On Saturday, May 23rd, the Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, will ordain 19 men to the Order of Deacon at 11 a.m. at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph, 856 Pacific Street, Prospect Heights.

“These 19 faithful men are a clear representation of the Church in Brooklyn and Queens,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “I am profoundly grateful for their vocation to the Permanent Diaconate. Their dedication to the many hours of education and formation, and their faithfulness to this ministry is a wonderful expression of the vitality and new life present in our Diocese. This diversified group of men are ready to assist in the ministry of our multicultural communities in Brooklyn and Queens. I take this time to thank their wives and children for their support, not only of their husbands and fathers, but also of the Diocese of Brooklyn.”

Representing the diversity of the diocese, this year’s class includes English, Spanish, Italian, Haitian-Creole, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese speaking candidates. “It is the most diverse class I ever seen in my 12 years serving the diocese,” said Deacon Jorge Gonzalez, Director of the Diaconate Office of the Diocese of Brooklyn. “It has been a very enriching and uplifting experience, to get to know their backgrounds and customs. I am sure they will bring great gifts to our parishes.”

The Diaconate Ordination will be the culmination of a five-year formation program, which included Human, Spiritual, Intellectual, and Pastoral Formation.

The men to be ordained are: Eugene J. Cassidy, Sacred Heart Parish, East Glendale; Nickie Colon, St. Matthew Parish, Crown Heights; Emmanuel Coty Jr., Ss. Joachim and Anne Parish, Queens Village; Daniel Díaz, Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Corona; Dean S. Dobbins, Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Forest Hills; Nery R. Escobar, Ss. Joachim and Anne Parish, Queens Village; Philip A. Franco, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Williamsburg; Shih-Hao Fu, St. John Vianney Parish, Flushing; Daniel Aníbal García Girón, St. John Vianney Parish, Flushing; Richard Leslie Hurst, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Cambria Heights; Sokwon Im, St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang Parish, Flushing; Vincent A. Lino, St. Anastasia Parish, Douglaston; Andrew Mastrangelo, St. Helen Parish, Howard Beach; William J. Molloy, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, Bayside; Paul Edward Joseph Norman, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Middle Village; Wilner Pierre-Louis, St. Matthew Parish, Crown Heights; Perfecto Santana, Presentation of Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Jamaica; Nicolino Scarlatto, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Astoria; and Stanley Tam, St. John Vianney Parish, Flushing.

The New Evangelization Television (NET TV) will provide live coverage of the Diaconate Ordination, which will also be live streamed on www.netny.tv. NET TV is a cable network featuring news and information with a Catholic point of view, and is available in the New York area on Time Warner Cable, channel 97, Cablevision, channel 30, and nationally on Verizon FiOS On Demand.

BIOGRAPHIES

Eugene J. Cassidy, of Sacred Heart parish, East Glendale, is a native of Queens. He has been married to Ruth for 39 years and they have two daughters. An audio technician and announcer at Radio Maria, he is active in his parish as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, and a lector, and he brings Communion to the homebound.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Church on Sunday, May 24, at 11:30 a.m.

Nickie Colon, of St. Matthew’s parish, Crown Heights, was born in Manhattan. He has been married to Annette for 19 years and they have two sons. He works at Burken Packaging Co. as an air gun stripping technician. In his parish, he is active in the RCIA, as a lector, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and in baptism preparation.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. Matthew’s on Sunday, May 24, at 9 a.m.

Emmanuel Coty, Jr., of SS. Joachim and Anne parish, Queens Village, was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He has ben married for 38 years to Marie and they have two daughters and one son. A childcare specialist, he is active in his parish as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, lector, and in altar server formation. He is a member of Home en Marche and Foyer D’Amour.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at SS. Joachim and Anne Church on Saturday, May 30, at 5 p.m.

Daniel Díaz, of Our Lady of Sorrows parish, Corona, was born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. He and his wife Anabel have been married for 16 years and they have two daughters. He works in maintenance and is active in his parish as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, catechist and as a member of the Vocation Committee.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at Our Lady of Sorrows on Sunday, May 24, at 3 p.m.

Dean S. Dobbins, of Our Lady of Mercy parish, Forest Hills, is a native of Queens. He has been married to Sandra for 14 years and they have two sons. A director for IT security and an author, he has been active in his parish as a lector, an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist and in baptism preparation.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at Our Lady of Mercy on Sunday, May 24, at noon.

Nery R. Escobar, of SS. Joachim and Anne parish, Queens Village, was born in Ciudad de Guatemala. He has been married to Nora for 34 years and they have two sons. A maintenance worker, he is involved in his parish in RCIA, baptism preparation and as a lector.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at SS. Joachim and Anne Church on Saturday, May 30, at 5 p.m.

