Bishop Allen Vigneron will ordain 17 men to the permanent diaconate on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Cathedral of Christ the Light. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m.
The men have completed at least three years of formation, including theological and liturgical instruction, training in homiletics, and experience in various ministries.

Their wives have participated in the formation process and have given full consent to their husbands’ ordination.

Each new deacon will have both a liturgical and a service ministry.

Jorge R. Angel Arias Birthplace: Mixtlan Jalisco, Mexico Age: 57 Years married: 33 Children: 3; grandchildren: 2 Parish: All Saints, Hayward Employment: General superintendent, Robert A. Bothman Inc. I want to continue serving God in any way that he sees fit. I have received many blessings from him; family, friends, health, work, and even coming to this country has been a blessing. I met my wife here and that’s when my life started to change. Together we went to Marriage Encounter and then Cursillos of Christianity where we served for almost 20 years. I have met many, many good people and have always received more from others than I ever expected. Because I see so much need, I want to spend the rest of my life between God’s hands and feet, try to be like him and follow his footsteps. I know they are big shoes to fill but that’s our call as baptized Christians.

Jorge R. Angel Arias and Silvia Angel

John J. Archer Jr. and Judy Eumont Archer

John J. Archer Jr. Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York Age: 51 Years married: 26 Children: 4 Parish: St Raymond Penafort, Dublin Employment: Financial services supervisor, Dublin San Ramon Services District The deacon is called be an active example of service to the Church and the whole community as a husband, father, son, friend, co-worker, and neighbor. Deacons are challenged to bring the Word to life through our daily activities and in every encounter with others. I look to the diaconate as a call to serve the Church and the community challenging, encouraging, and supporting others to go forth from the Eucharistic table to a life of service every day. Service allows us to answer the question ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? …”

John P. Ashmore Birthplace: Grand Rapids, MI Age: 55 Years married: 15 Children: 3; stepchildren: 1; grandchildren: 3 Parish: Most Holy Rosary Employment: Vortex sales specialist, Victaulic Company of America Two words changed Levi’s life. In the Gospel, Mark tells of Jesus’ call to Levi. He simply said, “Follow me”. Levi immediately left everything and followed Jesus. Jesus invites all of us to follow him, and I take his invitation literally and personally. I struggle daily to fully understand his call, but I am irresistibly attracted to follow him. Diaconate is the way I choose to answer that call. Jesus gave us the ultimate example of servanthood, and so I feel called to humbly follow his example and become a servant to all. What form that service will take is not yet certain, but I know that whatever the venue I will be trying to fulfill Jesus’ call to serve the needs of the least of his brothers and sisters.

John P. Ashmore and Julie B. Ashmore

Herbert and Margaret Casey

Herbert Casey Birthplace: New York City Age: 67 Years married: 42 Children: 3; grandchildren: 6 Parish: St Bonaventure, Concord Employment: Retired I had served in various ministries over the years in my parish in Concord. While I felt at peace within these ministries I kept searching for some other ways of learning about my faith and sharing it with others. Honestly, I had not given any thought to becoming a permanent deacon until my pastor asked me if I would be interested. That was about seven years ago, and the call has grown stronger during the past years as I continue on my life and faith journey. After some discernment I felt that my gifts could be more effectively used in this vocation. I continue to feel comfortable with that decision. Serving at the Lord’s Table, proclaiming God’s Word, and performing service directed at the poor and vulnerable is the way I would like to practice my faith. I have been blessed with the good fortune of having the time and the gifts to devote to this calling.

Clement Chen Birthplace: Singapore Age: 56 Years married: 31 Children: 2 Parish: Saint Monica, Moraga  Employment: Retired I want to become a permanent deacon to receive the sacramental grace through the Sacrament of Orders to serve the Church and the people of God. Having been blessed with the opportunity to retire from the business world at the age of 44, it is imperative that I now “pay forward” the many blessings that I have received in the service of God and Church.

