Meet the Staff

Fr. James Aboyi, V.C.

Pastor

Fr. James Aboyi, V.C., joined the parish as Parochial Administrator in July of 2018. Prior to his assignment, Fr. James served as Parochial Vicar at Holy Cross in Mesa and Chaplain of Benedictine University in Mesa. Fr. James is originally from Nigeria in West Africa. He joined the Via Christi Society as one of the first four members of the society and completed his philosophy and theology seminary studies in Nigeria. He was ordained a priest for the Via Christi Society on July 3, 2004 and was assigned to the Diocese of Tucson for his first priestly ministry shortly after in August 2004. During his assignment in Tucson, he served as Parochial Vicar at St. Bartholomew in San Manuel; Parish Administrator at Infant Jesus of Prague in Kearny; Associate Pastor at Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Tucson; and Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Superior.

Fr. James is an experienced educator and strong supporter of Catholic Schools. Besides his ministry, his hobbies include playing and watching soccer, basketball, and hiking. His new interest led him to obtain his master’s degree in Human Relations and Counseling from Northern Arizona University and Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Grand Canyon University.

Fr. Augustine Acheme, V.C.

Parochial Vicar

Fr. Augustine Acheme was born on April 20, 1985, in Makurdi. Responding to a higher calling, he joined the Via Christi Society in 2011 and studied philosophy (2012-2013) and theology at St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary Makurdi under Urban University Rome (2012-2018). He was ordained a deacon by His Lordship Most Rev. Dr. Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, and ordained a priest by Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone in 2018.

Since his ordination, he has served in the following locations:

• St. Thomas the Apostles Mission Anum (Makurdi Diocese) – January 2018 to May 2018
• Bursar - Via Christi House of Formation – June 2018 to June 2021
• St. Timothy’s Catholic Church as Parochial Vicar – July 8, 2021 to June 30, 2024
• Currently serving as Parochial Vicar at St. Benedict Catholic Church

Throughout his journey, he has striven to live by the philosophy that “to whom much is given, much is expected.” He also enjoys music and football, which provide moments of relaxation and reflection.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sr. Liza Sulit, O.P.

Director of Evangelization/Formation

• 480.961.1610 ext. 308

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.

Erin Fish

Coordinator of Youth and Campus Ministry

• 480-961-1610 ext. 303

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!

Sr. Delia Obenza, O.P.

Coordinator of Children's Formation

Sister Delia was born in Davao Region, southeastern Mindanao, Philippines. In 1985, after she graduated from Maryknoll High School, she entered the congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines at the age of 16 and made her final vows on May 24, 1994.

She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Religious and Values Education from De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines and a Master’s Degree in Catholic Educational Leadership from the University of San Francisco, California.

Sister Delia has taught kindergarten up to high school and has been a School Administrator. She was assigned to the Northern Marianas Islands for 7 years, 5 years in Hawaii, and 14 years in San Francisco, CA with 10 years as a DRE. She believes that God chose her to be an instrument of spreading His love, peace, joy and mercy. Her favorite Bible verse is, "In everything, give thanks." On August 8, 2023, Sr. Delia was happy to join the St. Benedict team.

Maryola Fabilena

Coordinator of Stewardship and Engagement (Part-time)

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.

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.