November 4, 2021 — This year, 19 U.S. and Haitian Jesuits were ordained to the diaconate at several different Masses in the United States, Canada and the Ivory Coast. For a Jesuit in formation, ordination to the diaconate is the final step in preparation for priestly ordination in the Society of Jesus.
On April 10, Haitian Jesuit Sudzer Charélus, SJ, was ordained a deacon at the chapel of the Institut Théologique de la Compagnie de Jésus in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, along with 15 other Jesuits by Most Reverend Alexis Touably Youlo, Bishop of the Diocese of Agboville. Charélus is currently in theology studies at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.
On May 29, American Jesuits Juan Ruiz, SJ, and Matthew Cortese, SJ, were ordained deacons by Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, SJ, at Our Lady of Lourdes in Toronto. Ruiz is currently in theology studies at Regis College in Toronto; Cortese is serving as a resident minister at Boston College and as a deacon at St. Ignatius Church.
Eight U.S. Jesuits were ordained to the diaconate on Sept. 18 in Boston, along with three other Jesuits and one Capuchin Franciscan, by Most Rev. Mark O’Connell, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston. Those ordained were: Timothy Breen, SJ; Matthew Donovan, SJ; José Dueño Gorbea, SJ; Sean Hagerty, SJ; Eric Immel, SJ; David Kiblinger, SJ; Stephen Molvarec, SJ; Jonathon Polce, SJ; Václav Novotný, SJ; Brett O’Neill, SJ; Paskali Dionisi Shing’da, SJ; and Scott Leet, OFM Cap.
The new deacons are studying theology at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.
Eight American Jesuits, along with a Jesuit from Guyana, were ordained as deacons on Oct. 23 by Most Reverend Michael C. Barber, SJ, Bishop of Oakland, at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California. The Jesuits ordained there were: Aaron Bohr, SJ; Thomas Croteau, SJ; Joseph Kraemer, SJ; Daniel Nevares, SJ; Edward Ngo, SJ; Ricardo Perkins, SJ; Lucas Sharma, SJ; Joel Thompson, SJ; and Matthew Yim, SJ.
These new deacons are currently studying theology at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California.
The new deacons were ordained as part of their formation to become priests, and they are authorized to proclaim the Word of God, to preach and to preside at the sacraments of baptism and marriage and at the rite of Christian burial. Learn more about the stages of Jesuit formation at BeaJesuit.org.