Clement and Gladys Chen

David and Debra Cloyne

David Cloyne Birthplace: Toledo, Ohio Age: 52 Years married: 32 Children: 2; grandchildren: 1 Parish: Saint Michael, Livermore Employment: Engineering associate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory My call to the Diaconate ministry is a response for my love of God and my passion to serve my fellow man. Upon our baptism, we receive the call to spread the good news and increase God’s kingdom here on earth. As my understanding of this call increased, an awaking occurred with me; the belief that we are the children of God took a special meaning. One ministry of the deacons is charity. This ministry involves service to the poor and the marginalized. It is in this role of servant that I feel a very strong call, assisting all of God’s people locally and worldwide.

Rey Caluya Encarnacion Birthplace: Manila, Philippines Age: 51 Years married: 24 Children: 3 Parish: St. Agnes, Concord Employment: Associate civil engineer, East Bay Municipal Utility District With God’s grace, I want to serve to help the Church in her service for the community and to promote her social teaching. I believe God wants me to be more involved and He is calling me to the diaconate vocation — a ministry of service. God’s greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Each of us is gifted and called to different vocations as an expression of love to God and to one another, in living a Christian life. Could I serve as a layperson? With God’s grace, of course I could, but I believe that sacraments impart grace and I need help, especially in making Christ more present in whatever I do and wherever I am or in who I am. We are to be salt and light in the world.

Rey Caluya Encarnacion and Maria Rosario David Cruz

Richard Gierak and Rebecca Doherty

Richard Gierak Birthplace: Concord Age: 47 Years married: 13 Children: 4; grandchildren: 2 Parish: St. Bonaventure, Concord Employment: Project manager, CONIX Systems, Inc. I want to become a deacon because Jesus is calling me to serve this community in this way. I am very blessed in this life and I’m answering this call to extend God’s blessing to others. God continues to fill my heart with the desire to help and serve. Through the support of my family and community I am graced with the ability to pursue this ministry of service. I ask each of you to hold in prayer my family and my brothers and sisters in this class that we may fulfill our calling to serve you as Christ the Servant.

Charles C. Glover Birthplace: McCloud, CA Age: 61 Years married: 41 Children: 2 Parish: Holy Spirit, Fremont Employment: Human resources director, Morgan Crucible We are taught to let go and let God lead us. While I have times when I try to do it myself, ultimately, my life belongs to God. Answering the call to the diaconate has been a journey of allowing God to show me the path. Being a deacon is about serving, not being served. Being ordained into the diaconate is the culmination of a long journey. Much longer than the five years of formal formation that has just finished. The seeds of this journey were planted by the Lord by allowing me to love and know him more deeply. Those seeds have been watered by the people that I have known throughout my life and especially my wife Sherry. I have heard it said that God does not call the gifted but presents gifts to those he calls. I am very happy that God has called me and with His blessing I now have an increased opportunity to serve those in our community as he would have me do and to help bring justice to those in need.

Charles C. and Sherry Glover

Arturo Jimenez and Maria Isabel

Arturo Jimenez Birthplace: Jalisco, Mexico Age: 36 Years married: 6 Children: 2 Parish: St Paul, San Pablo Employment: Supervisor, Nor Cal Perlite I want to become a permanent deacon because of the need that is out there and to proclaim the gospel and the kingdom of God, and to engage in the ministry of charity.

Martin Leach Birthplace: Wilmington, DE Age: 58 Years married: 8 Stepchildren: 3; grandchildren: 7 Parish: Transfiguration, Castro Valley Employment: College instructor, San Jose State University, St. Mary’s College, Los Medanos College My main purpose in wanting to be a deacon is to use the talents and gifts that God has given me to be a servant for God and the Church. A deacon in the Catholic Church is foremost a servant, where his role is to embody Christ the servant. The deacon serves in a variety of ways: as a liturgical minister, as a minister of charity and as an agent of social justice. God’s people are the recipients of this service, that is, anyone who is in need, regardless of religious affiliation. As a deacon I would strive to meet the needs of God’s people in these various ways.

