Archbishop Wilton Gregory this week announced that he has appointed Father Daniel Carson as the new Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Washington, and named Father George Stuart as the archdiocese’s Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Services.

Father Carson, currently the archdiocese’s Vicar for Clergy and Assistant Secretary for Ministerial Leadership, will assume the post of Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia on Dec. 20. Father Stuart – whose appointment as the new Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Services is effective immediately – will continue serving as the archdiocese’s Vice Chancellor.

As Vicar General, Father Carson will assist Archbishop Gregory in the governance of the archdiocese. Generally, there is one Vicar General per diocese, but the pastoral needs of the Archdiocese of Washington require three Auxiliary Bishops (who by canon law are appointed as Vicars General) to assist the archbishop. The day-to-day duties of the Vicar General will be carried out by Father Carson.

Father Carson has also been appointed Moderator of the Curia, the administrative staff that assists Archbishop Gregory in attending to the concerns of the entire archdiocesan Church. The Moderator is a priest who, working under the Archbishop’s authority, coordinates and oversees those who work in the Central Pastoral Administration in Hyattsville as they support the Archbishop in his ministry and, with him, to pastors and pastoral programs throughout the archdiocese.

Before entering the seminary, Father Carson earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in accounting and worked at the White House, the U.S. Congress and on Wall Street. A native of Maryland, he attended seminary at The Catholic University of America, and was ordained a priest in 2012 for the Archdiocese of Washington. His parish assignments were at St. Pius X in Bowie, Holy Redeemer in College Park, St. Francis Xavier in Newtowne, and St. John Vianney in Prince Frederick. He also previously served as an assistant to then-Auxiliary Bishop Barry C. Knestout – now the Bishop of Richmond – in the Moderator’s office.

As an Episcopal Vicar, Father Stuart has the same ordinary executive power of governance as a vicar general, but has a more limited area of responsibility, as defined by the bishop who appoints him.

In his case, according to the faculties given to him by Archbishop Gregory, Father Stuart in his role as Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Services will have responsibility for matters involving canon law in the archdiocese other than marriage nullity cases, which come under the archdiocesan Tribunal. Normally he will deal with the canon law of the administration of the sacraments, but especially of marriage: permissions, dispensations, faculties, etc. He will also have responsibility for the canonical aspects of sacred places and times (e.g., dispensations from fast and abstinence), the Church’s teaching ministry, the administration of temporal goods, and canonical matters having to do with clerics and consecrated religious.

Father Stuart, a South Carolina native, is a former line officer in the U. S. Navy. He attended the seminary at The Catholic University of America, and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Washington in 1989. His parish assignments were at Holy Family Church in Hillcrest Heights and at St. Patrick’s Church in Rockville. He then returned to Catholic University to study canon law, while working at the Tribunal, with residence at the Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda, where he continues to live and serve. He received his licentiate degree in 1996, and his doctorate in 2001. In addition to working at the Tribunal, he served for a time as the archivist for the archdiocese.

Father Carson succeeds Msgr. Charles Antonicelli in the role of Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia. Archbishop Gregory has appointed Msgr. Antonicelli to become the pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Washington and Vice President for Mission for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, effective Feb. 1, 2020. 

Ordained as a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington in 1993, Msgr. Antonicelli has served as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia since 2018. In addition, he served as pastor of Annunciation Parish in Washington, St. Thomas Apostle Parish in Washington, and St. Joseph Parish on Capitol Hill. He also served briefly as an administrator of St. Patrick Parish in Rockville.

A native of Jersey City, he earned a political science degree at Boston College, and then relocated to Washington to earn a law degree at the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America. After working as an assistant corporation counsel for Jersey City, and as an associate attorney at two law firms, he entered the seminary and studied at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he earned a licentiate degree in moral theology at the Angelicum. He later earned a licentiate degree in canon law from Catholic University.

Shortly after his ordination, he served as a parochial vicar at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington and later at St. Andrew Apostle Parish in Silver Spring. In 1998, then-Cardinal James Hickey appointed him to serve as a Vice Chancellor, and he continued in that position until 2006. In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI named Father Antonicelli as a chaplain to His Holiness, with the title “monsignor.”

Msgr. Antonicelli has served as a judge on the archdiocese’s Metropolitan Tribunal, and as Episcopal Vicar for Canonical Services. He also taught at CUA’s Columbus School of Law from 2002-04.

As the new pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Washington, Msgr. Anonicelli replaces Msgr. Salvatore A. Criscuolo, who is retiring. Although no longer a pastor, Msgr. Criscuolo will continue to serve as chaplain to the Metropolitan Police of the District of Columbia.

A native of New Haven, Connecticut, Msgr. Criscuolo was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Washington in 1978. After earning a theology degree at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, the newly ordained priest served as a parochial vicar at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, where he first became active in ministering to firefighters, police officers and other first responders.

He served for a time as parochial vicar at the Church of the Assumption and Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, both in Washington. In 1986, he became assistant chaplain and then chaplain for the Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Fire Department. Over the years as chaplain to first responders in the city, he has also served members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the U.S. Park Police, the United States Capitol Police, and the FBI.

Msgr. Criscuolo has served as pastor of St. Patrick Parish since 2004. He will reside at St. Mary, Mother of God Parish in Washington as he continues his ministry to the Metropolitan Police.