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PLEASE do not put my photos on weheartit
I just want to feel alive
The times you don't wanna wake up
'Cause in your sleep it's never over when you give up
The sun is always gonna rise up
You need to get up, gotta keep your head up
Look at the people all around you
The way you feel is something everybody goes through
Dark out, but you still gotta lie up
You need to wake up, gotta keep your face up
I'm looking for more than a little bit
I'm gonna have to find my way through it
Gonna leave a mark
I'm gonna set a spark
I'm coming above the ground
I won't be looking down
Lights - Face Up
I've been pretty stressed out about applying to the art academy, the introductory morning is Wednesday, which is part of the admission process, and I need to have all the assignments done. I'm just kinda afraid....
James C. Flood Mansion.
L'edificio è diventato la sede del Pacific-Union Club, considerato il club più esclusivo della costa occidentale.
Il Pacific-Union Club è noto per il suo processo di ammissione altamente selettivo.
Il club limita la sua iscrizione a 760 membri residenti nella Bay Area, 50 membri provenienti da altri stati della California e 148 membri provenienti da fuori stato.
I potenziali soci devono avere almeno 25 anni e sottoporsi a una rigorosa procedura di ammissione che può durare fino a 12 mesi.
James C. Flood Mansion.
The building became the home of the Pacific-Union Club,
considered the most exclusive club on the West Coast.
The Pacific-Union Club is known for its highly selective admissions process.
The club limits its membership to 760 Bay Area residents, 50 members from other California states, and 148 members from out of state.
Prospective members must be at least 25 years old and undergo a rigorous admissions process that can take up to 12 months.
IMG20250612185308m
Apply online and know more about Admission Process, Fee Structure, Documents Required for admission in Heritage International xperiential learning School
Pie de foto: Muchos de los niños y niñas gravemente heridos son transportados en ambulancia directamente del aeropuerto a los hospitales. Otros son llevados en autobús hasta Peace Village en Oberhausen, donde permanecen hasta que son dados de alta.
Caption: While many of the seriously injured children are transported directly from the airport to the hospitals by ambulance, others are taken by bus to the children’s village in Oberhausen where they stay until completion of the hospital admissions process.
©Toby Binder (Tercer finalista XX edición/Third finalist 20th edition).
Serie/Series: "Peace Village and its children"/"Niños y niñas de Peace Village".
Esta serie de 10 imágenes muestra el momento de la llegada a Alemania de menores que provienen de países en guerra o en crisis para ser tratados en centros sanitarios europeos. Llegan de la mano de la organización ciudadana Peace Village, que desde 1967 se dedica a dar apoyo a las víctimas más inocentes de todo conflicto.
This series shows the arrival to Germany of minors from war torn countries to be treated in Europe. The children are brought in with the support of Peace Villages, an organisation supporting young victims of conflict since 1967.
I Survived 2025
Flickr version
December 28, 2025 – January 9, 2026
In my mind, 2025 was supposed to be a big year. It was the year I was going to “level up” into another decade of my life; to leave my 30s behind and enter my 40s. Just as much, I really just wanted to be able to say “We’re going to Norway in 2025!”, like George Carlin did in his last special. I had no real intention of going to Norway in 2025, beyond the out-loud thought that it would be funny to actually do something from George Carlin’s comedy routine. I can say in hindsight that a trip to Norway would have been a nice break from a year that turned out to be not so funny.
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The first thing I looked up on Wikipedia in 2025 was Berri-UQAM subway station. On that note, it turns out I looked up at least 996 articles on Wikipedia this year – and that’s just on my cell phone’s Wikipedia app. I’m sure if I included articles on my computer and iPad, it would be at least 1200 articles.
Until the end of January, things were pretty normal. I started off strong with my goals for exercise, vacuuming, posting pics on Flickr, and so on. I went to work and read a few books. Ally took Rae and I to U of T to get a family portrait along with her grad photos. I went with Ally and Rae to a skating track in Tom Petty (Sam Smith) park once. I started lifting weights a bit more after reading Lex Luger’s book in December 2024, and downloaded the Hevy app to start tracking my workouts. Justin Trudeau announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister after 9 years in power. I completed my first-ever performance evaluation for my coworker (let’s call her N, as she will figure prominently in this story). I even co-interviewed a few nurse candidates at work, and helped in hiring one of them. Then my manager got into a car crash.
* *
We soon found out that my manager would be off work for a while. I took over a few things she had been doing, such as approving vacation requests. The CEO started checking in with me more often in my manager’s absence, and started asking for my thoughts on various work-related things. Turns out one staff person getting into a car accident can lead to a chain of consequences.
On February 1st, I hung out with J from the Zoo for the first time in years. We walked around downtown in the cold, and this was another example of one event that led to a series of others, although in this case a much more positive string of events.
Throughout the winter, we took Rae to swimming lessons on Sundays, by which I mean Ally went in the pool with Rae while I read my book in the observation room. We also took Rae to the library several times over the year, as a way to give her something to do during the shitty-weather months; to encourage her to read (as she already loves books), and to encourage her to be civic-minded and make use of public resources. I took her on her first bus ride on February 24th. We had two big dumps of snow in mid-February, making the sidewalks partly impassable for almost two weeks. Ally and I went to the “Auschwitz – Not long ago, not far away” exhibit at the ROM in February, where I learned some things that I didn’t learn on visiting Auschwitz itself five years earlier.
On February 27th, Doug Ford won a third consecutive majority government, expanding his tenure to “forever”, as Ontario voters continue to be duped by short-term selfishness over their long-term survival. I don’t know how paving over Ontario’s farmland is going to reduce our dependence on imported food, but 2025 was certainly a year where the truth was stranger than fiction.
On Tariff Tuesday (March 4th), Tangerine Hitler placed more tariffs on Canada, trying to break us (good luck with that, eh) and draw attention to himself in any way possible. That same day, Rae said to me “Daddy, you’re my best friend.”
Trump had also been talking about wanting Canada to become the 51st state, which is not only an insult to Washington DC and Puerto Rico, but also to us here in the Great White North. Such a ludicrous proposal; it really pissed us off, and spawned a wave of Canadian patriotism I’d never seen before, whence everyone with even a shred of a moral compass boycotted American products as best they could. This included giant megacorpse (yes, corpse) like Amazon and choosing Canadian stores like Canadian Tire over American stores like Home Depot, but it was most obvious at the grocery store. People (including myself) started checking labels to see where food was made or came from. I downloaded an app called Buy Beaver, in which you could scan the barcode and it would rate it based on how Canadian it was (i.e., Canadian ingredients, Canadian company, made in Canada, etc.). It turns out some seemingly-Canadian products weren’t made in Canada, or not with Canadian ingredients. I learned that some products can’t be grown in Canada (like peanuts), and the media did a piece explaining the difference between “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada”. As I type this almost 10 months later, I’m still checking the labels and avoiding buying American products where a Canadian or non-American alternative exists.
