Rite of Candidacy

CALLED TO CANDIDACY  The 18 men stand with Bishop Serratelli who called them into candidacy for the permanent diaconate on Sept. 15 in St. Peter the Apostle Church in Parsippany.

CLIFTON  On Sept. 15 in St. Peter the Apostle Church here, Bishop Serratelli called 18 men ito candidacy for the permanent diaconate.

Over the next four years, these men will receive theological and pastoral formation and upon completion will be ordained as deacons. The Rite of Candidacy is the first official recognition of the positive signs of a man’s vocation to the Diaconate.

The men and their home parishes are: Juan Borges, St. Bonaventure, Paterson; Jerzy Chciuk, Our Lady of Fatima, Highland Lakes; Michael DeBenedetto, Annunciation, Wayne; Johnny Figueroa, Sacred Heart, Dover; Ronnie Gonzalez, St. Anthony, Hawthorne; Brian Gusciora, St. Joseph, Passaic; John Hero, St. Jude, Hopatcong; Douglas Kunzle, St. Catherine, Ringwood; Marc Mackin, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Pompton Plains; Gilberto Martinez, Our Lady of Fatima, Passaic; Stephen McKenzie, St. Joseph, West Milford; Luis Carlos Mendez, St. Peter the Apostle, Parsippany; John Meyer, St. Michael, Netcong; John Mihalko, Assumption, Morristown; Rick Ochner, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Pompton Plains; Russ Raffay, St. Michael, Netcong; William Ruane, St. Matthew, Randolph, and Gregory Szpunar, St. Lawrence, Chester.