Meet the Staff
St. John Paul II Catholic Church is blessed to have a group of guiding individuals committed to providing parishioners a wide range of opportunities to explore and grow their Catholic faith.
To request an appointment with Fr. Rafael Lavilla, please complete and submit the online form.
Father Rafael Lavilla
Father Rafael Lavilla was born and raised in Pineda, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines, on September 13, 1976. His journey in the Catholic Priesthood began when he entered the Oblates of St. Joseph Minor Seminary on June 7, 1990, embarking on a 15-year priestly formation process. On November 25, 2005, he was ordained to the Sacred Order of Presbyterate at Santuario De San Jose Church in Manila, Philippines.
In August 2008, Father Rafael Lavilla arrived at San Francisco International Airport to serve as a missionary priest in California. Five years later, on February 14, 2013, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to join the Diocese of St. Augustine. Then, on December 17, 2019, he incardinated to the Diocese of St. Augustine as a priest in good standing.
In the Diocese of St. Augustine, he served as Parochial Vicar at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Orange Park, St. Paul Catholic Church in Jacksonville Beach, and Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Jacksonville. From 2019 to 2024, he was the Pastor of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on Mayport Rd. Atlantic Beach, FL, navigating the difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, Father Rafael Lavilla serves as the Pastor at St. John Paul II Catholic Church in Ponte Vedra, Florida. He tirelessly continues his priestly vocation in persona Christi, serving and pastoring the Catholic community of Nocatee, FL.
Deacon Anthony Colichio
Deacon Tony Colichio was ordained as a permanent Deacon in 2011 by Bishop Felipe Estévez and assigned to St. John Paul II in 2015. Deacon Tony holds a certification in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University and is a certified life coach. He has been a catechist for religious education, and has directed RCIA adult confirmation and preparation for marriage and baptism. He also serves as chaplain at nursing homes and to Catholic hospital patients and assists our pastor in the pastoral care of the families of Saint John Paul II. Deacon Tony and his wife, Carmela, have three children and three grandchildren.
Dominic Salamida, Family Life Coordinator
Dominic grew up in Rochester, New York, and at age 16, made a life-changing pilgrimage to Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina that ultimately guided his journey in the Church and transformed his relationship with God.
He earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Theology at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio and a Masters degree in Theology from Gannon University in Erie, PA. He has held many positions involving faith formation at different parishes, and at St. John Paul II supervises youth ministry, sacramental preparation and RCIA. Additionally, Dominic also organizes teen masses, volunteer opportunities and social activities. He and his wife, Ginger, have eight children, which has him well-suited to lead the parish’s family faith initiatives.
Matthew Crews, Family Life Ministries Assistant
Matthew is from Gainesville, FL, and graduated from the University of Florida in 2021, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. His life was changed in high school because of invitations from his youth minister to encounter the Lord and his passion to bring others to the Lord has only grown. After college, he made the decision to be a full-time missionary with Life Teen International, serving youth from all over the world all while living in Tiger, Georgia.
After two full years on mission, he came back to the Diocese of St. Augustine and joined our team in October 2023. Matthew serves to provide our youth with opportunities to be encountered, to enkindle their faith, and to evangelize to others.
Kim Gourd, Pastoral Coordinator
Kim received a Bachelor’s of Science in BioEngineering and a Bachelor’s of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She also earned a Master’s in Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
She moved to Florida in 2003 to take a position at Vistakon, where she met her future husband, Dominic. They have lived in Nocatee since 2008 and have three children.
After volunteering in the church for many years, Kim now serves as Pastoral Coordinator, responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Church facility and assisting all staff and volunteers in ministering to the needs of the parish community.
Joseph Iannotti, Finance Manager
Joe Iannotti is currently Finance Manager, after initially serving in a volunteer capacity at the church and then assuming part-time financially-related duties. Joe is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting from Sacred Heart University and a Master’s of Finance from Fairfield University. Previously, he was with Web.com as Vice President Financial Reporting for two years and Rayonier Inc. as Vice President Corporate Controller for 15 years, both in Jacksonville. He and his wife, Kitty, have lived in the Jacksonville area sinc 2002, and the couple has two children and four grandchildren. Joe’s mother, Tina also lives in Ponte Vedra and attends SJPII.
Sharon Bohres, Office Assistant
Sharon Bohres took on the position of Office Assistant in the summer of 2022. While her responsibilities reach far and wide in the parish, some of her duties include liaison to our many ministries and managing the purchasing for many of our activities. She and her husband, Paul, have 3 children – Mia and twins, Evan and Luke.
Gus Carlson, Maintenance Coordinator
Gus is a retired law enforcement officer, spending 33 years with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office working in several areas such as patrol, community policing, school resource, crime prevention, domestic abuse and police academy. After retiring as a Sergeant he worked at the University of North Florida Police Department for ten years.
Gus has worked in many different volunteer capacities at St. John Paul II, including his current role overseeing maintenance at all parish facilities.
Gus was married for 31 years to his wife, the late Jackie Carlson, and the couple had two children. He is a fourth degree member of the St. John Paul II Knights of Columbus, and serves as an usher and Eucharistic minister.
Melissa Delgado, Office Volunteer
Melissa was born and raised in south Florida and moved to the Jacksonville area in 2020. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University in Accounting and began her career at Ocwen Loan Servicing. She then met her husband Rich and they have four children. After a profound encounter with holy seminarians in Boynton Beach, Melissa’s love for the Catholic faith grew deeper. She volunteers full time in the church office handling day to day operation tasks, baptism schedules, altar server and EEM schedules as well as greeting parishioners in the office. Melissa is also a member of the Pastoral Council.
With a deep desire to serve, Melissa is excited to continue to give of herself to St. John Paul ll.
Rafal Adamski, Music Director
Rafal became our Music Director in August of 2024. He is originally from Rybnik, Poland, where in 2015 he graduated Church Music College and later received his Master in Music Education and Pipe Organ at the University of Silesia. He served as an organist for 13 years in many Catholic parishes throughout Poland before moving to the States. He previously resided and worked in Minnesota as a music director and teacher. He loves Medieval history & music, star observations, pipe organ improvisations, classic rock, and American food, culture, and automotives.