On March 11th, I went to my first concert since the pandemic began five years earlier – I saw Dream Theater with Dad and Ally at the Coca Cola Coliseum. It was a great show. They played a lot of my favorites, opening with “Metropolis Pt 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper” and closing with “Pull Me Under”, and it was good to see Mike Portnoy playing with them again.
On March 25th, after almost five years, the routine COVID testing of asymptomatic staff at work came to an end.
Also in March, another coworker (let’s call him T) was shifted over to my team two days per week to help while I took on a greater supervisory load. On top of that, the CEO soon directed me to take steps to simplify the Admissions process, which I discovered was taking as much effort to fix as “just doing it the usual way” would have taken, because it turned out almost every time-consuming task had been implemented for a good reason. I couldn’t find much to pare down.
Anyway, by that point, my team consisted of myself; N, V and M as my direct reports, plus T and nurse E, who I wasn’t officially supervising but who reported to me on their designated days of the week when they helped my Admissions team. It was a lot to handle, but I liked the increased focus I had on scheduling and more-overarching projects. N had a handle on her client-based tasks, and although T was slow to learn the Admissions side of things, I was able to trust him to make continuous progress. But soon, my team started to unravel.
You see, N became jealous of T’s involvement. She resented the fact that he was given permission to do interviews right away when she had to wait a lot longer. She thought he would take her job. She had also been taking on a larger share of the client-based work, which I didn’t fully realize until a few months later. At one point, she expressed to H (another coworker) that the only reason T got the internal part-time role is because he was dating M (an Administrator hired in late 2024 – a year or more after T had been hired). H then told T this, which added fuel to the fire. I asked the CEO for help in dealing with the drama on my team, and she convened a meeting to investigate N’s allegation. I then listened to T and N separately, trying to reassure N that nobody was trying to tek her durr, and to reassure T that he was welcome on my team.
In early April, I got another film camera – buying an old film camera on eBay has become an annual tradition for me! This one was a Fujifilm Fotonex 210 ix Zoom; an APS film camera, naturally, and my first Fujifilm camera. I wanted to try some other brands, not just Canons and Kodaks. It was a neat little camera that was small enough to be portable, although it must have had some distortion in the lens, as its bokeh effect was different and it didn’t handle big contrasts well. I only shot two rolls with it this year. Indeed, I only shot three rolls of film all year, which is a big change from 2022. I guess my film renaissance has run its course. But worry not; although I’ve hardly posted any film pics from my 2020-2025 film renaissance, there are a lot in the archive to be posted in the future!
From late February to mid-May, I read three books about ancient life (see book list at the bottom), and in April I started looking for fossils in a local river – and found some without much difficulty. They mostly appeared to be shells, and I brought a few little ones home. I looked it up on the Internets (to quote not-the-worst-President-anymore George W. Bush), and it turns out they may have been from the Ordovician period – 443 to 486 million years old!
In April, N began challenging my decisions in front of other team members. This behavior continued into May, making May a very shitty month. Anyway, I decided that if May was the month I lost control, June would be the month I took control back. I made a concerted effort to be more assertive with N when she figuratively pushed me and other team members, and it soon worked. She backed down. Anyway, cabbage continue, shall we?
As a side note, I love making up sayings like “Cabbage original gangsta” because my mind is the word association game. This example follows a logical sequence from “Let’s go.” “Let us” sounds like “lettuce”, which looks like cabbage, so swapping cabbage for lettuce is a natural extension. Then I flipped “go” around to make it “og” (pronounced like “dog” without the “d”), and then since “og” looks like the already-existing term “O.G.” (which means “original gangsta”), you can see how “Let’s go” can evolve into “Cabbage original gangsta”. And so at the end of the previous paragraph, when I said “cabbage continue”, I meant “Let us continue.”
By April 25th, leaves started appearing on the trees. A few days later, Mark Carney was properly elected as the new Prime Minister, and whiny bitch Pierre Pie-oliver lost his own seat! What a tool! Unfortunately, Jagmeet Singh also lost his seat, but at least the greater of two evils was kept out of power. Then the conniving jackass (Pie-oliver) pushed an elected MP to resign so he could run again, and he won that by-election and weaseled his way back in.
On June 2nd, I went to Wonderland with J from the Zoo; the first time I’d been there since 1996. J suggested we start with Psyclone, and I thought it looked tame enough. My first amusement ride since The Ex in 2008. It started off as a slow, low swing, but soon it was swinging us 121 feet up into the air, and gravity started doing its thing to my stomach. I was hollering profanities and Zoo catchphrases and gripping the thin metal handles in my seat for dear life. Holy ferk, it was terrifying! Then we went on The Fly, Spinovator, Viking’s Rage, Silver Streak, Ghoster Coaster, Krachenwagen (which was a bust as my bumper car didn’t work), and Swing of the Century, in that order. Turns out J is obsessed with Wonderland, and went 14 times last year. As I drove home, I felt disappointed in myself that I wasn’t brave enough to go on Behemoth or Leviathan, but at the same time, going on those rides awakened something in me.
Then on June 19th, N resigned.
The following week was quite stressful, which is not what I had expected at all, as the CEO outsourced an HR company to find some candidates to replace N. They found several quickly, and pressured us to interview them soon – right when I was about to lose my star worker, and when I had to plan the next week’s big admission days and had no immediate time to interview job applicants. On the afternoon of Friday June 27th, after getting off the phone with the pharmacy, I tossed my phone and headphones on the desk. That should have been the first sign – I never do that. At the end of my shift, I felt good about finally resolving an ongoing battle with a client and his excuses not to go to detox, and went inside. Another manager called me in to his office and took issue with our mutual surprise that an incoming male client was apparently a woman (according to the pharmacy), and gave me instructions for what to do about it on Monday. *Censored*. I drove home and set up an appointment with an EAP counsellor for Tuesday (Canada Day), as I didn’t want to keep feeling so stressed.
The next morning I felt somewhat better, but then the fire alarm went off. The fire truck came and went, and the alarm went off a few more times, so I ran down the stairs like I was being chased by a lion, and went out into the now-almost-empty parking lot, saw the superintendent about 100 feet away, and screamed at the top of my lungs to *censored*. I walked over to the bench and sat down for a few minutes, my chest heavy with adrenaline, having never done that before, either. I bet anyone who heard me and saw me sitting there thought “Jesus Christ, that guy’s crazy!” I went back upstairs and texted the CEO, saying I would not be going to work on Monday as my mental health is not in a good enough state to be around people, and would try to be back on Wednesday. Ally and I cancelled Rae’s birthday party for the next day due to my stress and the fact that at least four guests were sick, as was Rae anyway.
