With praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary joyfully announces the ordination of 11 seminarians as Deacons by His Excellency, Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier, of the Diocese of St. Augustine, FL. The ordination Mass will take place on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 11:00 am at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church (370 SW 3rd Street, Boca Raton, FL 33432) and will be livestreamed on www.svdp.edu/live.
The following are the men to be ordained on April 22nd, with their Archdiocese or Diocese: from Miami – John Edward Buonocore, Milton José Martínez Blass and David Zallocco; from St. Augustine – Diego Armando Vasquez Morillo and Cristian Camilo Vergara; from Orlando - Michael David Batista and Phillip Richard Mills; from Palm Beach – Joshua Martin; from Venice – Thomas Gregory Dougherty and Alejandro Giraldo Roldán; and from St. Thomas – Ronan Nee Sarmiento.
In addition to the above, the following SVDP seminarians will be ordained as Deacons in their (Arch)Dioceses:
- Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama of Raleigh will ordain Ross Williams on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral.
- Archbishop Gregory John Hartmeyer, OFM, CONV. of Atlanta will ordain Arturo Merriman on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church, Rowell, GA.
- Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, C.S. of Charleston will ordain Peter O’Steen on Friday, May 26, 2023, at St. Mary’s Church, Greenville, SC.
- Bishop Stephen D. Parkes, D.D. of Savannah will ordain Francisco Gamboa-Félix on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist.
The Ordination Mass on April 22nd will be especially significant as Bishop Pohlmeier celebrates his first Diaconate Ordination Mass as a Bishop. “Seek First the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33), is the motto held by Bishop Pohlmeier and serves as a beautiful reminder for these men as they continue their journey to the priesthood.
“I am honored to be asked to celebrate with these men and their families,” he said. “God’s care for his people will be powerfully seen in their service. I pray the joy of the Risen Lord will fill their hearts.”
As newly ordained Deacons, they will be assigned to parishes where they will exercise their ministry in preparation to become priests the following year. Among many duties, they will preach, perform baptisms, witness marriages, as well as preside over wakes and funerals. Please join us in celebration and prayer for these men.
Pictures will be available the week after each ordination: www.svdp.edu/deaconordination
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St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary is located in Boynton Beach, FL and is an ATS-accredited school. It currently has a student population of over 118 seminarians. Since its foundation in 1963 it has formed over 650 priests who have gone on to serve in parishes across the state, the Southeast, and parts of the Caribbean.
St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary offers the following degrees: Master of Divinity, Master of Arts (Theological Studies), and Master of Arts (Philosophical Studies for Missionary Discipleship). SVDP is one of the only two bilingual seminaries in the US, with courses taught in English and Spanish
