Reverend Father PJ Brandimarti, KHS
Parochial Administrator
It is a great honor to begin serving you as your parish administrator, beginning August 1st, here in our community of Church of the Ascension. I am a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up with my parents, Paul and Joan, and my sister Elena. My brother, Gian Paul, passed away before I was born. I worked in retail and retail management for Circuit City in Pittsburgh. I moved to Columbus in 2008 to accept a position working for Sony Electronics. I then took a job in 2010 with Motorola Mobility as the market development manager for Central Ohio. After coming back to the practice of the faith, I discerned a call to the priesthood and entered seminary at the Pontifical College Josephinum in 2012. I graduated with my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from there, and was ordained a priest by Bishop Robert Brennan on May 25, 2019. I served as Parochial Vicar of St. Paul the Apostle in Westerville and St. Luke and St. Vincent de Paul churches in Knox County. I was named a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher in 2022, and I received my Master of Business Administration from Bowling Green State University in 2023.
I am deeply honored also to serve as the only Catholic chaplain in the Ohio Army National Guard. I was commissioned a first lieutenant and completed chaplain’s basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina this year. I continue to serve our soldiers one weekend a month and two weeks a year as a chaplain.
In my spare time, I love watching sports. I am a devoted Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets fan. I love pretty much all music, but Gregorian Chant and early 2000s pop punk are my favorite genres. I am a horrible golfer, and I love watching movies, especially Star Trek and Star Wars.
Schedule a Meeting with Fr. Brandimarti
Reverend Father Jins Devasia, HGN
Parochial Vicar
Father Jins Devasia, H.G.N., is a priest from the Heralds of Good News order. Born in India, he was ordained on April 15, 2010. His first appointment was in one of their schools and parish at Yernagudam in India as assistant correspondent and assistant parish priest. Then he was appointed as the assistant parish priest for the Archdiocese of Ernakulam and Angamaly. After a year of service in that diocese, he was appointed to be in charge of the construction of their house for the destitute and named the director of the destitute house after its completion. After working there, he left for Papua New Guinea for a period of five years as a volunteer missionary. After returning from the Papua mission, he was appointed as the assistant correspondent and administrator of a school at Bonakal, India. When he was in Bangalore, he received the assignment to the Diocese of Columbus. He speaks some local languages of India and Pegion (Tokposin). Fr. Devasia has been the Parochial Vicar at St. John Neumann Church in Sunbury Ohio since July 2022.
Reverend Mr. Byron Philips
Permanent Deacon
Deacon Byron has also served as an Adjunct Instructor at the Ohio Dominican University from 2008-2010, Adjunct Professor at the Pontifical College Josephinum from 2006-2011, Director of Apostolic Works at the Josephinum from 2010-2012 and a Faculty Member at Bishop Watterson High School from 2011-2017.
Kathy Bartolomucci, Secretary and Bookkeeper
Kathy was born and raised in Apopka, Florida. She moved to Ohio in 1984 and began working for the Diocese of Columbus that same year as the secretary/bookkeeper for Fr. Reichert at Holy Name Church in the Clintonville area. She went with Fr. Reichert when he was transferred to St. Mary’s Church in Groveport and also when he was transferred to Church of the Ascension in Johnstown in July of 2003. She continued to manage the office for Msgr. Cody and Fr. Ghiloni until Fr. Smith was assigned to Ascension in 2021.
Kathy has a daughter and a son and five grandchildren who bring her great joy! Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.
Amanda Mahle, Administrative Assistant
You may recognize Amanda, she and her husband Andy, and three children, Drew, Lauren and Sam were previous parishioners for 7 years from 2005-2012. Please stop by the office in the coming weeks to meet her and welcome her to the parish.
Valerie Tanner, Music Director
Valerie Tanner has worked in various catholic churches in the Diocese of Columbus and has been the Music Director at Church of the Ascension since January 2018.
Her early ambition was to travel the world performing opera; God, on the other hand, had other plans. Her Mother convinced her to become a cantor in the 7th grade in exchange for voice lessons. Mother knows best because once she started, she never stopped!
For 25 years, Valerie taught private voice lessons in southern Ohio and at the University of Rio Grande. She continued working as a Music Minister and always incorporated her students into her church work. Her students were soloists, choir members, and pianists.
In 2015 Valerie committed to Music Ministry full-time and hasn't looked back since. Praying through song and using our God-given talents to worship is at the heart of Valerie's ministry. All are welcome to join!
To sing is to pray twice. ~ St. Augustine
Mary Nelson, Youth Minister
Kelly Pertee, Director of Parish Youth Catechesis (PYC)
Carrie Suess, Director of Adult Faith and Growth
Carrie was born and grew up in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but has spent the last 15 years in Johnstown. God has graced her with talents including the visual arts and an insatiable curiosity for truth. Carrie’s love of God and His creation has translated into an enjoyment of science, nature, theology, Catholic apologetics and God’s beauty all around us.
Carrie is a revert to Catholicism, a defender of the catechism, as well as an on-fire soul for evangelizing the fallen away and the lukewarm and here’s why: Her experience in her youth with lukewarm church leaders repelled her from Catholicism and nearly Christianity altogether.
Jesus gently (and sometimes miraculously and mysteriously) kept Carrie in His fold. She experienced the Holy Spirit drawing her back through many faith communities until she wound up back home at the church founded by her Savior, the Catholic Church.
In her journey she has sought out answers to many questions the church goers of her youth could not answer. She has learned much in her journey but is always ready to see where her deficiencies lay and her ignorance betrays her. She has both a scientific and creative mind battling to reveal an amazing God to everyone she can! Carrie embraces many of the joyful ways our Protestant brethren praise and worship and she respect their ability to know and recite scripture.
However, she also reveres the Church as Christ’s creation and commission. Carrie understands the history of the fathers and the rich traditions that have come from Jesus and were instituted by the apostles, our first priests, and Peter, our first Pope. Respect and faith in our rich faith tradition has swallowed her heart.
Carrie hopes that she is humble enough for our creator to allow her to be the vessel by which our faith community will find growth and inspiration to be active and missionary brothers and sisters for His glory!”
Jeff Thomas, Director of Communications
Jim Williams, Maintenance
Bob McCormick, Janitorial