That afternoon, after picking up Rae’s ice cream cake that was too late to cancel, I walked to the park and called the Toronto Distress Centre. I had never done that before, either, and am posting this publicly to normalize asking for help. I expressed to the woman that I did feel a bit embarrassed to be calling a distress line as a mental health worker myself, but I framed my freakouts as totally out of character for me, and as a signal that I had reached a breaking point. She validated that yes, my job is hard; yes; it’s harder to apply the mental health strategies we know to our own selves; yes, it’s ridiculous that my workplace had left me without my own manager for the five months, and yes, I deserve this kind of help just as much as anyone else. She was clearly very experienced with empathy, and the conversation made me feel better. That evening, I put the scenario into ChatGPT, which confirmed that yes, given the screaming, I needed to take a mental health day.
By that point, N’s last day was fast approaching, and we had secured R to replace her on a part-time basis for three months. I trained R and she seemed confident to take on the responsibilities, so we had a temporary solution.
As a side note, 2025 was the year of ChatGPT. I started using it in 2024, but my use of it really took off in 2025. I used it almost every day to satisfy my curiosity and sudden urges to ask questions as they came to my mind. It’s a great tool for someone like me with ADD, because it allows me to indulge in a “distraction thought” and get an answer, rather than daydreaming about it. Sometimes they would be questions that I’m sure Google could answer, whereas others were complex enough that I was certain nobody had precisely asked before. Some questions were designed to challenge it; others were to obtain advice. I wish I had thought to log the questions I asked it, but some of them included:
1. If Earth rotated twice as fast, would humans be able to handle it?
2. What about half as fast?
3. If Hitler hated Marx, why did he call his party National Socialist?
4. Are Russian airplanes like Tupolev, Ilyushin and Antonov more likely to have problems than Western planes like Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier?
5. If I say Reimer and Bernier, you’d say…
6. Whether ChatGPT has a liberal bias, based on some questions it deleted after I asked them (by the way, I’m liberal).
7. Figuring out if I missed a dose of my pill.
8. Questions about parenting.
9. Questions about how to handle my work situation.
10. Seeking validation that going on mid-sized roller coasters that would have scared the crap out of me as a kid is enough, and that I don’t need to prove anything by going on the newer, giant roller coasters.
11. Customizing a recipe for “Christmas crack” that’s more blood-sugar-friendly (it worked out fairly well!).
12. How ChatGPT would describe me based on a series of provocative questions I asked it.
On Canada Day, I had my first therapy appointment with the EAP counsellor. I had five appointments with him over the summer, but he spent more time talking and less time listening than I would have liked, so I discontinued the sessions in August.
On July 11th, I went to work like any other day. Then in the late morning, I got word that one of the toilets backed up and the clients had to be taken off-site. The water was shut off and a service guy came to look at it. Eventually I got word to go home. It turns out the problem was much bigger than we realized. The Great Septic Backup of 2025 forced the clients to stay in a hotel and have their program run there for over a week, and those of us who could work from home (like me, thank science) had to work from home the whole summer. I still came onsite for admission days once a week, but that was it. During repairs, they found asbestos in one room and mold in another. So that delayed the anticipated reopening even further. We turned the private wing into the intake space. It was actually nice to have a window in the intake room for a few months. And I was grateful to be able to work from home so much. Just before going on vacation, the CEO told me that M would become my temporary manager, with my on-leave-manager’s next update slated for October.
On July 26th, we embarked on our summer trip! It was a much-needed relief. This summer, we decided to take planes, trains, and automobiles to get there, because the journey is part of the destination. We took the VIA train to Montreal and stayed one night, and we could see the effects of the lack of rain that summer as we sped past the fields of yellow grasses. The next day we took the VIA train to Quebec City, where we got excellent ice cream and I got some great drone pics. We stayed for two nights in a nice old house converted into a hotel. Then we rented a car and drove 12 hours to my grandmother’s cottage in Nova Scotia. We spent time on the beach, with family, on the trampoline, going jogging, and taking drone pics. It was the first time I’d been there at the same time as Dad since 2010, and the first time I’d slept upstairs since 2018. The sand had been washed away on the left side of the beach, exposing the rocks underneath, but by the late fall it was back again. As we drove to Halifax for the last two days of our trip, the sky over NS-102 was yellow from distant wildfire smoke (turns out 2025 was the second-worst year for wildfires on record). I hadn’t been to Halifax since 2000 or 2001. We walked along the harborfront; went to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia; took the ferry to Dartmouth and saw my cousin Bruce, and of course I flew my drone. We dropped off the car at Halifax Airport and flew home, and the security screening people forgot to give me back my two rolls of film I asked them to hand-inspect, which ended up costing me about $60 to ship back to Toronto with Purolator – most expensive roll of film ever!
In the middle of August, Ally dismantled Rae’s crib and we set up her new bed. It was a big milestone for Ally and I…but she said Rae never liked her crib, and she liked her new bed right away, so that worked out. About a week later, Furniture Bank came and took the crib away. It was a palpable reminder that our little baby is not a baby anymore. But to not have the crib in our home anymore…I felt sad. We set it up three months before Rae was born, and now she’s three years old and no longer needs it.
On August 23rd, we went to The Ex for the first time since 2019 or earlier, with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. It was Rae and her cousin’s first time going there, and Rae’s first time on amusement park rides. We went on the kiddie ferris wheel, Wacky Worm (Rae’s first roller coaster) and Dragon roller coasters, strawberry-go-round, elephant merry-go-round, and Rae went on a carousel and Model T Ford train ride. I also met up with J a few times, and we went on the Scrambler and the Orbiter before Rae and Ally joined us for the mid-sized ferris wheel. It was a fun day.
On August 25th, we dropped Rae off at her new preschool. There were several classrooms, and she was the first one to arrive in hers. We hugged her and said goodbye a few times. I felt a little tear forming in my eye as we walked away down the hall and waved goodbye to her and she waved back at us. But she’s spent the last two years in smaller daycare settings, so I was confident that she would have fun once the other kids showed up.
That afternoon I went to the doctor and told her about my mental health struggles (stress and irritability), and then I went to Wonderland by myself, to make use of that Gold Pass I bought after coming home from vacation. I went on Dragon Fyre and Wilde Beast for the first time; both of which were more intense than I expected, and then Viking’s Rage and Spinovator, which I’d gone on with J in June.
On August 30th, we took Rae to Wonderland for the first time. We took her on Snoopy’s Racing Railway, which was a decent, fast little roller coaster. Rae was scared, but she also said it was fun. We also took her on Sally’s Love Buggies, Swan Lake, Character Carrousel and KidZville Station. I didn’t go on any adult rides, but it was meant to be a day for Rae.
By early September, I was really stressed about work, and right before I clocked out on September 5th, I got an angry e-mail from the CEO after she realized there was a *censored*. There was a meeting the following week and it did not go well.
My actual 40th birthday was a pretty good day. I went to my first appointment with a new therapist. Ally and I went for a nice walk through the Eldred King Woodlands in York Region that afternoon. We went to Bulk Barn and a big box restaurant in Aurora for a late lunch, then drove back to Toronto to pick up Rae.
