Father Bryan J. Zielenieski

Bishop Richard J. Malone has named Father Bryan J. Zielenieski pastor of Our Lady of Charity Parish, Buffalo, for a term of six years.  

Father Zielenieski, who had been serving as the parish's administrator since 2016, was ordained in 2014.  His first assignment as a priest was as parochial vicar for St. Christopher Parish, Tonawanda.  Earlier this year, the bishop appointed him vicar forane for the Vicariate of Southeast Buffalo. Father Zielenieski also is canonical administrator of South Buffalo Catholic School Notre Dame Academy and is a member of the College of Consultors, a board the bishop must consult with before making certain decisions.  

The 39-year-old priest grew up in Arcade, graduated from Pioneer High School, then went on to study agricultural business at SUNY Cobleskill. He also earned a teaching certificate from Buffalo State College.  

Bishop Malone recently named Father Paul Ladda parochial vicar of St. John Gualbert Parish, and now has given Father Ladda the additional responsibility as parochial vicar at St. John Kanty Parish.  Both parishes are in Buffalo.  

Father Ladda comes from Maswa, Shinyanga in Tanzania. He was ordained in 1993, and has been in the United States since 2007, when he began attending D'Youville College in Bufalo. He earned a bachelor's degree in Sociology and a master's in Internal Business.

He served in Gula, Tanzania before coming to the Diocese of Savannah, Ga., where he served from 2013 to June 2018. Father Ladda returned to the Diocese of Buffalo in October.