Martin and Karen Leach

John and Natalie Nguyen

John Nguyen Birthplace: Viet Nam Age: 46 Years married: 20 Children: 2 Parish: St. Felicitas, San Leandro Since my childhood to adulthood, I have been involved with Church ministries such as acolyte, lector, Eucharistic minister, C.C.D., choir, retreat planner; also social justice ministries: nursing home, jail, soup kitchens. I truly find joy when doing these ministries. But there is a call, a call to serve God and His people in a more committed way. I have searched and discerned the call. I responded to Jesus’ invitation “Come and See” and I found my call in the Order of Deacon.

Gil Pesqueira Birthplace: Los Angeles Age: 52 Years married: 20 Children: 3 Parish: Catholic Community of Pleasanton Employment: General manager, Amcor Sunclipse North America A deacon is a bridge between the Church and the congregation, and with my life, family, work and formation experiences I believe can be a good witness and an example for the Church. I have lived a blessed life and I believe I am prepared to embark on the journey to stand with and serve those that are on the margins of society. I want to be a deacon to humbly serve God and His people. Through my formation process I have grown in faith and I have matured as a person; I am willing to decrease so that God can increase in my life. It is only through God’s will and guidance that my intentions will be seen as being true and my actions will be blessed and fruitful. I am looking forward to continuous growth and improvement as a servant of God. I am committed to the behavior that will allow me to serve and sacrifice for others. I am confident I enter into this new chapter of my life with the support of my family, my parish, the deacon community and most importantly God.

Gil and Laura Pesqueira

Peter Cuong Dac Ta and Teresa Tuyet Kieu

Peter Cuong Dac Ta Birthplace: Son Tay, Viet Nam Age: 65 Years married: 33 Children: 6; grandchildren: 2 Parish: St Joachim, Hayward Employment: Product design engineer One day in 2001 after a funeral Mass, a Jesuit priest who is my friend asked me: “Why don’t you study to become a deacon?” That day another Vietnamese Jesuit asked me a similar question. I started to wonder. A few months later, at St. Joachim Parish, the staff asked me the same question and they went further saying that the parish would pay the cost. One day, a light flared up in me: “Come and see.” We decided to enter the pastoral ministry class. A year later, the Diocese of Oakland had the sessions on the diaconate program. We were informed but avoided it. We were struggling in our hearts so we came to the second session, then we were accepted in the program to be formed as a servant to serve our Church even though we did not know what would happen in our future.

Ronald Tutson Birthplace: Lake Charles, LA Age: 67 Years married: 6 Children: 5; stepchildren: 2 Grandchildren: 13; step-grandchildren: 4; great-grandchildren: 5 Parish: St. Benedict, Oakland Employment: Retired I view the permanent diaconate as a calling, a gift from God, that according to our ability, we receive, not for our own personal use, but to be shared with all people, a gift, to be a source of encouragement to the least of our brothers and sisters. It is only God’s grace that will enable Jacqueline and me to serve and give ourselves up for the sake of the many and be a sign and sacrament for all. To reach out to help effect the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of others and remain focused on doing the right things and making a positive impact on the lives of others.

Ronald Tutson and Jacqueline Lafitte

G. Lance and Terri Vivet

G. Lance Vivet Birthplace: Castro Valley Age: 53 Years married: 32 Children: 4; grandchildren: 5 Parish: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Fremont Employment: Territory manager, US Foodservice After much prayer and discernment I believe God has called me to this vocation. With the community’s affirmation I hope to serve those on edges of society and the community at large. My wife Terri and I have been involved in ministry at Fairmont Hospital where there is a great need and we would love to return to it. We are also looking into hospice care in the tri-city area.

Ken Wedge Birthplace: La Rochelle, France Age: 55 Years married: 36 Children: 3; grandchildren: 4 Parish: St. Ignatius, Antioch Employment: Fourth grade teacher, Calvary Temple Christian School, Concord I truly connect here to the Book of Jonah. It was never an assignment I feel I sought out. I have felt pushed by God to this calling and it is one I feel I would be the ungrateful son if I refused. I have no idea what He desires, but as I have prayed most of the days of formation “If you open the doors, I will walk through them.” He has and I trust He will reveal the reason in His own time. I just have to trust Him.

Ken and Coleen Wedge

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