Father Philip Pizzo, our Pastor, was born December 5,1949 and ordained on June 4, 1977 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Astoria by Bishop Francis J. Mugavero, Bishop of Brooklyn. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington, NY, and a Post-Masters Certificate in Pastoral Counseling from the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, New York City. He served as a parochial vicar in St. Rita, East New York; St. Michael, Sunset Park; St. Thomas Aquinas, Flatlands; St. Gabriel, East New York; and St. Matthias, Ridgewood. He served as a pastor at Our Lady of Loreto and Our Lady of the Presentation, Brownsville (concurrently); and St. Teresa of Avila, Prospect Heights.

Rev. Jose Carlos DaSilva was born in Joáo Mon Levada, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on May 5, 1962, and was ordained in the Church of Santissima Trinidad for the Diocese of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais on May 24, 1992 by Cardinal Serafim Fernandes de Araujo, and was incardinated as a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn on August 2, 2005.  He holds a Licentiate in Philosophy and Theology and a Masters Degree in Christology. He came to the United States in 2002 to minister here in our diocese to the Brazilian people. He is currently in charge of the Brazilian Apostolate for our Diocese, as well as a parochial vicar here in St. Rita. He can be reached at the Rectory office, 718-361-1884, ext. 14, or at his cell phone, 347-610-0748, by email from this website, as well as at the Brazilian Apostolate website, www.brasileiroscatolicos.org

Rev. Sylvester Chidinka Ileka was born on March 3, 1968. He was ordained on August 19, 2000 at Holy Trinity Cathedral; Onitsha, Nigeria by Archbishop Albert Kanene Obiefuna. He holds a Bachelors Degree in philosophy and theology from Bigard Memorial Seminary; Enugu, Nigeria, an affiliate of Urban University in Rome. He is currently a student at St. John's University in Queens. He is hired by our cluster of parishes as Chaplain of Western Queens Mt. Sinai Hospital; New York Center for Rehabilitation; Catherine Sheridan House and Msgr. Thomas Campbell House. He will reside with us here at St. Rita.

Mrs. Aida Alvarez was born in Cuba on January 16, 1942 and married there to her husband, Felipe, on December 3, 1961. (Deacon Felipe Alvarez was ordained for the Diocese of Brooklyn on April 9, 1982, and is assigned to serve in St. Joseph in Astoria.) The couple had three of their four children in Cuba. They now are also blessed with 7 grandchildren. In August of 1967, they fled Cuba, looking to raise their children in a free country. Once settled in the United States, Mrs. Alvarez worked in the New York City financial world as an accountant for 27 years. In early 1999, she took early retirement, choosing to work for the Church. She began working for Bridge for Life, a non-profit organization with offices at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Astoria assisting women in pregnancy crisis. She still volunteers her time there. In September of 1999, she came to work at St. Rita both as the Coordinator of Religious Education and the Parish Bookkeeper. She is also the Bookkepper for Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Ridgewood, and Queen of Angels in Sunnyside. Mrs. Alvarez can be reached at the rectory office, or by email from the parish website.

Mrs. Sindy Gonzalez was born in Santiago, Chile on June 17, 1978.  Her family relocated to New York in June of 1980.  She is the oldest of seven children. During her childhood, her parents became itinerant missionaries for the Neo-Catechumenate Way in Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and West Virginia.  During her time there Mrs. Gonzalez attended the University of Pittsburgh and has a degree in History.  She was married on August 1, 2004 and now has a daughter.  Also walking in the Neo-Catechumenate Way, she has volunteered in her parish of St. Joan of Arc, Jackson Heights,  to teach children from ages 4 and older in the Catholic faith.  She is also a catechist instructor for adults.  Mrs. Gonzalez can be reached at the rectory office, or by email from the parish website.