Bishop will ordain 7 men to transitional diaconate July 10

PATERSON  Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney will ordain seven diocesan seminarians to the transitional diaconate on Saturday, July 10, during a Mass at 10 a.m. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here — the final step before being called to be ordained as priests of the Diocese in 2022.

During the Celebration of Ordination to the Order of Deacon, steeped in the rich traditions of the early Church, Bishop Sweeney will ordain the following men to the diaconate: Stephen Anthony Delia Jr. and Wade Trainor, both from Sussex County; Emerson Pena Francisco and Vic Karjohn Rouie Reyes Leviste, both of the Philippines; Diego E. Monsalve Garcia of Colombia; Angel Jose Torres Mina of Ecuador; and Jose Miguel Zuniga Gutierrez of Mexico.

Well-wishers — family, friends, priests, and religious of the diocese, members of the parishes where the transitional deacons have served, and the faithful of the diocese — are invited to attend the ordination as a sign of encouragement to the newly ordained priests.

Brief biographies of the candidates follow:

Stephen Anthony Delia Jr.

Born: May 19, 1996 in Morristown to Stephen Anthony and Eileen A. Delia. Parish: St. Vincent de Paul, Stirling. Education: Philosophic theology, Seton Hall University, South Orange, as a seminarian and a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree, the Angelicum, the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, Rome.

Emerson Roi Peña Francisco

Born: July 15, 1988 in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, the Philippines, to Efren M. and Rosemarie P. Francisco of Alabang. Parish: Holy Family, Florham Park. Education: Bachelor’s degree of secondary education with a major in religious education, Santa Isabel College, Manila, the Philippines, 2009; units of philosophy, San Carlos Seminary, Makati City, the Philip­pines, 2009–11; Pre-Theology Formation Program, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., 2017–18; Master of Divinity Degree Program, Mount St. Mary’s, 2018–present; and Master of Arts in Theology (dual degree program) with concentration in Sacred Scriptures, 2019–present, both at Mount St. Mary’s. Work experience: Religious education teacher, Our Lady of the Abandoned Catholic School, Muntinlupa City, the Philippines, 2012–17.

Vic Karljohn Rouie Reyes Leviste

Born: Calamba City, Laguna, the Philip­pines, to Roel Salazar Leviste and Melody Palis Reyes in Los Baños, Laguna, the Philippines. Parish: Our Lady of the Holy Angels, Little Falls. Education: Trace Computer College, Los Baños, Philippines, graduating as valedictorian, 2009; University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Philippines, graduating with honors, 2013; bachelor’s degree in philosophy, San Carlos Seminary, Makati, the Philip­pines, graduating with honors, 2018; pursuing bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology under the Master’s in Divinity Program, Mount St. Mary’s Semin­ary, Emmitsburg, Md., with anticipated 2022 graduation. Work/apostolic experience: Official student representative from the Philippines in the JENESYS Intercultural Exchange Program in Japan, hosted by the AFS Intercultural Exchange Program, December 2011, and three summer assignments at St. Clement Pope and Martyr Parish, Rockaway Township, fall 2018–spring 2021.

Angel Jose Torres Mina

Born: Dec. 27, 1992 in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, to Derman Alicio Torres Mina (deceased) and Ana Luzmila Mina Bolaños in Esmeraldas. Parish: San Jose Obrero and St. Cecilia Parish in Rockaway. Education: Luis Tello Institute, 2001; first-year priestly studies, El Seminario de Nuestra Señora, Marinilla, Ecuador; philosophy degree, MIES Seminary, La Ceja, Ecuador, 2014; theology studies, Christ Priest Seminary; also studies in religious education and philosophy, the Universidad Católica de Oriente; English as a Second Language, at Rutgers University and State University of Buffalo in New York; pre-theology and first theology, Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora, N.Y., until it closed in 2019; transferred in 2010 to Immaculate Conception Seminary, South Orange, where he is currently studying. Apostolic experiences: St. Anthony Parish, Passaic; St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Morristown, and St. Cecilia Parish, Rockaway.

Diego F. Monsalve Garcia

Born: Sept. 11, 1986 in San Rafael, Antioquia, Colombia, to Jesus Anibal Monsalve Londoño and Gloria Adiela Garcia Urrea. Parish: San Rafael Arcángel in Colombia and St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Haskell, Wanaque. Education: Canonical bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Pontifical Bolivarian University, 2014; bachelor’s degree, Seton Hall University, South Orange, 2019; currently studying for a Masters of Divinity/Ministry and Master of Arts, both at Seton Hall. Pastoral experiences: St. Joseph Parish, West Milford, 2017–21, and St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Haskell, effective April 9.

Wade Trainor

Born: April 30, 1996 in Newton to Thomas and Katharina Trainor of Sussex. Parish: St. Jude the Apostle, Hamburg. Education: Former Immaculate Conception Regional School, Franklin, 2010; Pope John XXIII Regional School, Sparta, 2014; bachelor’s degree in classical studies and theological philosophy, Seton Hall University, South Orange, 2018; and Bachelor in Sacred Theology degree, Pontifical Gregorian Uni­versity, Rome, 2021. Apostolic experiences: St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly, Totowa, spring 2015; St. John the Evangelist Parish, Bergenfield, 2015–16; assisting chaplain at Veteran’s Administration hospital, South Orange, 2016–17; campus ministry, Newman Center at St. Patrick’s Pro-Cathedral in Newark, 2017–18; assisting in showing pilgrims the tomb of St. Peter in Rome, 2018–2020; parish ministry, Santa Maria Assunta in the north of Italy, summer 2019; Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Boonton, since 2016; and Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson, summer 2021.

Jose Miguel Zuniga Gutierrez

Born: July 1, 1996 in Axutla, Puebla, Mexico, to Jose Armando Zuniga and Clara Gutierrez. Parish: Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson. Education: Passaic County Technical Institute, Wayne, and Seton Hall University, South Orange.