Two Portage County priests have received new assignments. A third priest will be coming to Portage County for his first pastorate.

The assigments, announced by Bishop George V. Murry, of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, are effective July 1.

The Rev. John Jerek, pastor of University Parish Newman Center in Kent since August 1996, will become Vicar for Clergy and Religious, succeeding Msgr. John Zuraw. Jerek also has served as diocesan director of Campus Ministry since 1998.

The Rev. Christopher Luoni, associate pastor at Poland Holy Family Church, will succeed Jarek at the Newman Center.

The Rev. Michael Balash, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Mantua since August 2003, will become pastor of Champion St. William Parish, succeeding the Rev. Michael Smar, who is retiring.

Jerek 47, was ordained June 18, 1988 by Bishop James W. Malone. He served as an associate pastor at Struthers St. Nicholas for three years before becomng priest catechist and later associate principal at John F. Kennedy High School in Warren before being named pastor of the Newman Center.

Balash, 48, was ordained June 20, 1987.

Before coming to Mantua in 2003, he served as associate pastor at Canton St. Michael Parish, St. Patrick Parish in Kent and Ashtabula Mount Carmel.

Luoni, a Canton native, worked as a media analyst for a corporation near Canton before entering seminary.

He was ordained May 28, 2005 by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin. Following his ordinatin, he was assigned as an associate pastor at Poland Holy Family parish.