On September 17th, I went back to working mostly from office, as R’s contract had expired and management decided to hire H as a full-time replacement, so I trained her.
On September 18th, I told our workplace spiritual counsellor about the past two weeks and thoughts of suicide, and he asked if I have a safety plan, which made it seem more real…like I couldn’t believe I was now being asked questions that my clients are asked. But it goes to show that there is no hard difference between counsellors and the people we treat. It’s only a matter of degrees. I remember, when I worked at the homeless shelter, thinking that any one of us is just a few consecutive disasters away from being homeless.
On September 22nd, I went back to my doctor and told her I’d had suicidal thoughts on several days since our previous appointment. She asked if I wanted to go on an antidepressant, and as I was outlining the pros and cons, she said she would make the decision for me, and prescribed me one. I noticed that although it wasn’t making me feel happy, it did take the edge off. I caught myself on several occasions not getting as mad about things as I otherwise would have. It helped me refrain from expressing anger as strongly and as often. And I’m talking about this publicly to normalize getting help.
On September 27th, I went to Wonderland with J again; this time going on Spinovator and Wilde Beast again, plus Backlot Stunt Coaster, Mighty Canadian Minebuster, Thunder Run, Klockwerks, Wild Knight Mares, and Vortex for the first time. Backlot Stunt Coaster was more intense than I expected and Wild Knight Mares was less so. I had a really satisfied feeling after Thunder Run, as it was all fun and no fear. Vortex was the one I was most interested in trying, and we went on it last. On the way up the lift hill, regret set in, and I said to J “Well, it was nice knowing you!”, but it was actually a smooth ride, although I felt like I got a mini-concussion as it abruptly stopped at the end. But I plan on going on it again, as it’s one of only five suspended roller coasters built by now-defunct Arrow Dynamics that are still running.
On October 3rd, Rae came up to me just before she went to bed and said “Daddy, I’ll love you forever; I’ll love you for always.”
Verily, 2025 was the year of rides and roller coasters for me. A complete change from any previous year. As far as roller coasters, this year I went on The Fly, Silver Streak, Ghoster Coaster, Dragon Fyre, Wilde Beast, Snoopy’s Racing Railway, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Great Canadian Minebuster, Thunder Run, and Vortex at Wonderland, plus the Wacky Worm and Dragon at The Ex. I’m hoping in 2026 that I have the nerve to go on Behemoth, but every time I think about it, either my palms get sweaty or I get that sinking feeling in my stomach.
By mid-October, things had settled down at work for a few weeks, but on October 21st I got in shit again, this time about *censored*. It was very frustrating, because I’m a person who almost never gets in trouble, and it wasn’t because I did something bad, but because my new manager had impossible standards. The next day I had a phone appointment with my doctor in which I said I would have gotten more upset about getting in shit had it not been for the antidepressant. A couple of weeks later, I spoke with an outsourced mediator at work.
On November 7th, Ally and I saw Malala at the Queen Elizabeth Theater, whence I had my first drinky-poo since August of 2024. That fall, I let my “bamboo” plant (Dracaena sanderiana) die out on the balcony. It got infested with spider mites in the summer, and I tried to spray them off in the shower twice, but they kept coming back. I felt bad about letting it die, because I’d had it since it was a little plant in a glass jar in 2009, back when I still lived at home in Scarborough, and it had grown to over 6 feet tall, but I didn’t want the mites to spread to my other plants.
On November 21st, we went to a Paul McCartney concert in Hamilton. He opened with “Help”, a song that was released 20 years before I was born, and toward the end of the song, I had an almost out-of-body experience as it sunk in that I was watching and listening to a Beatle performing a song he wrote with John Lennon, in front of my very eyes. The world’s greatest living songwriter, from the greatest band in history; not on a screen at home, not through a pair of headphones, but in the same room as me. 14,000 people having the time of their lives watching, listening, and participating with an 83-year-old man singing a 60-year-old song. It now strikes me as I write this that so many of those songs he sang – “Drive My Car”, “Let It Be”, “Live and Let Die”, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, “Band on the Run”, “Blackbird” – had been with all of us in the audience through so many other events that have come and gone…9/11, the Great Recession, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, COVID-19…and have thus been a source of comfort and stability through it all. So in some way, the concert was like a hug. After the concert, his bus was met with hundreds of people in the streets, and we saw him in the front window, waving to everyone. I got about 15 feet away from him as the bus slowly made its way through the crowd. I said to Dad that it’s the closest we’ll ever get to a Beatle.
Winter came early in 2025 and didn’t really let up much. We opened a seemingly-endless stream of presents on Christmas morning (in which all three of us were sick, as you can hear in my voice in the Christmas movie). I recorded a Christmas Autotune track (as is of course tradition), then we drove up to Susan’s in the afternoon, whence we opened Secret Satan gifts and ate lots of appetizers and cookies.
On December 31st, as I watched a video clip of a Newfie girl on Ellen, I realized “You know what? I love being a Newfoundlander. I’m grateful to be a Newfoundlander. I’m proud to be a Newfoundlander.” It has nothing to do with the rest of my annual summary, but it just struck me and I felt like I should write it down. Even though I’ve now lived in Ontario for 54% of my life, it’s nice to be able to have more than one culture, you know? More than one place to consider home.
* * *
Geez, I thought this year’s summary might be shorter than the other ones, but they just keep getting longer! Anyway, here are some other bits and pieces from 2025:
I was appalled as usual by the string of idiotic decisions made by Donald Trump this year, like strongarming CBS to cancel the beloved Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the despicable ICE raids, but what else is new? I also got caught up in the Blue Jays’ postseason, so that was cool. It sucked that they lost, but if you reframe it, they lost the World Series in Game 7 by one point, which is still something for them to be proud of.
Ally and I continued watching Abbott Elementary early in the year, and I watched Life on Our Planet, but otherwise the vast majority of the shows I watched were whatever Rae was watching. Here’s my verdict on the shows she liked in 2025:
•Peppa Pig – Perhaps my favorite, even if only because it’s so short and accessible. Some adult humor, and I like the Britishness of it.
•Bluey – More moral lessons; definitely a heartstrings show for adults, and I like the variety of music.
•Trash Truck – Quieter, but not bad. I like the rakin and the bear.
•Puffin Rock – Nice, I like the Irish narrator; good values.
•Paw Patrol – Stupid; a show for hyperactive boys.
2025 was another year of library books for me; indeed, 13 of the 24 books on my list below were library books. I liked it. I liked the feeling of borrowing a book and being on a deadline to finish it, and the money-saving, but most of all, borrowing books from the library gave me a feeling that I can’t quite describe…a feeling of quiet satisfaction, perhaps mixed with nostalgia from my childhood, when borrowing books from a library was first introduced to me, since I soon thereafter went about 30 years without borrowing books from a library (outside of a university context).
