Father Paul Tomasso soon will become the Diocese of Rochester’s director of seminarians, succeeding the current longtime director, Father James Schwartz.
Bishop Matthew H. Clark recently appointed Father Tomasso to the position. The appointment will take effect July 1.
In addition to his current role as pastor at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Geneva, Father Tomasso also will be responsible for monitoring and coordinating the education and formation of the 21 diocesan seminarians in formation in the United States and Europe. Father Tomasso will join a team of two other diocesan priests who are responsible for priestly vocations while also working in parishes. He’ll be working with Father Timothy Horan, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Webster and diocesan director of priestly vocation awareness, and Father William Coffas, sacramental minister at Our Lady Queen of Peace and St. Thomas More parishes in Brighton and director of the Becket Hall diocesan discernment program.
Father Tomasso, who was ordained in 1981, also serves as chair of the Presbyteral Council, which advises Bishop Clark on diocesan matters. He served as Bishop Clark’s secretary from 1986-96 and has held a variety of diocesan leadership positions. In previous years before becoming pastor of Our Lady of Peace in 2008, he had served as pastor of Rochester’s St. Francis of Assisi, Ss. Peter and Paul, Holy Apostles, St. Anthony of Padua and Holy Family parishes.
