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Ten aspirants in the archdiocese’s permanent diaconate formation program were admitted to candidacy at a Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop John Jenik at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, on Nov. 10.
The Rite of Admission to Candidacy is a public declaration of an aspirant’s desire to serve the people of the archdiocese as a deacon. His spiritual, theological and pastoral formation will continue for two years.
The men admitted to candidacy are Thomas Bennett, St. Francis of Assisi parish, West Nyack; Jose Camacho, St. Peter and St. Denis, Yonkers; Oscar Cifuentes, St. Joachim and St. John the Evangelist, Beacon; Anthony Cirone, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Lagrangeville; John Hanley, St. Thomas of Canterbury and St. Joseph, Cornwall-on-Hudson; Jose Luis Ojeda, St. Frances of Rome, the Bronx; Raymond Ricci, St. Christopher, Red Hook; Vincent Verlezza, Santa Maria, the Bronx; Christopher Wodzinski, Blessed Sacrament, Staten Island; and Kevin Wright, St. Teresa of Avila, Manhattan.
Twelve men were instituted to the ministry of acolyte, and another 10 men were instituted to the ministry of reader. They are all in the archdiocese’s permanent diaconate formation program. Auxiliary Bishop Dominick Lagonegro conferred the ministries during a Mass at St. Joseph’s Seminary on Dec. 16.
The acolytes are Jose Abreu, St. Catherine of Genoa, Manhattan; James Cowan, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Staten Island; Ivan Gemio, Corpus Christi and Our Lady of the Rosary, Port Chester; Michel Hodge, St. Charles Borromeo and All Saints, Harlem; John Hoey, St. Christopher, Red Hook; Bernard Kahn, St. Mary, Washingtonville; Adhur Lekovic, St. Columbanus, Cortlandt Manor; Carl Locatelli, St. Paul, Bullville; Raymundo Masbad, St. Anthony’s, Nanuet; Gregory Miller, St. Lawrence O’Toole, Brewster; Eymard Smith, St. Barnabas, the Bronx; and Michael Sweeney, St. Mary of the Snow, Saugerties.
The acolyte is appointed to aid the deacon and to minister to the priest. He attends to the service of the altar and assists the deacon and priest in liturgical celebrations, especially in the celebration of Mass. He also distributes Communion as a special minister.
The readers are Thomas Bennett, St. Francis of Assisi, West Nyack; Jose Camacho, St. Peter and St. Denis, Yonkers; Oscar Cifuentes, St. Joachim and St. John the Evangelist, Beacon; Anthony Cirone, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Lagrangeville; John Hanley, St. Thomas of Canterbury and St. Joseph, Cornwall-on-Hudson; Jose Luis Ojeda, St. Frances of Rome, the Bronx; Raymond Ricci, St. Christopher, Red Hook; Vincent Verlezza, Santa Maria, the Bronx; Christopher Wodzinski, Blessed Sacrament, Staten Island; and Kevin Wright, St. Teresa of Avila, Manhattan.
The reader proclaims the readings from Scripture and may announce the intentions for the general intercessions in the absence of the deacon.