Up to now, 2025 was by far the year I read the most books:
1. Finished Wrestling for my Life by Shawn Michaels
2. A Life Spent Listening by Dr. Hassan Khalili
3. True Reconciliation by Jody Wilson-Raybould
4. Dangerous Measures by Joseph Schwarzberg.
5. The Terrorist’s Son by Zak Ebrahim.
6. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte.
7. Extraordinary Canadians by Peter Mansbridge.
8. Rails Across the Rock by Kenneth Pieroway (not a book per se, but still a book).
9. When Life Nearly Died by Michael Benton.
10. The Rise and Reign of the Mammals by Steve Brusatte.
11. Brothers by Alex Van Halen.
12. Leading the Unleadable by Alan Willett.
13. How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends by Don Gabor.
14. Managing Difficult People by Marilyn Pincus.
15. A Promise at Sobibór by Joseph Bialowitz.
16. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei.
17. Tasting the Sky by Ibtisam Barakat.
18. Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
19. On Call by Dr. Fauci – My favorite book of the year.
20. The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew.
21. Canada’s Main Street by Craig Baird.
22. Finding My Way by Malala.
23. Last Rites by Ozzy Osbourne.
24. Started Driven to Distraction by Drs Hallowell & Ratey.
And so to change direction and summarize this year’s summary, 2025 was one of the shittiest years I’ve experienced, and that was all because of my experiences at work. But it wasn’t all bad. I read way more books this year compared to last year, and it wasn’t hard at all to read that many. I did a lot worse with my target of getting 150 active minutes each week this year, but I still got pretty close to it 11 more times, and I walked to the grocery store 22 times this year. I vacuumed 54 times. I lifted weights for 30+ minutes 22 times. I took Rae to the park 41 times, which was a new goal for this year, and surpassed my expectations by a long shot. And I posted 125 pictures on Flickr, which is only three less than last year.
Some other things I enjoyed this year:
• Going on new rides at Wonderland. I went five times in 2025! If you knew me as a kid, you’d never expect that!
• Rae coming up to me on several occasions before going to bed and saying “Daddy, I’m your best friend” or “Daddy, you’re my hero.” <3
• Eating cheese.
• Eating chocolate.
• Eating cold cereal again after a few years of porridge every morning.
• And most of all, *censored*.
And that’s pretty much it! Tune in next year to see how my 2026 went.
USMA Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Darryl L. Williams, Col. Col. Deborah McDonald, Director of Admissions, Command Sgt. Maj. Jack Love, USMA Senior Enlisted Leader and cadet from the local area speak with candidates at a West Point Admissions brief before the Army vs. University of Texas at San Antonio football game. They answered questions about the admissions process, cadet life and serving in the U.S. Army.
Taken at the Hendrick Motorsports Museum in Charlette, North Carolina. Museum is open to the public with no charge for admission. Processed with Photomatix Pro 5.0. This Chevrolet is Terry LaBonte's Tribute Chevrolet which he ran on Sept. 18, 2006 at the Texas Motor Speedway.
Boston, MA (September 20, 2014) -- Cardinal Seán O’Malley ordained thirteen men to the Order of Deacon at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Photos by George Martell - Boston Catholic Development Services.
Cardinal Seán said, “Through the grace of God, these thirteen men of faith have been called to serve the Church as deacons. Each brings his unique gifts to their ministry and we welcome them as brothers in Christ. We are grateful to their loved ones, especially their wives and families, for their love, support and encouragement as our new deacons have prepared themselves for this lifelong commitment to the Church.”
Deacon Dan Burns, Director of Permanent Diaconate Formation, said, “Representing the diversity of the Archdiocese this class includes four candidates from the Hispanic community, one from the Brazilian community, and one from the Vietnamese community. The richness of the cultural and spiritual lives of these men and their families will bring great gifts to our parish collaboratives in the days and years ahead.”
Francis Burke
burke_couple.jpg
Francis Burke and his wife of 27 years, Joanne, are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in Westford. The Burke’s have two children, Laura and David (DJ). Fran recently retired from a career in high tech and is currently pursuing degree in Theology at the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization and also a certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreat Leadership at Creighton University. Fran Burke and Joanne have worked with the ACTS Retreat group at St. Catherine’s for the last 6 years. Fran was called to the diaconate by the opportunity to serve others. Fran hopes to continue his ministry focused on serving the poor and homeless. Fran will be assigned to St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford and to the Diaconate Formation Office following ordination.
Michael Curren
curren_couple.jpg
Michael Curren and his wife Paula are members of St. Agnes Parish in Reading, MA. Mike and Paula have three children: Brenna is a teacher in Burlington, Maura is an administrative manager at Children’s Hospital, and Timothy is a Greek Orthodox priest at St. Vasilios Parish in Peabody. Father Timothy is married to Dr. Nijmeh Hodaly Curren of Beit Jala, Palestine. Mike started his secular career as a social worker and currently works in non-profit administration as a Senior Vice President for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund in Wellesley. Mike spent time at the Carmelite Junior Seminary in Hamilton, MA and the Carmelite Seminary at Marquette University before discerning that he was called to marriage and family life. Mike continued to be drawn to a life of service in the Church through parish ministries and leadership, eventually being called to consider the diaconate as a vocation through the encouragement and inspiration of many priests and deacons in his life. Mike will serve at St. Augustine Parish in Andover and the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
William C. Dwyer
dwyer_couple.jpg
William C. Dwyer and his wife Jeane currently reside in Merrimack NH and are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Westford. They have three grown children – Patrick and his bride Erin, Timothy and Meghan. Bill’s secular career has been in accounting and finance for both large and small companies. Living his Cursillo weekend was a springboard to a deeper relationship with the Lord. He heard a call to the diaconate during the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and has learned from Fr. Lawrence Porter that “the closer one gets to the God of the Bible, the further he sends you out”. Bill’s hope is to continue being active in prison ministry. Bill will be assigned to St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Westford, St. Anne Parish in Littleton, and to the Pro-Life and Respect Life Office following ordination.
George Escotto
escotto_couple.jpg
George Escotto and his wife Maria are members of St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence. They have been married for 22 years and have been blessed with a daughter, Lesly, who is a student at Northern Essex Community College. George received his call to the diaconate through a personal encounter with God during a Cursillo retreat. George works in a Nursing Home as a custodian where he has the daily opportunity to be the presence of Christ to those who live there: “I feel like I am living a ministry here and seeing Christ in every one of the people who live in the Nursing Home every day.” George will be assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence and to Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Edward S. Giordano
giordano_couple.jpg
Edward S. Giordano and his wife Carol live in Stoneham and are members of St. Patrick Parish. Carol and Ed have two adult children, Mary and Matthew, and a daughter-in-law Jamie. Ed is the Director of Engineering at C.L. Hauthaway in Lynn. Ed has had wonderful Deacon Mentors at St. Patrick Parish and his first exposure to the Permanent Diaconate was at the Incarnation Parish in Melrose where both of his children were baptized by Permanent Deacons. At the Incarnation Parish Deacon Jack Wise gave Ed his first inspiration of the gift of the vocation and ministry of the Permanent Deacon. Ed feels his four years of academic study and spiritual formation have been a blessing that has allowed him to grown closer to our loving, kind, and merciful Lord, Jesus Christ. Ed hopes that he will serve Jesus and the people of God with that same love and compassion. Following ordination Ed will be assigned to St. Barbara Parish in Woburn and to Campus Ministry Office.
