St Albert the Great Church

Priests

Father Edward Estok was named by Bishop Lennon as pastor of St. Albert the Great Church effective June 15, 2009.

Fr Estok was born on 5/17/58 and was ordained a priest on January 12, 1985. His assignments include:

Parochial Vicar, St. Bridget Church, Parma, from January 29, 1985 to June 16, 1988
Team Ministry member at St. Monica Church in Garfield Heights from June 16, 1988 to May 1, 1995
Coordinator of St. Monica's Team, May 1, 1995 to July 5, 1996
Parochial Vicar, St. William, Euclid, July 5, 1996 to June 17, 1997
Director of Continuing Education and Formation of Ministers, in residence at St. Dominic, Shaker Heights, from June 17, 1997 to June 8, 2004
Administrative Assistant to the Bishop, in residence at Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, from July 1, 2000 to June 15, 2009
Administrator, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist from April 11, 2002 to August 3, 2004
Rector, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist from August 3, 2004 to June 15, 2009
Auditor/Assessor, Tribunal, 1988

Father John L. Viall was born in Sandusky, Ohio. When he was three years old, his family moved to Akron, Ohio, where he grew up and attended elementary school in St. Martha Parish. In 1948 the Viall family, father, mother, and brother James, moved to Cuyahoga Falls. By that time he was attending Akron-St. Vincent High School, graduating in1950. After deciding upon the priesthood as a vocation, he attended St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati, Borromeo Seminary, and St. Mary Seminary. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland on May 23, 1959, in a class of nineteen men, by Bishop Floyd Begin, in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland. Father Viall’s first assignment was to St. Augustine Parish in Barberton, Ohio, a downtown parish of about 1200 families. After five years Father Viall was transferred to Sts. Philip and James Parish on Cleveland’s West Side, populated by middle-class working people. In 1972 he was assigned to St. William’s Parish in Euclid. In 1976 he was called to take over St. Albert the Great Parish in North Royalton from the retiring pastor, Father Anthony Winters, and arrived for his new responsibilities on June 24, 1976. Coming from St. William’s, a city parish, to such a rural area was quite a change for Father Viall, who previously had not even seen North Royalton. Father Viall has served diligently, and has seen the parish grow from 1100 families in 1976, to its present 5,000 families, with a school of over 800 children, a 1500 seat church, and Eucharistic Chapel. He retired after 33 years as pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish on June 15, 2009, and 50 years as a priest.

Fr. Thomas Stock
Parochial Vicar

Father Thomas Stock was ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Cleveland on May 30, 1998. He was raised in Barberton, Ohio. Father Stock graduated from Manchester High School in 1978. After studying accounting for two years, he transferred to Borromeo College of Ohio, the minor seminary, where he graduated with a BA in Psychology in 1983. In 1986 he began graduate studies at Walsh College in North Canton, Ohio. In 1990 he earned a Master of Arts degree in the field of Counseling and Human Development. After some brief work in the area of Chemical Dependency, Father Stock was accepted into St. Mary Seminary in 1992 and was ordained in 1998. Father Stock’s first assignment was at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Wickliffe. He then served as Pastoral Vicar for St. Leo the Great Church in Cleveland. He was assigned to St. Albert the Great Parish in 2007.

Fr. Richard Bona
Parochial Vicar

Father Richard Bona came to St. Albert the Great Parish in 2007. During the seminary formation his training sites were Our Lady of Angels in Cleveland, St. John Neumann in Strongsville, and St. Raphael in Bay Village. In November of 2002 he was ordained a deacon, and in May of 2003 he was ordained as a priest. Father Bona’s first assignment was St. Christopher Parish in Rocky River, from 2003 to 2007. He said he enjoyed praying and working with the people there and looked forward to his second assignment, St. Albert the Great.

Fr. Albert Tesek
In Residence

Father Albert J. Tesek was born in Cleveland and attended St. Ignatius and St. Vincent DePaul grade schools and St. Ignatius High School. He graduated from St. Ignatius in June, 1944. He attended his first and second years of college at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and then came to St. Mary’s Seminary in Cleveland the last six years of preparation for the priesthood. He was ordained on April 28, 1951, by Archbishop Edward F. Hoban at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland. Father Tesek was assigned to St. Boniface Parish after ordination and five years later was transferred to St. Catherine Parish on East 93rd near Union Avenue. After five more years, he was sent to St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Euclid. After completing five years at that assignment, he went to Annunciation Parish on West 139 St., and remained there for a little over a year, when the Bishop sent him to St. Justin Martyr Parish in Eastlake. From there he went to Christ the King Parish in East Cleveland. Father Tesek’s next assignment was a team coordinator on the pastoral team at St. Monica Church in Garfield Heights. In 1980 Bishop James F. Hickey asked Father Tesek to become Clergy Personnel Director in the Diocese of Cleveland. This was a five-year assignment, but after two years Bishop Anthony Pilla gave him the additional assignment of Secretary for Services to Clergy and Religious Personnel of the Diocese, without relinquishing his other assignment. He finished seven years as Secretary in June, 1989, at which time Bishop Pilla assigned him as Associate to St. Albert the Great Parish. After his retirement in 1997 he continued to reside at St. Albert the Great, providing whatever services needed.

