ASU Catholic Newman Center Staff

Fr. Rob Clements

Pastor and Director

Fr. Rob Clements is a fourth-generation native of the state of Arizona, and is a convert to the Catholic Faith. Graduating from local schools, from Arizona State University, and working for Valley National Bank following university studies, he discerned a call to the priesthood and entered St. John’s Seminary, Los Angeles, in 1985. Following sacred ordination in 1990, Fr. Clements has served the diocese in a number of pastoral and educational settings prior to his current assignment as the Director of the All Saints Catholic Newman Center at Arizona State University. He has served on the Priest Placement Board, the Board of Directors for Phoenix Natural Family Planning, and the Catholic Community Foundation.

Fr. Bruce Downs

Parochial Vicar

Fr. Bruce was born in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1964. After his parents divorced, his family moved to Arizona and he enrolled in ASU in 1982. While there, at the Newman Center, he became a Catholic, and after graduating, entered the seminary in 1989. He was ordained in 1994 and has worked in the Diocese of Phoenix in a variety of capacities since then.

Fr. Aaron Qureshi

Associate Director/Parochial Vicar

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Fr. Aaron Qureshi ("Fr. Q") was born in Tucson and spent his adolescent years in Phoenix. He graduated from Brophy College Preparatory and then took an extended sojourn to the East Coast for college and work. After working several years in the finance and tech sectors, he entered seminary in Washington, DC, studying first at the Catholic University of America and then later at the North American College in Rome. He was ordained to the diocesan priesthood in 2014 at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. He served in various parish assignments in the Archdiocese of Washington, most recently as pastor of two small rural parishes in southern Maryland, before returning to Phoenix in 2022. He holds various degrees in mathematics, classical languages, and biblical studies, and enjoys tennis and swimming.

Dcn. Wayne Rich

Deacon

Deacon Rich was ordained in November 2022. In addition to his liturgical service, Dcn. Rich serves with his wife, Lisa, in the Marriage Preparation Ministry. Over the last 10 years, he has served Newman Center Parish Advisory Council, Porters of St. Joseph and leads the men's Divine Office prayer. He and Lisa were married in 1988, they have four children and a growing number of grandchildren. He grew up in Mesa, graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK and currently resides in Tempe. He, Lisa and their four children were received into the Catholic Church in January 2008.