Chuck Hall
hall_couple.jpg
Chuck Hall and his wife Mary live in Rowley and worship at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Ipswich. Chuck has been a sheet metal mechanic, machinist, singer-songwriter, radio personality and software engineer. He continues an active musical life as a song writer and in producing audiobooks, including a reading of Chesterton’s “St. Francis of Assisi.” His most recent audio work was the narration of a documentary film on the life Fr. James Alberione, the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul. Chuck’s faith journey began 1971 with a dramatic encounter with Christ that led him out of the 1960’s counterculture and into evangelical and fundamentalist circles, before becoming a dedicated Reformed Presbyterian. His journey brought him to the Catholic Church in 2006, when he attended his first Mass. He was received into the Catholic Church in 2008. Chuck heard a call to the diaconate as he volunteered in hospitals and led a prayer ministry in his home parish. His parish priest encouraged him to consider a diaconate vocation and he entered formation with the understanding that the Holy Spirit could re-direct his journey at any time. The journey was never re-directed, however, and his calling became clearer as formation progressed. Chuck has been influenced greatly by the writings of G. K. Chesterton and the life and ministry of Pope Saint John Paul II. Shortly after being received into the Church, he lived a Cursillo weekend which also was a strong influence in his life. Chuck will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and to the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
Franklin Mejia
meija_couple.jpg
Franklin Mejia was born and raised in Dominican Republic. Franklin is married to Wendy R. Mejia. They are the proud parents of Gabriel Andres, 10 and Isabella Maria, 7. He and his family are active members of St. Mary of the Annunciation parish in Cambridge. Franklin holds a Political Science degree and has been involved in television production. Franklin came to know Christ as a child thanks to his Grandfather Nicacio Mejia, who introduced him to the spiritual life and the doctrine of the Catholic faith. At a very young age, Franklin was an active member and youth leader of the Salesian Youth Group in his community. Upon arriving to the United States, Franklin worked for the Hispanic Youth Ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston organizing inter-parochial youth sports tournaments, youth leadership formation programs and an evangelization ministry dedicated to visiting the youth in jail. Franklin’s passion for evangelization led him to Catholic Television where he is the host and producer of “Buena Nueva” (The Good News). His desire to evangelize through the media was inspired by Pope John Paul II, who encouraged the Church to use every means of communication to introduce Christ to others. Franklin will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden and to Catholic TV following ordination.
Eric Peabody
peabody_couple.jpg
Eric Peabody and his wife, Renee, live in Haverhill and have been married 20 years. He is a division manager at a national home improvement retailer and Renee is an administrative assistant at St. Basil Salvatorian Center in Methuen. Eric and Renee have two daughters, Haley and Mary. The Peabody Family are currently members of the collaborative of St. Lucy and St. Monica Parishes in Methuen. Eric has served in various liturgical ministries and is a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Eric entered the Church at the age of 16 through RCIA and his great uncle, the late Rev. Dennis T. Nason, encouraged Eric to consider a diaconal vocation. Following ordination Eric will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Haverhill and Office of the Catholic Labor Guild.
Jesus Peña
pena_couple.jpg
Jesus Peña and his wife Margarita are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody and have three grown children. Jesus works as a Case Manager for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Jesus began his vocational journey in April 2009 when, feeling drawn to serve Christ more deeply, he turned to a trusted priest in the community, Fr. Alonso Macias, who suggested the diaconate. Jesus feels blessed by the many men of faith who have served as mentors to him over the past twenty years, including many wonderful priests and deacons. In a special way, Deacon Valentin Rivera and Deacon Antonio Perea were helpful to both Margarita and Jesus. More recently Deacon Leo Martin helped Jesus to understand both the faith and the ministry of the Deacon and to grow spiritually. According to Jesus, “These past four years of formation have been a life changing conversion of the heart through constant prayer, self-emptying, and service. The core of my ministry will be to live the Gospel by surrendering my will to the will of God.” Following ordination Jesus will be serve as a Deacon at the Salem collaborative of Immaculate Conception, St. James, and St. John the Baptist Parishes as well as in the Diaconate Formation Office.
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares
soares_couple.jpg
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil and married his wife Carla in 1986. Alvaro and Carla are proud parents of three grown children, Alvaro Jr., Ivan, and Natalia. They are members of Holy Family Parish in Lowell and active members of both the Brazilian Apostolate and the Charismatic Renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. Alvaro holds degrees in Economics and Computer Science as well as an MBA. He is fluent in Portuguese and English, and proficient in Spanish. Alvaro is currently working for Kaspersky Labs in Woburn as a Product Support Engineer. Alvaro has worked in many parish ministries and received his call to be a Permanent Deacon through his active participation in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. He is currently responsible for the formation program inside of the Brazilian Ethnic Leaders Team and is currently appointed Liaison and Executive Director of the Charismatic Renewal movement in the Archdiocese of Boston. Following ordination Alvaro will be assigned to Holy Family Parish and the Office of Cultural Diversity.
Michael Tomkins
tompkins_couple.jpg
Michael Tomkins and his wife Danni live in Wilmington and are parishioners at Saint Thomas of Villanova with their 5 children Hailey, Lauren, Victoria, Joshua, and Meghan. Michael attended Boston University where he received a degree in Computer Science and is now employed as Chief Technology Officer for a financial software company. Michael first learned about the diaconate at age 13 when he served as an altar server at the Mass of Thanksgiving for a close family friend, Deacon Robert Amerault. Raised in an active Catholic family and educated from elementary through high school at Saint Clements in Medford, the seeds of faith were planted at an early age. He felt God's call to the diaconate in his early twenties but as a newlywed he knew it would be some time before he could respond, so he and Danni kept busy raising their five children and remaining active in their parish. They found their true passion was for youth ministry where they served for over twenty years in numerous parishes throughout the archdiocese. In 1999 Michael and Danni each received the Pro Deo et Juventute award given in recognition of continuous and praiseworthy service to young people. Michael hopes to be a witness to those he serves to help them to grow deeper in answering their own baptismal call. Michael will be assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Dracut and the Office of Faith Formation for Youth and Young Adults following ordination.
