Cardinal Cupich ordained 13 permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Chicago and one for the Diocese of Joliet May 16 at Holy Name Cathedral.
The newly ordained deacons are assigned to parishes in Barrington, Bartlett, Cicero, Chicago, Lake Forest, Northbrook, Schaumburg, Streamwood and Wadsworth.
Deacons assist the bishop and priests in ministries of the word, liturgy and charity. This includes proclaiming the Gospel, leading intercessions, preaching, preparing the altar, celebrating baptisms, leading the faithful in prayer, distributing Communion, witnessing marriages and conducting wake and funeral services.
Deacons also identify the needs of the poor and underserved and shepherd the church’s resources to meet those needs.
Diaconate formation for permanent deacons requires completion of a comprehensive, four-year archdiocesan program, offered in both English and Spanish through the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein. The programs include human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral dimensions of formation and a year-long parish pastoral ministry internship.
Married men and single men who commit to celibacy may be ordained as permanent deacons.
The new deacons are:
Deacon José Hugo Arellano, 55, and his wife, Noema, are parishioners of Our Lady of Czestochowa and Charity, Cicero.
They have five children whose ages range from 3 to 28.
Arellano, a laborer, said that after formation, he knows more about God and about the history of the church. He plans, he said, to put himself in the service of the Christ and the parish community.
Deacon J. Richard Capinpin, 60, and his wife, Rose, are parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Streamwood.
Capinpin, who is retired, said that he has discovered that vocations can take time to ripen and come to fruition.
“Formation has taught me that God shapes a vocation slowly, faithfully and from the inside out. Through prayer, service, study and the loving support of my wife, Rose, I have discovered that the call to the diaconate is not something I achieve, but something God reveals and nurtures within me,” he said.
Formation, he said, “has shown me that humility, fidelity, obedience and love are not abstract virtues but lived realities shaped in the joys and challenges of serving God’s people. Above all, formation has taught me to trust the gentle, steady work of the Holy Spirit who continues to form my heart for service.”
Deacon Juval Flores Cruz, 59, and his wife, Lourdes Gomez, are parishioners of Sts. Genevieve and Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr Parish, 4835 W. Altgeld St.
Flores Cruz, who works in maintenance, said that during the formation process, he learned to be a more empathetic, accessible, tolerant and compassionate person.
The highlight for him was learning about canon law, he said, adding that he entered a fascinating world that was completely unfamiliar to him.
Deacon Galdino Hernandez, 57, and his wife, Margarita, are parishioners of St. Gregory of Nyssa Parish, Schaumburg.
They have five children, ranging in age from 15 to 33.
Hernandez, who owns a landscaping business, said that all things have been productive in his formation, which taught him to be a better person and a leader in the community.
Deacon Kevin Horcher, 64, and his wife, Heidi, are parishioners of St. Anne Parish, Barrington.
They have four adult children: Karl, Maximilian, Anne and John.
Horcher, a retired emergency room doctor and teacher, said the formation process taught him about the tapestry of the Catholic faith.
“The Catholic faith is rich and beautiful,” he said. “There are many devotions and cultural expressions but, ultimately, they all focus on and bring us closer in relationship with Jesus Christ.”
He hopes to help people understand the faith in his diaconate ministry.
Deacon Robert Kolodziejski, 66, and his wife, Stephanie, are parishioners of St. Peter Damian Parish, Bartlett.
They have three adult children.
Kolodziejski, a retired appraiser, said his vocation has “come full circle.”
“It started when I was an altar boy in the ’60s,” he said. “Now I am preparing for deacon ordination in my 60s. Yes, God has a sense of humor. A lot happened in between and my faith and love for God has brought me to this moment. Everything is possible with God when you open your heart to him.”
Deacon Jorge Moreno, 57, and his wife, Genoveva, are parishioners of Immaculate Conception and Five Holy Martyrs Parish, 2745 W. 44th St.
They have four adult children: Christian, Karen, Alan and Cynthia.
In his diaconate formation, he learned that “the love of service begins in the home.”
The best part of his formation, he said, was seeing that people with different perspectives but a common objective of serving others could show brotherhood and love.
Deacon John B. Morris, 66, and his wife, Janet, are parishioners of St. Patrick Parish, Lake Forest.
They have three adult children and six grandchildren.
He has participated in OCIA, a ministry he intends to continue as a deacon, and he served as an extraordinary minister of Communion, catechist and sacristan. He is a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus and past grand knight of his council.
Deacon Jeffrey Ptacek, 42, and his wife, Sarah, are parishioners of St. Norbert and Our Lady of the Brook Parish, Northbrook.
They have two children: Benjamin, 11, and John, 10.
Ptacek, who teaches theology at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, said formation taught him “to be humble, to slow down and to trust the process,” he said.
He intends to take on a more active role in his parish’s youth ministry and assist in OCIA and bereavement ministry.
Deacon Abigail Rios, 60, and his wife, Olga Gracia, are parishioners at Sts. Genevieve and Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr Parish, 4835 W. Altgeld St.
They have three adult children: Lizbeth, Belitza and Erick Rios.
Rios said his diaconate preparation has taught him “to be prepared to accept the challenge and the blessing of serving every child of God through the church — and, at this moment, most especially through the ministry of the permanent diaconate.”
His future areas of ministry have not yet been defined.
Deacon Armando Salgado, 65, and his wife, Beatriz, are parishioners of St. John Vianney Parish, Northlake.
They have two adult children.
Salgado, who was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States as a child, is retired after working as a custodian and bus driver for a local school district.
Formation taught him about the richness of the Catholic faith, he said, and he looks forward to serving “wherever the Lord calls me to serve.”
Deacon Ryszard Skrzeczyna, 53, and his wife, Beata, are parishioners of St. Francis Borgia Parish, 8033 W. Addison St.
They have two adult children.
Born in Poland, Skrzeczyna was formed as a catechist after coming to Chicago with his wife, and taught religious education for 12 years.
He called diaconate formation “a school of patience, perseverance and trust in God. It taught me to step outside my comfort zone and to accept those things I cannot change.”
Highlights of his formation were two trips to Ukraine, undertaken as part of the Jubilee of Hope, when Catholics were called to be pilgrims of hope, “to meet with people impacted by the tragedy of war,” he said. “Encountering people affected by suffering and the loss of hope had a profound impact on my life and my future ministry. I desire to go where hope is fading — to bring God’s presence and help people rediscover meaning and strength for their lives.”
Deacon Dan Strutzel, 58, and his wife, Elvia, are parishioners of St. Brigid Parish, Wadsworth.
They have three adult children: Kyra, Jeremy and Camden.
Strutzel, a publishing agent and consultant, is president of Inspire Productions.
The highlight of his formation, he said, was “the close friendships that were formed with my fellow cohort members and their wives. Learning from such selfless servants of God up close left an indelible mark on me and will be a lasting inspiration I will take with me into ministry.”
He plans to focus on ministry of care, as well as ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.
Ordained for the Diocese of Joliet:
Deacon Reyes González, 63, and his wife, Irma, are parishioners of St. Pius X Parish, Lombard.
They have three adult children.
González, a superintendent, said that during formation, he learned more deeply about the church, its history, its current situation and its hierarchy. At the same time, he said, he learned that synodality is a vital part of its mission.