Ordained to Diaconate in Rome

ONE STEP CLOSER  Top: Rev. Mr. John Rocco Calabro Jr. (second from left) of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Stirling, shares smiles with (from left) Father Richard Carton, St. Vincent’s pastor, and his parents, John and Judy Calabro, after he was ordained a transitional deacon on Sept. 27 at a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Above: Rev. Mr. Alex Nevitt IV (left) of St. Rose of Lima Parish, East Hanover, stands with Father Owen Moran, St. Rose’s pastor, after the Mass, where he also was ordained to the transitional diaconate along with Calabro and 38 other seminarians.

ROME  Two young men — Rev. Mr. John Rocco Calabro Jr. of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Stirling, and Rev. Mr. Alex Nevitt IV of St. Rose of Lima Parish, East Hanover — could not contain their joy on Sept. 27, as they reached a milestone in their studies for the priesthood: being ordained as transitional deacons during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica here. Their ordinations to the transitional diaconate by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Houston that day brought these men, who are both studying at the Pontifical North American College here, a step closer to being called to be ordained to the priesthood next year.

The joy that they and the other 38 men being ordained as transitional deacons felt that day spilled over to the congregation that filled St. Peter’s. They included family and friends and members of the faith communities of both St. Vincent and St. Rose, led by their respective pastors, Father Richard Carton of St. Vincent’s, and Father Owen Moran of St. Rose.

“During the ordination, I was at peace in the Lord and felt truly touched by the grace of God during the Prayer of Ordination. I think this moment towards priesthood can be likened to getting an appetizer at your favorite restaurant — tasty and wonderful — but you are still waiting for that even more delicious main course,” Rev. Mr. Nevitt wrote to The Beacon last week. “It has only been a few weeks since my ordination but the ability to lead my brothers in prayer has been the most enjoyable part,” he wrote.

Right after the ordination, an “ecstatic” Rev. Mr. Calabro approached St. John the Baptist Sister Elisa Jeronimo, St. Vincent’s social outreach director, who originally met him a year before she started serving the Morris County parish in 2003. “John was filled with the Holy Spirit, after the Mass. He said, ‘Sister, I can’t explain the overwhelming feeling inside of me now,’ ”said Sister Jeronimo.

The Mass was “beautiful, well orchestrated and well organized,” said Father Carton. He noted with pride that the ordination took place on the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, the patron of his parish, and that one the voices in the choir was that of Stephen Delia Jr., a St. Vincent’s parishioner and a first-year student at the Pontifical North American College. Also, Rev. Mr. Calabro preached for the first time at Mass in Rome in the General House of Sister Elisa’s religious community, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, the priest said.

“The ordination Mass was incredible and amazing,” said Father Moran, who noted that the liturgy took two and a half hours. Seeing the 40 men become transitional deacons in their preparation for the priesthood “gave me hope for a faith-filled tomorrow in the Church,” he said.

Born in 1985, Rev. Mr. Calabro is the son of John and Judy Calabro. His educational accomplishments include a bachelor’s degree in education in 2008 and a master’s degree in education in 2012, both from Seton Hall University, South Orange; philosophy studies at Mount St. Mary Seminary, Baltimore; and a Bachelor in Sacred Theology (STB) from Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, this year.

“John is a great guy. He’s down to earth. The kids in youth ministry he taught liked him and respected him and he had the respect of his peers. He was a dependable person,” Father Carton said.

Sister Elisa called Rev. Mr. Calabro a “faithful young man,” who has grown considerably in his faith and vocation over the years.

“The teens in youth ministry looked up to John, related to him and went to him for advice. He is a quiet man but had an impact on the kids,” Sister Elisa said. “I used to tell John, ‘You are going to be a priest. You need to pray about it.’ He would tell me, ‘No.’ I was so happy when he announced that he was going into the seminary,” she said.

Born on March 1, 1991 with the name William Alexandre Sylvain Nevitt IV, Rev. Mr. Nevitt — who goes by “Alex” — is the son of William Alexander Nevitt III and Florence Marthe Bouche-Nevitt of East Hanover. His educational accomplishments include a bachelor’s degree in economics from Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, N.Y., in 2013; pre-theology studies at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., 2013-2015; and a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (STB) from Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, this year. He anticipates earning a License in Sacred Theology from St. Peter Favre Centre in Rome in 2020.

During his senior year of high school, Rev. Mr. Nevitt interned for the Maxim Group, an investment bank. His apostolic work has included teaching religious education, conducting altar server training and sacramental preparation and visiting the sick at St. Vincent’s. Rev. Mr. Nevitt also got involved with campus ministry in Washington, D.C. and led the Regina Coeli Prison Ministry Apostolate in Rome.

Rev. Mr. Nevitt wrote to The Beacon that he felt the calling in “a distinct way between my sophomore and junior year of college.”

“My friend, who had no faith, tragically lost his father. He called me and said simply, ‘I need God.’ It was after arriving at his home and praying with him and his mother that I felt the call to the priesthood. I then continued to discern my call for two years, finishing my bachelor’s degree and entering the seminary afterward,” Rev. Mr. Nevitt wrote.

Father Moran met Rev. Mr. Nevitt when he arrived at St. Rose in 2003. The new transitional deacon once worked at the East Hanover parish part-time around the time that he felt a call to the priesthood, St. Rose’s pastor said.

“Alex has an inquiring mind and a deep connection with God. I’ve seen his faith deepen, as he learns the joys and challenges [of consecrated ministry] and as he recognizes God working in his life for the people he loves,” Father Moran said. “The people of St. Rose have great admiration for Alex. He challenges them to see God in themselves. It’s my hope that other men of the parish follow him,” he said.