St. Elizabeth Seton Parish Staff

Clergy and Staff

Welcome to St. Elizabeth Seton

Meet our Clergy and Staff

Rev. Arnold R. Medeiros, Pastor | Rev. John Kelleher, O.S.B., Parochial Vicar
Peter Guresh, Deacon | David E. Pierce, Deacon
Leonard Dexter, Deacon
William A Martin, Deacon | Vincent Coates, Jr., Deacon, Retired

	Rev. Arnold R. Medeiros, Pastor Father Arnold R. Medeiros was born in Capalas, St. Michael, Azores, and came to America at the age of seven in 1954. He is a graduate of Bishop Stang High School, and his priestly formation of eight years was at St. John's Seminary in Boston. Father Medeiros was ordained on May 10, 1975. He was Parochial Vicar at St. George Church, Westport, and St. Anthony and Our Lady of Lourdes, both in Taunton. He has been Pastor of St. Elizabeth's Church in Fall River, St. Mary's in Norton, St. Patrick's in Wareham, and presently Pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton in North Falmouth and of St. John the Evangelist in Pocasset, as of July 1, 2010. Father Medeiros has held Diocesan appointments as Director of Marriage Preparation and Coordinator of Vocations in the Taunton Deanery, as well as chaplain to the Taunton Catholic Middle School, a position he held for seventeen years. He has been on the Board of the Council on Aging and the Department of Human Services and Head Start Program in Taunton and in Wareham. "I believe that God has called me to focus all my talents for the spiritual well-being of those entrusted to my care. To that end I gladly give my life."

Rev. John P. Kelleher, OSB Parochial Vicar Fr. John was born and raised just outside of Boston in Malden, MA. He graduated from Malden Catholic High School in 1976, and completed a degree in Journalism from Suffolk University in Boston in 1980. His career plans quickly changed, however. After a profound spiritual experience while on retreat in 1980, Fr. John entered the Franciscan Order in 1981, professed religious vows in 1984, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1989. Fr. John spent his first two years of ordained ministry at Holy Angels Parish, Little Falls, N.J. as a pastoral assistant and Coordinator of Youth Ministry. In 1991, he accepted a position on the Campus Ministry Team at St. Bonaventure University where he worked for five years, three years as Director of Campus Ministry. Fr. John joined the Franciscan's "Ministry of the Word" in September of 1996, and spent the next five years "on the road" preaching parish missions and retreats. In March of 2001, seeking a life more deeply rooted in prayer, Fr. John transferred into the Benedictine monastic community of Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, MA where he became Director oft he Retreat Program until 2008. In February of 2008, Fr. John began parish ministry in the Diocese of Fall River, as part of a discernment to leave the Benedictines, and become a diocesan priest. Prior to his assignment at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in North Falmouth, Fr. John spent three years as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville. Fr. John has a particular interest, and has done some work in the area of male spirituality and men's issues. His leisure interests include sports and rock music, especially Christian Rock.
	Peter Guresh, Deacon Peter M. Guresh, a native of Taunton, Massachusetts, was educated in the Taunton Catholic schools. Studied at Alfred University, Alfred N.Y. where he received a Masters degree in 1982 and at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts where he received a B.S. degree with the class of 1977. In 1985, married the former Jane Yenulivich, of Carver, Massachusetts. Together they have raised two sons, Matthew and Andrew. Deacon Guresh, has been in healthcare for more then thirty years. He began and completed his studies for the Permanent Deaconate for the Diocese of Fall River and was ordained by Bishop Sean O'Malley on May 18, 2002. He has been assigned to Elizabeth Seton Parish in North Falmouth since his ordination. Deacon Guresh enjoys music, travel, an avid interest in golf and long distance running. deaconpmg@yahoo.com

David E. Pierce, Deacon David Edward Pierce was born and raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Diane, live in Sandwich. They have two children, Michael and Jonathan, and one grandson, Luke. David is a Deputy Director with the Commonwealth’s Division of Marine Fisheries and helps lead that agency’s involvement in all facets of marine fisheries management and science. David received his B.S. (1971) and M.S. (1981) in Marine Biology from UMass Dartmouth and his Ph.D. (1996) in Environmental Science from UMass Boston. He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Fisheries Oceanography at the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) where he teaches courses on Marine Policy and Marine Fisheries Management – an arrangement through the Commonwealth’s Marine Fisheries Institute (MFI). Becoming a Catholic in 1994 and active in RCIA for many years, David later entered the Diocese’s Permanent Diaconate Program and was ordained in October 2007 when he was assigned to St. John the Evangelist in Pocasset. With Father Medeiros becoming Pastor of St. John following Father Bob Donovan’s retirement in 2010, David now shares his ministry with St. John and Elizabeth Seton.

Leonard Dexter, Deacon	Contact the Rectory for information.

	William A Martin, Deacon Deacon Bill was raised in Taunton, MA. After high school he joined the Army and was trained in the Military Police. In 1962 he married Judith Cusick. They have four children and nine grandchildren. Bill worked at Raytheon in various positions in the security department until his retirement in 1998. Before being ordained to the Permanent Diaconate by Bishop Daniel A. Cronin in 1982, Bill and Judy served the Diocese in the Family Life Ministries, working with married couples and in Marriage Preparation. Bill and Judy introduced Engaged Encounter into the Diocese at that time. After his ordination, Deacon Bill was assigned by the bishop to St. Patrick parish in Wareham, where he served for 17 years. While serving at St. Patrick parish, he and his wife were also assigned to the Divine Worship Committee in the Diocese. In 1999 Bishop Sean O’Malley, OFM, Cap., Assigned Deacon Bill to St. Elizabeth Seton Parish as a Pastoral Assistant, where he retired from the post on October 1, 2010.
	Vincent Coates, Jr., Deacon, Retired Deacon Vinnie served as a special agent in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps in the mid-1950s, after which he joined the former Avco Everett Research Laboratory as manager of the security department. With his promotion to director of public and government relations in 1959 he began a thirty-year career in the profession. When Avco disappeared with a merger, he began a new career as Vice President of a Washington D.C.-based public & government relations firm, from which he retired in 2009. Deacon Coates was ordained for the Archdiocese of Washington at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. in 1994. His pastoral assignment was at St. Joseph Church on Capitol Hill, established at the end of the civil war, one of the oldest churches in D. C. When Deacon Vin arrived in 1994, the expansion of government buildings and an increase in crime left fewer than 800 families. With only one priest, Deacon Vinnie’s duties ranged from visiting the elderly homebound, and preparing couples for marriage, to Baptism preparations, and officiating at marriage ceremonies and convalidations. He also directed RCIA and was Legion of Mary chaplain. He also served at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington as director, where he was chaplain to an assistant living & hospice residence, reporting to the Cathedral rector. In 2000 Deacon Vin retired from the Diaconate in Washington, and his family moved to Cape Cod, where he was granted Faculties by the Diocese of Fall river and assigned to St. Elizabeth Seton parish in Falmouth. Deacon Vin and his wife Jane live in Falmouth. They have two children and three grandchildren.