Dr. Philip A. Franco, of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, Williamsburg, is a native of Brooklyn. He and Tara have ben married for 11 years and they have three sons. The principal of St. Margaret’s School, Middle Village, he is active in his parish as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, and a member of the Vocations Committee and the Feast Committee.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Saturday, May 30, at 5 p.m.

Dr. Shih-Hao Fu, of St. John Vianney parish, Flushing, was born in Taiwan. He has been married to Shayh-Ven (Natalie) for 35 years and they have two sons. A medical doctor/anesthesiologist, he is active in his parish as a lector, an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, and a cantor. He also teaches Bible classes and is a writer and translator.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. John Vianney Church on Sunday, May 24, at 9:30 a.m.

Daniel Aníbal García Girón, of St. John Vianney parish, Flushing, was born in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. He has been married to Ramone for 15 years. A maintenance worker, he is active in his parish as a lector and an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. John Vianney Church on Sunday, May 24, at 9:30 a.m.

Richard Leslie Hurst, of Sacred Heart parish, Cambria Heights, is a native of Oakland, California. He and his wife Lory Ann have been married for 22 years and they have a son and a daughter. A teacher and counselor in the NYC Board of Education, he is active in his parish in the pastoral care of the sick.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at sacred Heart Church on Saturday, May 23, at 5 p.m.

Sokwon Im, of St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang parish, Flushing, is a native of Seoul, Korea. He has ben married to Hyekyung for 24 years and they have one son and three daughters. A construction engineer, he is active in his parish as a member of the Parish Council.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang Church on Sunday, May 24, at 11 a.m.

Vincent A. Lino, of St. Anastasia’s parish, Douglaston, is a native of Brooklyn. He has been married to Maria for 30 years and they have a son and a daughter. An elevator mechanic supervisor, he is involved in his parish as a lector, and with the choir, homebound visitation, and as a Boy Scout leader.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. Anastasia’s Church on Sunday, May 24, at noon.

Andrew Mastrangelo, of St. Helen parish, Howard Beach, is a native of Brooklyn. He and his wife Linda are the parents of two daughters and a son. A restaurant owner, he is involved in his parish as a lector, an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, in the homebound ministry, and he is the moderator of the Support Group for the Physically Challenged.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. Helen Church on Sunday, May 24, at 11 a.m.

William J. Molloy, of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament parish, Bayside, is a native of Brooklyn. He and his wife Dorothy have been married for 38 years and they have two daughters. He is an IT project manager and is involved in his parish as a lector, and an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church on Sunday, May 24, at 12:30 p.m.

Paul Edward Joseph Norman, of Our Lady of Hope parish, Middle Village, was born in Queens. He has been married to Leonora for 25 years and they have four daughters. A teacher at Christ the King H.S., Middle Village, director of Faith Formation, he is involved in his parish as a lector, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, and as a member of the parish evangelization team. He also is active at St. Jerome’s, East Flatbush, and in the RCIA at Our Lady of Hope, Middle Village.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at Our Lady of Hope Church on Sunday, May 24, at 12:30 p.m.

Wilner Pierre-Louis, of St. Matthew’s parish, Crown Heights, was born in Haiti. He has been married for 13 years to Marie and they have two daughters. A Consular Agent at the Haitian Consul in Manhattan, he is active in his parish as a lector, an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, and as a member of the Parish Pastoral Committee.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. Matthew’s Church on Sunday, May 24, at 2 p.m.

Perfecto Santana, of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish, Jamaica, was born in Peralvillo Yamasa, Dominican Republic. He and Calista have been married for 23 years and they have two daughters and a son. A substitute Math and Spanish teacher, he is active in his parish as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, and a lector.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at Presentation Church on Sunday, May 24, at 1 p.m.

Nicolino Scarlatto, of St. Francis of Assisi parish, Astoria, was born in Queens. He has been married to Jeanarie for 24 years and they have one son. A pharmacist, he is active in his parish as a lector, an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, and with the Parish Pastoral Council, the Children’s Liturgy, and the religious education program.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. Francis of Assisi on Sunday, May 24, at 11 a.m.

Stanley Tam, of St. John Vianney parish, Flushing, is from Hong Kong. He and his wife, Judy, have been married for 38 years and they have two sons. A buildings maintenance manager, he is involved in his parish as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and President of the Presidium of the Legion of Mary.

A Mass of thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. John Vianney Church on Sunday, May 24, at 9:30 a.m.