound experiences during his years of priesthood was providing pastoral care for a man who, after being shot in a robbery, became a quadriplegic, yet has forgiven his attackers. Father O’Shea enjoys gardening, traveling, and participating in environmental programs.
"In my retirement I want to use my preaching ability to bring education and a decent way of living to young and old, to be a channel of God’s great love to sponsors and sponsored alike." — Father O'Shea
Rev. Michael Rieder
Speaks: English/Spanish
Father Mike Rieder, a priest from the Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York, served as chaplain of McGann-Mercy High School. There he says he learned that mercy is not something God doles out; rather it is a way of life. Students taught him how to LIVE MERCY; his friends at Unbound taught him to LIVE MERCY UNBOUND! Taking awareness trips to Latin America with parishioners allows them to have a first-hand experience of the work of Unbound. As pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Ronkonkoma, he serves the parish and Spanish community in building the City of God.
"Preaching for Unbound helped me to take a tremendous step on my Christian journey--I now speak of the work we do. It is another big step to recognize that everyone who sponsors is part of this team, this worldwide community of compassion. I was part of the team long before I started preaching for Unbound." — Father Rieder
Rev. Frank Ruff
Speaks: English
Father Frank Ruff is a member of the Glenmary Home Missioners, who serve in the rural south of the United States where Catholics are a minority. Long active in ecumenical relations between Catholics and evangelicals, he was field representative of the U.S. Bishop’s Committee on Ecumenism and Interreligious Affairs to the Southern Baptist Convention. He has served as vocation director, fundraiser, director of program to start mission churches with lay pastoral ministers, and President of Glenmary. Father Ruff enjoys gardening, canning vegetables, and raising animals. He continues to serve on the Glenmary Ecumenical Commission.
"I have worked with many groups for 54 years that want to help the poor, but always see themselves above the poor and make decisions for them instead of letting them make their own decisions. When I visited Unbound in Costa Rica and read its material, I became convinced that I finally found a group that was founded on the Gospel and able to work with the poor without violating their dignity." — Father Ruff
Rev. Robert Suit
Speaks: English
As a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Father Bob Suit served in high school ministry for 35 years as a teacher, coach, campus minister and president. He has served in parish ministry and participates in parish mission trips to Belize. He enjoyed building sacramental education in both the classroom and the parish.
“Working with Unbound means sharing the life of the poor and being empathetic to their lives and needs. Like Jesus who is our mediator, I am a mediator for the poor.” — Father Suit
Rev. LaVerne ‘Pike‘ Thomas
Speaks: English
Father Pike Thomas, ordained for the Diocese of Shreveport, Louisiana, has served in pastoral ministry for 32 years and as president of the Presbyteral Council of the diocese, vicar for clergy, vicar for clergy continuing development and member of the diocesan liturgical commission. As a chaplain at the David Wade Correctional Center, he ministered to the spiritual needs of the people. From 1987-2007, he organized the annual mission to Saltillo, Mexico, for the youth of the Diocese of Shreveport, which provided an onsite encounter with the poor and ”left behind,“ and gave a deeper understanding of needs, lifestyles and a desire to work long term for solutions. He enjoys classical music, playing piano and singing, American and Louisiana history, genealogy and travel. He has retired in the Baton Rouge area.
"Service to Unbound and its participants throughout the world offers me a powerful vehicle to accelerate empowerment and, particularly, educational advancement in places struggling to participate in the world’s advances." — Father Thomas
Rev. Joseph Uecker, C.PP.S.
Speaks: English/Spanish
Father Joseph Uecker, a priest of the Kansas City Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, served in parish ministry and taught business and Spanish in a high school seminary. He studied Spanish and business at La Universidad de las Americas in Mexico City, which introduced him to Hispanic ministry. Moreover, he traveled to his community’s missions in Brazil, Chile, Peru and Argentina, learning about other cultures and communities. He has spent most of his priesthood in the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas, serving as pastor to a Mexican American community. He enjoys reading, cooking, and tracking current events.
"I like to think of myself as a key maker, one who makes duplicate keys. All sponsors are keys to unlock the treasure which already exists. God has given the treasure. God seems to be saying, ‘What good does it do for me to enrich people with talents and abilities if they are not going to be able to unlock them and put them to use?’ WE are that KEY." — Father Uecker
Msgr. Adolfo Valdivia-Aguirre
Speaks: English/Spanish
Monsignor Adolfo Valdivia-Aguirre served in the Archdiocese of San Antonio as parochial vicar, pastor, worked in jail ministry and led retreats and missions. In Mexico, he performs tribunal work. He experienced profound poverty; yet considers himself rich in faith and grateful to his parents. The archbishop told him when he was ordained, “You came from the poor to serve the poor” (“Vienes de los pobres, para server a los pobres.”) His hero, St. Teresa of Calcutta, inspires him to serve the homeless and poor. Currently he helps parish priests with sacramental ministry in Mexico, where he lives in retirement. He enjoys playing basketball, running and traveling.