18 Men to Be Ordained Permanent Deacons of the Archdiocese
of Newark Within two weeks after ordination, Archbishop Myers assigns the deacons to a local parish for parish ministry work, usually the one that has supported them in their formation, explained Deacon Ed Porter, Director of Permanent Deacons for the Archdiocese. Deacon Porter, who is in charge of the program, has worked with class supervisor Asterio Velasco on the group’s course of study. “We have meetings once a month to review how things are going and to see if we need to make any modifications,” he indicated. Though classes are all conducted in Spanish, students speak English as well. “One of the things I consider to be important is that they could go to a Spanish-speaking, bilingual or English-speaking parish and serve just as well in any of the three,” asserted Deacon Porter. “They handle themselves well and they're very friendly. They also have excellent support from their wives. This is very important in the diaconate,” he continued, adding that the wives would often go to class with their husbands and are always willing to help with any project. The words "deacon" and "diaconate" derive from the Greek word diakonia, which means "service" or "ministry." A deacon is ordained by the Church for his service, which is provided in three ways: Service of the Word: This includes preaching, offering catechetical instruction, spiritual counseling, instructing catechumens, giving retreats, conducting parish renewal programs, and reaching out to alienated Catholics. Service of the Altar: The deacons' role in the Eucharist – in addition to proclaiming the Gospel and articulating the Church's needs in the general intercessions – is to prepare the gifts and distribute communion at the Lord's table. Deacons may baptize children or adults, witness marriages in the name of the Church, bring Viaticum (administration of the Holy Eucharist) to the dying, and preside over wakes, funerals, and burial services. Service of Charity: Deacons serve an extensive range of human needs. They minister in prisons and hospitals, and visit the homebound and people in nursing homes. They serve the mentally ill, the chemically dependent, the abused and the battered, the old and the young, the abandoned, the dying and the bereaved, immigrants and refugees and the victims of racial and ethnic discrimination. While Canon law does allow a married man to become a deacon, a married applicant must have the full support of his wife in order to continue in his formation for the Diaconate. The wife must give her consent in writing and show that she will participate, to a reasonable extent, in formation and post-ordination activities. She, like her husband, must go through an interview process. Any children the couple has must be over the age of five, and as part of the interviewing process home visits are conducted to establish if the applicant has a stable family life. More information about the Office of the Permanent Diaconate is available at http://www.rcan.org/permdeac.htm. Following is a list of the candidates. Jesus Aristy is a member of Our Lady of Libera Parish in West New York. He and his wife Nancy have two children, Roxy and Jesus. He is a senior youth worker at the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission and serves his parish as Youth Group coordinator and Eucharistic Minister. José Miguel Class resides in Newark and is Chaplain for St. Michael’s Medical Center, Newark. He and his wife Nancy have a son, Isaias. He serves in the Pastoral Care Department Chapel at St. Michael’s and is involved in the ministry of the sick. Juan A. Cordero is a member of Saint Nicholas Parish in Jersey City. He and his wife Julia have three sons, Vladimir, Francisco and José. He is a barber by profession and serves in the parish as a Eucharistic Minister and catechist. Edward Donosso is a member of St. Augustine Parish in Union City. He and his wife Miriam have a son, John, and three grandchildren, Edward Joseph, Tommy and Aniza. He works as an accountant and serves as a Eucharistic Minister at his church. Miguel A. Figueroa is a member of St. Michael Parish in Newark. He and his wife Addis have three children, Luis, Leonel and Deborah. He serves his parish as Eucharistic Minister, Lector and catechist. Miguel A. Franco is a member of St. Aloysius Parish in Jersey City. He and his wife Maria have three daughters, Erika, Johanna and Diana. He works as a handyman and serves in the church as a Eucharistic Minister and Lector. Luis C. Lorza is a member of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Elizabeth. He and his wife Maria have two children, Luis Carlos and Maria Claudia. He is a life and health insurance agent for the Knights of Columbus. His ministry involvement includes serving as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, RCIA sponsor and catechist, Baptism team member, Pre-Cana team member and RENEW facilitator. Albino P. Marques is a member of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Newark. He and his wife Maria have two daughters, Rosa Maria and Ana Paula. He is a tailor by trade and serves his parish as a Eucharistic Minister and Lector. Marques will be the first Portuguese permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Newark. José A. Negrón is a member of St. Michael Parish in Newark. He and his wife Zulma have four daughters, Jazmin, Jezenia, Jacqueline and Johanna. He works as a mail clerk and serves his church as a Eucharistic Minister; he is also involved in the Pre-Cana and CCD programs. Pedro A. Nieves is a member of St. Mary Parish in Plainfield. He and his wife Carmen have two sons, Daniel and Pedro, and two grandsons, Jonah and Anthony. He is a business supervisor and serves the parish as a Eucharistic Minister, also bringing the Eucharist to elderly. Ernesto Nuñez is a member of Parish of the Resurrection in Jersey City. He and his wife Rosa have five children, Ernesto, Hegel, Natalie, Rose Mary and Randall, and eight grandchildren, Bryant, Darlene, Mike, Leslie, Chris, Estefany, Joel and Jaime. He is an accountant by profession and serves as a Eucharistic Minister, Bible Study instructor and coordinator of Lectors. Alejandro A. Polanco is a member of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Hackensack. He and his wife Migdania have three children, Alejandro, Gaspar and Katiana, and one grandson, Gabriel. He works as a bus driver and serves his parish as a Eucharistic Minister. Cecilio S. Polanco is a member of St. Michael Parish in Newark. He and his wife Claridilia have two children, Aldwin and Edrick. He works as a machinist at CNN. His ministry involvement includes Pre-Cana, Baptism and RCIA programs, and he serves as a Eucharistic Minister. Nelson B. Ramirez is a member of St. Leo Parish in Irvington. He and his wife Hipatia have three daughters, Nadia, Hipatia and Chrystal. He is a chemical engineer and serves his parish as an adult catechism teacher, Eucharistic Minister and Lector. Jerry Romero is a member of St. John Parish in Orange. He is a customer service manager and serves in parish social services, RCIA and CCD programs; he is also a youth minister, Eucharistic Minister and Lector. Orlando D. Sanchez is a member of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary and St. Michael’s Parish in Elizabeth. He is married to Rosanna L. Sanchez. He works as a programmer/foreman at a metal company and serves his parish as Religion Education Director, Eucharistic Minister and Christian Family Movement (CFM) instructor. He also is involved in couples retreats, evangelization, parish council, Liturgy and Pastoral Council (Spanish). Cesar A. Torres is a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Newark (Vailsburg). He works at the church and his ministry service involves being a coordinator for the pastor. Alfredo Zapata is a member of St. Aloysius Parish in Jersey City. He and his wife Norma have three children, Alfredo, Jr., Carlos and Marta. He is a school bus driver by profession and serves as a Eucharistic Minister at his church.
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