Fr. Philip Neri Powell, O.P.
Prior
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, O.P. grew up in the Mississippi Delta and entered the Catholic Church as a convert. He earned a Doctorate in Literature from the University of Mississippi in 2000 before pursuing studies in theology and philosophy at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis and Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University. Ordained in 2005, he has served as a campus minister and professor at the University of Dallas, as well as parochial vicar at St. Dominic Church in New Orleans. After completing a license in the philosophy of science at the Angelicum in Rome, he joined the faculty of Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, where he served as Director of Homiletics, Professor of Philosophy, and a priest-formator. He current serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Dallas and as an adjunct spiritual director at Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas. In his free time, Fr. Philip Neri enjoys cooking, reading and writing poetry, and painting.
pnpowellop@gmail.com | 504-301-8642
Fr. Carl Joseph Paustian, O.P.
Subprior & Guestmaster
Fr. Carl Paustian, O.P. was ordained to the priesthood in 2018. A native of Houston, he studied at Texas A&M University and the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. He first served as Parochial Vicar of St. Elizabeth University Parish in Lubbock, Texas, and as Chaplain to Raider Catholic at Texas Tech University. On July 1, 2021, he was appointed Director of Vocations for the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres.
vocations@opsouth.org | 314-240-3537
Fr. Christopher eggleton, O.P.
Fr. Chris Eggleton, O.P. was born in Louisville, Kentucky, where he first encountered the Dominicans at St. Louis Bertrand Church, attending daily Mass with his family. After graduating from Bellarmine University, he worked for several years in the aerospace industry at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in West Palm Beach, Florida, before discerning a call to religious life. There he met Fr. Joe Wyss, O.P., which led him to join the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres. Today, Fr. Chris places his greatest trust not in poker games or the Kentucky Derby, but in helping others form deeper relationships with God and one another in Christ.
Fr. Jude Siciliano, O.P.
Fr. Jude Siciliano, O.P. was ordained in 1969 and has dedicated his ministry to preaching and teaching. For fourteen years, he taught homiletics at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and later served as president of the Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics. He has ministered as a volunteer chaplain at San Quentin Prison and worked with People of Faith Against the Death Penalty in North Carolina. Today, Fr. Jude continues to lead parish retreats and preaching workshops across the country.
Fr. Jude also runs the preaching website, preacherexchange.com
frjude@judeop.org
Fr. carmen Mele, O.P.
Fr. Carmen Mele, O.P. was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 1, 1947, and educated in Catholic schools from his earliest years through college. Following graduation, he served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Malaysia from 1969 to 1972. Responding to a call to religious life, he entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) in September 1974 and was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1980. Fr. Carmen earned a Licentiate in Moral Theology from the Angelicum in Rome and later completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. Over the years, his ministry has taken him across the United States as well as to Costa Rica, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, serving in a variety of pastoral, educational, and preaching roles.
He is available for preaching missions, retreats, and teaching engagements, bringing decades of experience, theological insight, and pastoral care to every setting.
cmeleop@yahoo.com
Fr. Francis Orozco, O.P.
Master of Novices
Fr. Francis Orozco, O.P. is a native of Oklahoma who entered the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres in 2009 after working in the insurance industry. He studied Philosophy and Spanish, with a minor in Latin, at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Professed in 2013 and ordained in 2015, he first served as Parochial Vicar of St. Elizabeth University Parish in Lubbock, Texas, and as Chaplain and Director of Raider Catholic at Texas Tech University. From 2018 to 2021, he was the Director of Vocations, and he now serves as Master of Novices for the Province.
forozco@opsouth.org