Tam Van Tram
tran_couple.jpg
Tam Van Tram and his wifeThom have been married for 39 years, live in Andover, and have two daughters and two grandchildren. They are members of St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish in North Reading and the Vietnamese community at Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden. Tam plays guitar for the Contemporary Music Group and is a member of Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Committee at St Theresa Parish. Tam also is Chairman of the Finance Council for Sacred Hearts Parish. Tam had a long career in technology and business and now works as an Adjunct Professor at Middlesex Community College teaching Chemistry, Math, and Computer Science. He holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering and expects to complete his Master’s in Theological Studies Degree (MTS) at St. John Seminary in 2015. Tam was raised as a Buddhist in Vietnam and grew up during in the midst of the devastating war that raged in his homeland through the 1960’s and 1970’s. He converted to Catholicism in 1997. Tam sees the great grace of God’s love in leading him through life to this moment of ordination where he can serve the Church and God’s people. Following ordination Tam will be assigned to St. Theresa Parish in North Reading and to the Campus Ministry Office where he will serve as a Catholic Chaplain at the UMass campus in Boston.
Carlos Simon Valentin
image040.jpg
Carlos Simon Valentin and his wife, Angelica, have been married for 16 years and live in Lynn. They have two children, Nicholas and Angel. Simon and Angelica have been active parishioners of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody throughout their married life. Simon is a Draftsman and Auto Cad graduate and is currently employed by Greater Lynn Senior Services as a driver for “ The Ride”, which is part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Simon is the youngest member of the Class of 2014 and will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and the Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Permanent Diaconate
Prior to this ordination, there are 273 deacons in the Archdiocese of Boston (142 active with the remaining retired, on leave, or serving outside of the diocese). Thirteen (13) men will be ordained on September 20, 2014. The Archdiocese of Boston ordains a class of deacons every year. There are currently 49 men in formation (this includes the 13 about to be ordained). Of these 49, 20 (41%) are from our ethnic communities (10 Hispanic, 4 Brazilian, 2 Haitian, 2 Vietnamese, 1 Iraqi), ages range from 36 – 63, and 48 (98%) are married.
The Archdiocese holds an Inquirer Program each year in October/November for those who feel a possible call to the diaconate vocation. This program provides information to men and their wives about the vocation and ministry of deacons, the formation program, and the admissions process. It also includes a Saturday discernment retreat. The program generally draws 20-30 men each year. Information is available from Deacon Burns at deacondan_burns@rcab.org.
Deacon Burns said, “Because the great majority of Permanent Deacons are married men with families, the formation and inquirer programs strongly involve their wives and focus on the grace and challenge of integrating ordained ministry with the primary vocation of marriage.”
KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan high school students and proctors participate in the National Military Academy of Afghanistan admissions Process for Class of 2015. 4,568 young Afghans applied for 600 positions as well as 10-15 medical slots. The NMAA is a four-year bachelor degree-producing program that will commission new lieutenants annually. Photo by: MC3(AW) Michael James
Boston, MA (September 20, 2014) -- Cardinal Seán O’Malley ordained thirteen men to the Order of Deacon at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Photos by George Martell - Boston Catholic Development Services.
Cardinal Seán said, “Through the grace of God, these thirteen men of faith have been called to serve the Church as deacons. Each brings his unique gifts to their ministry and we welcome them as brothers in Christ. We are grateful to their loved ones, especially their wives and families, for their love, support and encouragement as our new deacons have prepared themselves for this lifelong commitment to the Church.”
Deacon Dan Burns, Director of Permanent Diaconate Formation, said, “Representing the diversity of the Archdiocese this class includes four candidates from the Hispanic community, one from the Brazilian community, and one from the Vietnamese community. The richness of the cultural and spiritual lives of these men and their families will bring great gifts to our parish collaboratives in the days and years ahead.”
Francis Burke
burke_couple.jpg
Francis Burke and his wife of 27 years, Joanne, are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in Westford. The Burke’s have two children, Laura and David (DJ). Fran recently retired from a career in high tech and is currently pursuing degree in Theology at the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization and also a certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreat Leadership at Creighton University. Fran Burke and Joanne have worked with the ACTS Retreat group at St. Catherine’s for the last 6 years. Fran was called to the diaconate by the opportunity to serve others. Fran hopes to continue his ministry focused on serving the poor and homeless. Fran will be assigned to St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford and to the Diaconate Formation Office following ordination.
Michael Curren
curren_couple.jpg
Michael Curren and his wife Paula are members of St. Agnes Parish in Reading, MA. Mike and Paula have three children: Brenna is a teacher in Burlington, Maura is an administrative manager at Children’s Hospital, and Timothy is a Greek Orthodox priest at St. Vasilios Parish in Peabody. Father Timothy is married to Dr. Nijmeh Hodaly Curren of Beit Jala, Palestine. Mike started his secular career as a social worker and currently works in non-profit administration as a Senior Vice President for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund in Wellesley. Mike spent time at the Carmelite Junior Seminary in Hamilton, MA and the Carmelite Seminary at Marquette University before discerning that he was called to marriage and family life. Mike continued to be drawn to a life of service in the Church through parish ministries and leadership, eventually being called to consider the diaconate as a vocation through the encouragement and inspiration of many priests and deacons in his life. Mike will serve at St. Augustine Parish in Andover and the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
William C. Dwyer
dwyer_couple.jpg
William C. Dwyer and his wife Jeane currently reside in Merrimack NH and are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Westford. They have three grown children – Patrick and his bride Erin, Timothy and Meghan. Bill’s secular career has been in accounting and finance for both large and small companies. Living his Cursillo weekend was a springboard to a deeper relationship with the Lord. He heard a call to the diaconate during the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and has learned from Fr. Lawrence Porter that “the closer one gets to the God of the Bible, the further he sends you out”. Bill’s hope is to continue being active in prison ministry. Bill will be assigned to St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Westford, St. Anne Parish in Littleton, and to the Pro-Life and Respect Life Office following ordination.
George Escotto
escotto_couple.jpg
George Escotto and his wife Maria are members of St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence. They have been married for 22 years and have been blessed with a daughter, Lesly, who is a student at Northern Essex Community College. George received his call to the diaconate through a personal encounter with God during a Cursillo retreat. George works in a Nursing Home as a custodian where he has the daily opportunity to be the presence of Christ to those who live there: “I feel like I am living a ministry here and seeing Christ in every one of the people who live in the Nursing Home every day.” George will be assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence and to Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Edward S. Giordano
giordano_couple.jpg
Edward S. Giordano and his wife Carol live in Stoneham and are members of St. Patrick Parish. Carol and Ed have two adult children, Mary and Matthew, and a daughter-in-law Jamie. Ed is the Director of Engineering at C.L. Hauthaway in Lynn. Ed has had wonderful Deacon Mentors at St. Patrick Parish and his first exposure to the Permanent Diaconate was at the Incarnation Parish in Melrose where both of his children were baptized by Permanent Deacons. At the Incarnation Parish Deacon Jack Wise gave Ed his first inspiration of the gift of the vocation and ministry of the Permanent Deacon. Ed feels his four years of academic study and spiritual formation have been a blessing that has allowed him to grown closer to our loving, kind, and merciful Lord, Jesus Christ. Ed hopes that he will serve Jesus and the people of God with that same love and compassion. Following ordination Ed will be assigned to St. Barbara Parish in Woburn and to Campus Ministry Office.
