Meet the Staff
The staff at St. Benedict Catholic Church is dedicated to serving the needs of our community. Please contact us with your thoughts, ideas, questions or concerns.
St. Benedict Catholic Church
16223 S. 48th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85048
Parish Office: 480.961.1610
After Hours Emergency: Ext. 317
St. John Bosco School
16035 S. 48th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85048
School Office: 480.219.4848
Website: www.sjbosco.org
Fr. Manasseh Iorchir, V.C.
Pastor
Fr. Manasseh Terfa Iorchir, VC, was born to the family of Titus and Christiana Iorchir in Makurdi, Benue, State of Nigeria on December 22, 1983. He attended Christ Anglican Nursery and Primary School, and Mount Saint Gabriel Secondary School in Makurdi for his elementary and high school education, respectively. After a mandatory year of Postulancy at the Via Christi Society Formation House, he proceeded to St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary Makurdi in 2002 where he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy. He was thereafter sent to the Archdiocese of Abuja where he spent a year for Pastoral apprenticeship. Between 2006 and 2010, Fr. Manasseh studied Sacred Theology at the National Missionary Seminary of St. Paul Gwagwalada, Abuja, and was ordained a transitory Deacon on January 25, 2010. He was ordained a priest at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Makurdi on June 26 the same year and was immediately sent to the Diocese of Lafia where he ministered for eleven years. He arrived at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix on July 8, 2021 and has been working at St. Benedict Catholic Church since then.
Fr. Manasseh enjoys hiking, watching soccer, and the Phoenix Suns basketball. He is grateful for God’s Grace and loves meeting and sharing God’s Word with Christ’s faithful.
Dcn. Ed Winkelbauer
Deacon
Deacon Ed was born in Illinois and married Linda in 1968. They moved to Arizona in 1982 and became parishioners of Holy Spirit where they were active in RCIA, Eucharist Ministry, Engaged Encounter, Parish Council and the Building Committee. At some point Ed and Linda joined St. Benedict, became involved, and soon entered the diaconate program. Ed was ordained a Permanent Deacon for the Diocese of Phoenix in 2012 and was assigned to St. Steven’s Parish in Sun Lakes. Shortly after that, he was transferred back to St. Benedict where he and Linda feel it is their “home away from home.” He is involved in many ministries here at St. Benedict. Ed and Linda have two children, three grandchildren and two great-granddaughters, and enjoy their time with their family.
Dcn. J.C. Gonzalez
Deacon
Deacon J.C. Gonzalez was born in Mexico City, is married to Bernadette, and has three children. Dcn. J.C. has worked in different ministries of the church, but the one that affected him the most was a ministry where others experienced a personal encounter with Jesus. This particular ministry is for individuals experiencing problems with drug addiction and domestic violence. For the last seven years, he and his wife have coordinated this ministry and helped many families and young people follow a life with Christ. Many miracles were achieved through the Lord Jesus.
Dcn. J.C. was ordained a Deacon in November of 2020 within the Diocese of Phoenix.
Phil Arkfeld
Director of Music & Liturgy
Phil Arkfeld joined the staff of St. Benedict in April of 2022 as Director of Music and Liturgy. One of nine children, he was born and raised in a small town in Iowa. He had a conversion experience during a retreat when he was fifteen and later felt the call to go into contemporary music ministry. Active in the music program at his local parish, he went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Music from Luther College in Iowa.
Moving from Iowa to the San Francisco Bay Area, Phil met his wife Laura at church and joined the contemporary choir she was directing. Their shared love of music and liturgy led to romance, and the couple were married and have five children.
The young family moved to Southern California and joined a brand-new parish, St. Paul the Apostle in Chino Hills, which was, at that time, meeting in a school. As the community grew, the pastor invited Phil to come on staff as the Director of Music. Over the next twenty years, the ministry grew to two hundred and fifty volunteers. He also developed and saw the implementation of the audio-visual system in the new church.
He went on to serve at Our Lady of Fatima in San Clemente for nearly seven years where he founded the A.V. Ministry and rebuilt the music program. He is very excited to serve at St. Benedicts and enjoys playing with his grandchildren and running.
Sr. Liza Sulit, O.P.
Director of Evangelization/Formation, Baptism
Before entering the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines in 2004, Sr. Liza as she prefers to be called was a teacher in one of the Dominican schools in Western Visayas, Philippines.
In 1999, she completed her secondary education Bachelor's degree with Biology major. She attended Xavier University Philippines to complete her Master's degree in Educational Management.
She had been in school as teacher for 11 years and administrator for 7 years. She enjoys gardening and viewing short films in her spare time.
Sr. Novie Omictin, O.P.
Coordinator of Faith Formation
Sister Novie Omictin, OP, is a Dominican Sister of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines. Born and raised in Mindanao, Philippines, Sister Novie has served in various schools across Hawaii, California, and Minnesota since arriving in the U.S. in 2008. Most recently, she taught First Grade at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School in California. She now joins us in joyful obedience to her community and looks forward to serving our vibrant parish.
