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biography of rev. donald j. planty, jr.

Father Don Planty hails from a U.S. Foreign Service family, so he grew up living in Latin America and Western Europe; but home in the States was Reston, Virginia, where he attended public schools. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, majoring in Government and in French, having spent his Junior Year in Montpellier, France, and having been elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Father Don then attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he received an M.A. in Theology, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Arlington in 1993. He subsequently served as Parochial Vicar both at St. Charles and at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. Beginning in 1996, he studied in Rome, in preparation for the diplomatic service of the Holy See, and obtained a Doctor of Canon Law degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, writing his dissertation on the laws governing sacred architecture. His work with the Holy See included service at the Secretariat of State in Vatican City, in Egypt, in Ethiopia, and in Eritrea. Father Don returned to the diocese in 2003, and since then has served as Pastor at Holy Family Parish in Dale City, as Head Chaplain of Christendom College in Front Royal, and as Pastor of St. Charles Parish in Arlington since 2014.

Father Don is fluent in Spanish, French and Italian, has eclectic taste in music–including Bluegrass and Flamenco, for example–and enjoys indoor climbing, riding his motorcycle, and meal-sharing.

Biography of Rev. David Andrew Dufresne

Born to Bette Jo and Philip Johnson, David grew up in downtown Denver, Colorado. His parents divorced when he was four years old and is an only child. Notwithstanding great promise and potential, young David made many poor life choices. The consequences of which led him to be expelled from high school, ostensibly ran away from home and joined a gang…all before reaching sixteen years old. By the time David was 19, it was as low as he wanted to go. So, he looked up and encountered God profoundly.

At twenty years old, David was baptized and received into the Catholic Church in Denver. He felt called to become a priest. However, he was given the sage advice that he should first learn to become a Catholic before learning to become a Catholic priest. In 2003, he moved to Virginia to work in the pro-life movement.

He applied to seminary through the Diocese of Arlington in 2007. The Bishop sent him to the Josephinum seminary in Columbus Ohio where also earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and classics. For theological studies the Bishop sent David to study in Rome. He was ordained into the priesthood of Jesus Christ June 7 th , 2014.

He has served as parochial vicar at St. Leo the Great in Fairfax (2014-2018), and the Basilica of St Mary in Alexandria (2018-2022). He is currently the parochial vicar at St. Charles Borromeo in Arlington.

Fr. David has retained a love of the outdoors from his youth in Colorado. He enjoys climbing mountains, fly-fishing, backpacking, and hunting. He is a self-professed mama’s boy who strives to take good care of his mother who has since moved to Virginia to be closer to her boy.