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Cardinal Dolan will ordain 11 men to the permanent diaconate at a Mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Saturday, June 23 at 9 a.m.
Short profiles of each of those to be ordained follow:
Deacon Thomas Barbagallo, 51, is director of archives for the New York Yankees. He said he decided to pursue the diaconate to further his sense of service and increase his understanding of diaconal ministry. He is a graduate of Manhattan College and Mercy College. He and his wife, Theresa Marie, are parishioners of St. Paul the Apostle, Yonkers. They have two daughters. He is retired from the New York City Police Department.
Deacon Scott R. Bierbaum, 48, heads the locksmith division of a security company. “I was asking God to help me find a way to somehow work for him in my life,” he said. “My pastor approached me to consider the diaconate. I found my answer.” He is a graduate of Carmel High School. He and his wife, Maria, are parishioners of St. James the Apostle, Carmel.
Deacon Thomas W. Finnerty, 69, is the chief executive officer of a property management company on Staten Island. He is a retired detective of the New York City Police Department. He said he decided to become a deacon “to be a servant of Christ in the Church and work now for the salvation of souls.” He earned a master’s degree in religious studies from the Institute of Religious Studies of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie. He is a parishioner of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Staten Island.
Deacon Alexander Gapay, 70, is a medical doctor who works as a family practitioner at Middletown Medical Center. He said being a deacon will enable him to answer the call to serve God’s people and to witness Christ to all who seek Him. He graduated from the University of St. Thomas, Manila, Philippines. He and his wife, Carmencita, are parishioners of St. Joseph’s, Middletown. They have four children.
Deacon Dennis T. Hogan, 65, retired from Verizon as a digital technician. He graduated from Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Queens. He said, “ I came to the diaconate because I have always felt a calling to serve God…and the Lord in His goodness has given me another opportunity to love and serve him and his children through the diaconate.” He and his wife, Judy, are parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Staten Island. They have two children.
Deacon John T. McCormack, 56, works as a corporate vice president of sales and marketing. He earned a business degree from Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry. “Through prayer and the sacraments I began to sense that the Lord was asking me to serve him and his people,” he said. “With God’s grace, I hope to expand my ministry in the parish.” He and his wife, Mary, are parishioners of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, LaGrangeville. They have three children.
Deacon Christopher T. Mendoza, 45, is a registered nurse at Wyckoff Heights Hospital, Brooklyn, where he cares for critically ill patients. He is a candidate for a master’s degree in nursing education at Pace University. He and his wife, Elvira, are parishioners of St. Columbanus, Cortlandt Manor. They have three children.
Deacon Rommel Pampolina, 45, designs and supports enterprise automation systems. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at SUNY Oneonta. He said he entered the Diaconate Formation Program “to develop a closer relationship with the Lord and to serve him and his Church as a deacon.” He and his wife, Desiree, are parishioners of St. Mary, Mother of the Church, Fishkill. They have two children.
Deacon Donald J. Prendergast, 44, is a mental health technician at Bon Secours Hospital, Port Jervis. He holds a master’s degree in education from Hunter College CUNY. He said he came to understand through many years that “my desire and comfort to serve others was from my love for Jesus.” He and his wife, Marilyn, are parishioners of Holy Cross, South Centerville. They have seven children.
Deacon Paul J. Smith, 59, now retired, served as a high school English teacher in the Katonah-Lewisboro School District. He earned his master’s in secondary education from Wesban Connecticut State College. He said he approached the diaconate from “a strong faith foundation built from my parents and from a grace given through my marriage.” He and his wife, Sarah, are parishioners of St. Mary, Mother of the Church, Fishkill. They have four children.
Deacon James R. Suchy, 61, is retired after serving as a teacher and social studies department chairman in the Clarkstown Central School District. He holds a master’s degree from Fordham University. After serving for many years as a teacher, he explained that prayer helped him to understand he was being called to serve others in a different way—as a deacon. “I thank God for the graces he has bestowed on me and will serve him faithfully,” he said. He is a parishioner of St. Augustine’s, New City.