Maryola Fabilena
Coordinator of Stewardship and Engagement
Maryola and her husband Damian moved to Arizona from California in 2006. In 2011, they were blessed with the birth of their son Noah. The family moved to Ahwatukee in 2018 and have been parishioners of St. Benedict since. In August of 2022, Maryola joined the parish staff as the Coordinator of Stewardship and Engagement. She currently works part-time and helps out at St. John Bosco Catholic School where Noah has been going since Kindergarten. In her role, Maryola strives to live the four pillars of stewardship: hospitality, prayer, formation and service.
Erin Fish
Coordinator of Youth and Campus Ministry
Erin is an Arizona native and a recent graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, where she majored in Theology and Catechetics. She has led and assisted in various youth ministry programs such as SENT ministries, OCIA, as well as Missions of Peace in Belize. Her passion for youth ministry began at an early age when she began as a core team member, a religious education teacher and a summer camp team leader at her home parish of St. John Vianney in Goodyear. Erin is the oldest of 3 children. Her patron saint is St. Terese Lisieux and she has a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She looks forward to working alongside the youth at St. Benedict to deepen their faith and love of Christ!
Amy Fletcher
Front Office/Administrative Assistant
When you call or visit the parish office you will most likely speak to Amy first. Because of this, Amy has been referred to as the “Director of First Impressions.” She is our Administrative Assistant possessing a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University.
Before being a stay-at-home mom with her three children, she worked in the business world in the areas of publicity, marketing and public relations. Her duties at the church include greeting visitors, answering calls, creating the bulletin each week, arranging Mass Intentions, keeping the Parish calendar up-to-date, and assisting the Business Manager and the Pastor as needed.
She is a native-born Phoenician and her favorite activities include playing with her dog (Biscuit), exercising, shopping, listening to music and helping others.
Cornelius Troup
Music & Liturgy
Cornelius has served as a Musician of St. Benedict Catholic Church since 1997. He has always felt a calling to serve the church in music performance. As a young adult, he participated with Mesa’s St. Timothy Catholic Church band in Denver, Colorado for the Pope John Paul II World Youth Day in 1993 and has been a bassist at several parishes throughout the valley. Cornelius is married to Devorah Troup, with whom he has a son named Stephen. Besides music he enjoys reading, the outdoors and spending time with his family.
Alyse Yslas-Gruber
AV Technician
Alyse Yslas-Gruber is an Arizona native who is currently studying audio engineering at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences. She attended Corona del Sol High School, where she was heavily involved in both the band and theatre programs. This is where her passion for audio began, as she was a sound engineer and designer for the theatre program. When Alyse isn't at school practicing or behind a sound board, she enjoys playing and listening to music, going to the gym, and playing games with her family.
Jamie Bescak
Principal, St. John Bosco Catholic School
Mrs. Bescak, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, relocated to Arizona with her husband in 2004 and has a daughter attending Seton Catholic Preparatory. She holds a Master's degree in education, a Bachelor's in early childhood education, and endorsements in reading and special education — all from Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio.
With over 15 years of experience in Catholic education as a student, Mrs. Bescak has taught in both public and Catholic schools throughout her 20-year teaching career. She has taught preschool, kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades, and has taken on various administrative roles, earning her Arizona Administration certificate before becoming the Principal of St. John Bosco Catholic School. Mrs. Bescak is committed to providing a strong, loving Catholic education to all children.
Hogan Macdonald
IT Director and Facilities Supervisor
Mr. Hogan Macdonald is a dedicated educator and professional with a strong background in Catholic education. A product of Arizona Catholic schools, he attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Seton Catholic Preparatory. Hogan holds a Master's degree in education and has taught various grades from 1st to 8th. Since 2017, he has worn many hats at St. John Bosco, serving as the IT Director, STEM teacher, advanced math coordinator, and recently Facilities Supervisor. Currently, he is working towards another Master's degree in Catholic education administration. Hogan understands the importance of a Catholic education and strives to create a vibrant and healthy environment for both education and faith formation.
Kristina Bileski
Preschool Director, St. John Bosco Catholic School
Krissy Bileski has been a preschool teacher in Ahwatukee for 17 rewarding years, working with children aged four years of age and under, including seven years at St. John Bosco Catholic School (SJB). The upcoming school year will mark her second year as the Preschool Director. Her career has been dedicated to fostering the growth and development of young minds, with a strong emphasis on the importance of social, emotional, and behavioral development in early childhood.
Originally from St. Louis, Krissy has spent the last 18 years in Phoenix, Arizona, where her passion for nurturing young children continues to thrive. She and her husband Matt have a son, Grayson, who is a student at SJB. The Catholic religion plays a significant role in her life, guiding both her personal and professional endeavors.