8 men begin journey to become deacons
-
February 9, 2023
BEACON PHOTO | JOE GIGLIBishop Sweeney formally accepted eight men to the permanent diaconate during a Mass of Rite of Candidacy on Feb. 2 at Holy Family Church in Florham Park. Pictured are (from left): Gregory Marchesi, Tobi Ippolito, Timothy Dunmyer, and Stephen Deehan. Bishop Sweeney poses with the candidates (bottom row, from left): Stephen Deehan, Gregory Marchesi, Elmer Maximo, and Paul DePinto; (middle row, from left): Timothy Dunmyer, Tobi Ippolito, Thomas Kimble, and James Gillespie; and (top row, from left): Deacon John Mihalko, formation team leader, and Deacon Peter Cistaro, director of the diocesan Permanent Diaconate.8 men begin journey to become deaconsDr. Tobi Ippolito was already an active member at Holy Family Parish in Florham Park when his pastor asked him if he would consider becoming a deacon. For Ippolito, a weekly communicant and lector at the parish, that question from Father Thomas Rekiel lingered with him. With his wife, Anne, he discerned the call to greater service to the Church in the permanent diaconate in the diocese and eventually said “yes.”
On Feb. 2, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney formally accepted Ippolito and seven other men of various backgrounds into the formation program of the diocesan permanent diaconate. It happened at a Mass in Holy Family Church. If they complete the program, they will be ordained in 2026.
The candidates will become lectors and acolytes on their journey to ordination over the next three years.
“Thank you for your ‘yes.’ Thank you for your families. We promise to pray for you as you continue this journey and grow in faith each and every day,” said Bishop Sweeney in his homily.
The eight men Bishop Sweeney called to candidacy were:
• Stephen Deehan of St. Luke Parish in the Long Valley section of Washington Township. A dentist, he is involved in Cornerstone and the food pantry at the parish.
• Gregory Marchesi of St. Therese Parish in Succasunna. A teacher, he serves as a lector and extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at the parish.
• Timothy Dunmyer of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Mount Arlington. A police lieutenant, he is involved on the finance committee and in the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults for his parish.
• James Gillespie of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes. A carpenter and tiler, he is involved in youth and sports activities at the parish.
• Paul DePinto of St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln Park. A counselor, he serves as a lector and catechist at the parish.
• Tobi Ippolito of Holy Family Parish in Florham Park. A physician, he is a lector at the parish.
• Tom Kimble of St. Jude Parish in Budd Lake. An engineer, he serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and catechist at the parish.
• Elmer Maximo of Sacred Heart Parish in Rockaway. A business analyst, he is involved in the parish and is president of the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries.
All the candidates are married, except Maximo, said Deacon Peter Cistaro, director of the diocesan Permanent Diaconate. He participated in the Mass on Feb. 2.
“This is a diverse group of men. They are very active in their respective parishes and are well-spoken. It’s a great class,” Deacon Cistaro said.
Permanent deacons are men of faith and love, he said. They serve the sick, lonely, troubled, and poor. They proclaim the Word of God and deliver homilies, administer baptism, witness marriages, and preside at funeral services.
Ippolito said he entered the program to better understand the faith.
“In formation, I want to discern service so I can help others and give back to God,” he said. “For me, the permanent diaconate would fulfill that.”
