By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
MIAMI | Archbishop Thomas Wenski will ordain nine more men as permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Miami this Saturday, Dec. 14, at St. Mary Cathedral. This will bring to 140 the total number of deacons currently serving the Church in South Florida.
The duties of deacons include ministering at the altar, preaching, singing the Gospel at high Mass and assisting the celebrant in general. Deacons can also baptize, witness marriages and administer Communion, though they cannot consecrate the Eucharist, hear confessions, or give absolution.
Permanent deacons do not go on to become priests, and can be married at the time of their ordination. If unmarried, they take a vow of celibacy.
Here are brief biographies of the new deacons.
JORGE ALVAREZ
Name: Jorge Angel Alvarez, 59, born in La Vibora, Havana, Cuba.
Marital status: Married to Maxine for 33 years; two children: Camila Maria, 30, Isabella Crista, 20.
Professions: Adjunct professor of Theology and Ministry, St. Thomas University; business consultant, higher education; founder-executive chef, The Stuffed Cuban.
Home parish: Little Flower, Coral Gables.
Sacraments: Baptized at Nuestra Señora de Perpetuo Socorro, El Vedado, Havana, Cuba; reconciliation, first Communion, confirmation and matrimony at St. Michael the Archangel, Miami.
Favorite quote: “Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge.” — Winston Churchill
Favorite Bible passage: Matthew 25:23: “Well done my good and faithful servant. You have done well with small things, now I will give you more responsibilities. Come and share your Master’s joy!”
MESMIN AUGUSTIN
Name: Mesmin Augustin, 43, born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Marital status: Married to Erika Duge for 14 years; three children: Kyala Christine 13, Abigail Cleanne 9, Naarah Carolyn 2.
Profession: Software engineer/developer at Mezanmi Technologies Inc.
Home parish: Notre-Dame d’Haiti, Miami.
Sacraments: Baptized at Christ-Roi, Bourdon, Haiti; reconciliation and first Communion at St. Anne, Port-au-Prince; confirmation and matrimony at Notre-Dame d’Haiti, Miami.
Favorite quote: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” — St. Augustine
Favorite Bible passage: 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.”
ENRIQUE FERRER
Name: Enrique Ferrer, 65, born in Havana, Cuba.
Marital status: Married to Natalia for 40 years; two children: Enrique, 40, and Natalia, 39, and five grandchildren: Enrique, 15, Jorge, 12, Carolina, 11, Matthew, 9 and Andrew, 4.
Profession: Electrical engineer at Motorola Solutions.
Home parish: Mother of Christ, Miami.
Sacraments: Baptized at Parroquia Ntra. Sra. del Carmen, Havana; first Communion at Parroquia del Purísimo Corazón de María, Mexico City; confirmation at Parroquia de Ntra. Sra. del Sagrado Corazón, Mexico City; matrimony at St. Michael the Archangel, Miami.
Favorite quote: “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.” — St. Augustine
Favorite Bible passage: Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
ISMAR MARTINEZ
Name: Ismar Martinez, 47, born in Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba.
Marital status: Married to Selines for 20 years; four children: Daismary, 24, Jacob Ismar, 18, Adela Maria, 13, and Catherine Therese, 12.
Profession: Personal assistant/administrator.
Home parish: St. John XXIII, Miramar.
Sacraments: Baptism, reconciliation, first Communion and confirmation at the Roman Catholic Chaplaincy, Guantanamo Bay Navy Military Base, Cuba; matrimony at St. Dominic, Miami.
Favorite quote: “Conversion is the change of heart. If this change is authentic, it ought to manifest in all areas of our lives since it is the heart that moves our decision, action, sentiment and disposition. This is how our lives must be: conversion must have a concrete expression that is incarnated in each area of our lives.” — Mother Adela Galindo, foundress, Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Favorite Bible passage: Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
JOSE MARTINEZ
Name: Jose Manuel Martinez, 59, born in El Vedado, Cuba.
Marital status: Married to Roxana for 32 years; three children: Patricia Nicole, 28, Christian Anthony, 24, and Lauren Gabriela, 23.
Profession: Medical doctor; chief medical officer for HCA East Florida.
Home parish: Epiphany, Miami.
Sacraments: Baptized at Parroquia del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, El Vedado, Cuba; reconciliation and first Communion at St. John Bosco, Miami; confirmation at St. Hugh, Coconut Grove; matrimony at St. Brendan, Miami.
Favorite quote: “You must remember to love people and use things rather than to love things and use people.” — Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
Favorite Bible passage: Luke 11:9: “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.”
JORGE MATAMALA
Name: Jorge Luis Matamala, 52, born in Havana, Cuba.
Marital status: Married to Mariela for 28 years; three children: Nicole Marie, 25, Natalia Lourdes, 23, and Josue Felipe, 22.
Profession: Electrician; president at PAX Services Corp.
Home parish: Our Lady of Lourdes, Miami.
Sacraments: Baptized at Iglesia El Buen Pastor de Jesús del Monte, Havana, Cuba; reconciliation, first Communion and confirmation at St. Dominic, Miami; matrimony at St. Agatha, Miami.
Favorite quote: “It’s not about how much you do but how much love you put into what you do that counts.”— St. Teresa of Calcutta
Favorite Bible passage: Luke 1:46-48: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.”
STEPHEN PYLE
Name: Stephen James Pyle, 63, born in Kansas City, Missouri.
Marital status: Married to Ruth for 41 years; one son, Ryan, age 28.
Profession: General dentist.
Home parish: St. Bonaventure, Davie.
Sacraments: Baptized at St. John the Evangelist, Kansas City, Kansas; reconciliation and first Communion at Holy Name, Kansas City; confirmation at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Kansas City; matrimony at St. Bernadette, Omaha, Nebraska.
Favorite quote: “The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man.” — GK Chesterton
Favorite Bible passage: Numbers 6:24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.”
ERNESTO SOSA
Name: Ernesto Javier Sosa, 56, born in Yonkers, New York.
Marital status: Married to Adriana for 28 years; three children: Adriana Beatriz, 26, Ana Victoria, 23 and Ernesto Andres 25.
Profession: General manager at Plastec USA.
Home parish: Blessed Trinity, Miami Springs.
Sacraments: Baptized at Church of St. Peter, Yonkers, New York; reconciliation and first Communion at St. Ignatius of Antioch, Tarpon Springs, Florida; confirmation at St. Michael the Archangel, Miami; and matrimony at Blessed Trinity, Miami Springs.
Favorite quote: “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” — St. Augustine
Favorite Bible passage: Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
LUIS VERDECIA
Name: Luis Arturo Verdecia, 55, born in Holguin, Cuba.
Marital status: Married to Rosy for 33 years; one child, Luis Enrique, 28.
Profession: Mechanical engineer. CAD (Computer Aid Design) manager at Sonny’s CarWash Factory.
Home parish: Our Lady of the Lakes, Miami Lakes.
Sacraments: Baptized at St. Jose, Holguin, Cuba; reconciliation, first Communion and confirmation at Our Lady of the Lakes, Miami Lakes; matrimony at the Cathedral St. Isidoro, Holguin, Cuba.
Favorite quote: “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” — St. Augustine
Favorite Bible passage: Luke 9:62: “Jesus said, ‘No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.’”