Fr. Edward Estok Pastor	Father Edward Estok was named by Bishop Lennon as pastor of St. Albert the Great Church effective June 15, 2009. Fr Estok was born on 5/17/58 and was ordained a priest on January 12, 1985. His assignments include: Parochial Vicar, St. Bridget Church, Parma, from January 29, 1985 to June 16, 1988 Team Ministry member at St. Monica Church in Garfield Heights from June 16, 1988 to May 1, 1995 Coordinator of St. Monica's Team, May 1, 1995 to July 5, 1996 Parochial Vicar, St. William, Euclid, July 5, 1996 to June 17, 1997 Director of Continuing Education and Formation of Ministers, in residence at St. Dominic, Shaker Heights, from June 17, 1997 to June 8, 2004 Administrative Assistant to the Bishop, in residence at Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, from July 1, 2000 to June 15, 2009 Administrator, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist from April 11, 2002 to August 3, 2004 Rector, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist from August 3, 2004 to June 15, 2009 Auditor/Assessor, Tribunal, 1988
Fr. John Viall Pastor Emeritus	Father John L. Viall was born in Sandusky, Ohio. When he was three years old, his family moved to Akron, Ohio, where he grew up and attended elementary school in St. Martha Parish. In 1948 the Viall family, father, mother, and brother James, moved to Cuyahoga Falls. By that time he was attending Akron-St. Vincent High School, graduating in1950. After deciding upon the priesthood as a vocation, he attended St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati, Borromeo Seminary, and St. Mary Seminary. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland on May 23, 1959, in a class of nineteen men, by Bishop Floyd Begin, in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland. Father Viall’s first assignment was to St. Augustine Parish in Barberton, Ohio, a downtown parish of about 1200 families. After five years Father Viall was transferred to Sts. Philip and James Parish on Cleveland’s West Side, populated by middle-class working people. In 1972 he was assigned to St. William’s Parish in Euclid. In 1976 he was called to take over St. Albert the Great Parish in North Royalton from the retiring pastor, Father Anthony Winters, and arrived for his new responsibilities on June 24, 1976. Coming from St. William’s, a city parish, to such a rural area was quite a change for Father Viall, who previously had not even seen North Royalton. Father Viall has served diligently, and has seen the parish grow from 1100 families in 1976, to its present 5,000 families, with a school of over 800 children, a 1500 seat church, and Eucharistic Chapel. He retired after 33 years as pastor of St. Albert the Great Parish on June 15, 2009, and 50 years as a priest.
Fr. Thomas Stock Parochial Vicar	Father Thomas Stock was ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Cleveland on May 30, 1998. He was raised in Barberton, Ohio. Father Stock graduated from Manchester High School in 1978. After studying accounting for two years, he transferred to Borromeo College of Ohio, the minor seminary, where he graduated with a BA in Psychology in 1983. In 1986 he began graduate studies at Walsh College in North Canton, Ohio. In 1990 he earned a Master of Arts degree in the field of Counseling and Human Development. After some brief work in the area of Chemical Dependency, Father Stock was accepted into St. Mary Seminary in 1992 and was ordained in 1998. Father Stock’s first assignment was at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Wickliffe. He then served as Pastoral Vicar for St. Leo the Great Church in Cleveland. He was assigned to St. Albert the Great Parish in 2007.
Fr. Richard Bona Parochial Vicar	Father Richard Bona came to St. Albert the Great Parish in 2007. During the seminary formation his training sites were Our Lady of Angels in Cleveland, St. John Neumann in Strongsville, and St. Raphael in Bay Village. In November of 2002 he was ordained a deacon, and in May of 2003 he was ordained as a priest. Father Bona’s first assignment was St. Christopher Parish in Rocky River, from 2003 to 2007. He said he enjoyed praying and working with the people there and looked forward to his second assignment, St. Albert the Great.
Fr. Albert Tesek In Residence	Father Albert J. Tesek was born in Cleveland and attended St. Ignatius and St. Vincent DePaul grade schools and St. Ignatius High School. He graduated from St. Ignatius in June, 1944. He attended his first and second years of college at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and then came to St. Mary’s Seminary in Cleveland the last six years of preparation for the priesthood. He was ordained on April 28, 1951, by Archbishop Edward F. Hoban at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland. Father Tesek was assigned to St. Boniface Parish after ordination and five years later was transferred to St. Catherine Parish on East 93rd near Union Avenue. After five more years, he was sent to St. Robert Bellarmine Parish in Euclid. After completing five years at that assignment, he went to Annunciation Parish on West 139 St., and remained there for a little over a year, when the Bishop sent him to St. Justin Martyr Parish in Eastlake. From there he went to Christ the King Parish in East Cleveland. Father Tesek’s next assignment was a team coordinator on the pastoral team at St. Monica Church in Garfield Heights. In 1980 Bishop James F. Hickey asked Father Tesek to become Clergy Personnel Director in the Diocese of Cleveland. This was a five-year assignment, but after two years Bishop Anthony Pilla gave him the additional assignment of Secretary for Services to Clergy and Religious Personnel of the Diocese, without relinquishing his other assignment. He finished seven years as Secretary in June, 1989, at which time Bishop Pilla assigned him as Associate to St. Albert the Great Parish. After his retirement in 1997 he continued to reside at St. Albert the Great, providing whatever services needed.