Chuck Hall
hall_couple.jpg
Chuck Hall and his wife Mary live in Rowley and worship at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Ipswich. Chuck has been a sheet metal mechanic, machinist, singer-songwriter, radio personality and software engineer. He continues an active musical life as a song writer and in producing audiobooks, including a reading of Chesterton’s “St. Francis of Assisi.” His most recent audio work was the narration of a documentary film on the life Fr. James Alberione, the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul. Chuck’s faith journey began 1971 with a dramatic encounter with Christ that led him out of the 1960’s counterculture and into evangelical and fundamentalist circles, before becoming a dedicated Reformed Presbyterian. His journey brought him to the Catholic Church in 2006, when he attended his first Mass. He was received into the Catholic Church in 2008. Chuck heard a call to the diaconate as he volunteered in hospitals and led a prayer ministry in his home parish. His parish priest encouraged him to consider a diaconate vocation and he entered formation with the understanding that the Holy Spirit could re-direct his journey at any time. The journey was never re-directed, however, and his calling became clearer as formation progressed. Chuck has been influenced greatly by the writings of G. K. Chesterton and the life and ministry of Pope Saint John Paul II. Shortly after being received into the Church, he lived a Cursillo weekend which also was a strong influence in his life. Chuck will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and to the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
Franklin Mejia
meija_couple.jpg
Franklin Mejia was born and raised in Dominican Republic. Franklin is married to Wendy R. Mejia. They are the proud parents of Gabriel Andres, 10 and Isabella Maria, 7. He and his family are active members of St. Mary of the Annunciation parish in Cambridge. Franklin holds a Political Science degree and has been involved in television production. Franklin came to know Christ as a child thanks to his Grandfather Nicacio Mejia, who introduced him to the spiritual life and the doctrine of the Catholic faith. At a very young age, Franklin was an active member and youth leader of the Salesian Youth Group in his community. Upon arriving to the United States, Franklin worked for the Hispanic Youth Ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston organizing inter-parochial youth sports tournaments, youth leadership formation programs and an evangelization ministry dedicated to visiting the youth in jail. Franklin’s passion for evangelization led him to Catholic Television where he is the host and producer of “Buena Nueva” (The Good News). His desire to evangelize through the media was inspired by Pope John Paul II, who encouraged the Church to use every means of communication to introduce Christ to others. Franklin will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden and to Catholic TV following ordination.
Eric Peabody
peabody_couple.jpg
Eric Peabody and his wife, Renee, live in Haverhill and have been married 20 years. He is a division manager at a national home improvement retailer and Renee is an administrative assistant at St. Basil Salvatorian Center in Methuen. Eric and Renee have two daughters, Haley and Mary. The Peabody Family are currently members of the collaborative of St. Lucy and St. Monica Parishes in Methuen. Eric has served in various liturgical ministries and is a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Eric entered the Church at the age of 16 through RCIA and his great uncle, the late Rev. Dennis T. Nason, encouraged Eric to consider a diaconal vocation. Following ordination Eric will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Haverhill and Office of the Catholic Labor Guild.
Jesus Peña
pena_couple.jpg
Jesus Peña and his wife Margarita are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody and have three grown children. Jesus works as a Case Manager for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Jesus began his vocational journey in April 2009 when, feeling drawn to serve Christ more deeply, he turned to a trusted priest in the community, Fr. Alonso Macias, who suggested the diaconate. Jesus feels blessed by the many men of faith who have served as mentors to him over the past twenty years, including many wonderful priests and deacons. In a special way, Deacon Valentin Rivera and Deacon Antonio Perea were helpful to both Margarita and Jesus. More recently Deacon Leo Martin helped Jesus to understand both the faith and the ministry of the Deacon and to grow spiritually. According to Jesus, “These past four years of formation have been a life changing conversion of the heart through constant prayer, self-emptying, and service. The core of my ministry will be to live the Gospel by surrendering my will to the will of God.” Following ordination Jesus will be serve as a Deacon at the Salem collaborative of Immaculate Conception, St. James, and St. John the Baptist Parishes as well as in the Diaconate Formation Office.
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares
soares_couple.jpg
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil and married his wife Carla in 1986. Alvaro and Carla are proud parents of three grown children, Alvaro Jr., Ivan, and Natalia. They are members of Holy Family Parish in Lowell and active members of both the Brazilian Apostolate and the Charismatic Renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. Alvaro holds degrees in Economics and Computer Science as well as an MBA. He is fluent in Portuguese and English, and proficient in Spanish. Alvaro is currently working for Kaspersky Labs in Woburn as a Product Support Engineer. Alvaro has worked in many parish ministries and received his call to be a Permanent Deacon through his active participation in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. He is currently responsible for the formation program inside of the Brazilian Ethnic Leaders Team and is currently appointed Liaison and Executive Director of the Charismatic Renewal movement in the Archdiocese of Boston. Following ordination Alvaro will be assigned to Holy Family Parish and the Office of Cultural Diversity.
Michael Tomkins
tompkins_couple.jpg
Michael Tomkins and his wife Danni live in Wilmington and are parishioners at Saint Thomas of Villanova with their 5 children Hailey, Lauren, Victoria, Joshua, and Meghan. Michael attended Boston University where he received a degree in Computer Science and is now employed as Chief Technology Officer for a financial software company. Michael first learned about the diaconate at age 13 when he served as an altar server at the Mass of Thanksgiving for a close family friend, Deacon Robert Amerault. Raised in an active Catholic family and educated from elementary through high school at Saint Clements in Medford, the seeds of faith were planted at an early age. He felt God's call to the diaconate in his early twenties but as a newlywed he knew it would be some time before he could respond, so he and Danni kept busy raising their five children and remaining active in their parish. They found their true passion was for youth ministry where they served for over twenty years in numerous parishes throughout the archdiocese. In 1999 Michael and Danni each received the Pro Deo et Juventute award given in recognition of continuous and praiseworthy service to young people. Michael hopes to be a witness to those he serves to help them to grow deeper in answering their own baptismal call. Michael will be assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Dracut and the Office of Faith Formation for Youth and Young Adults following ordination.
Tam Van Tram
tran_couple.jpg
Tam Van Tram and his wifeThom have been married for 39 years, live in Andover, and have two daughters and two grandchildren. They are members of St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish in North Reading and the Vietnamese community at Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden. Tam plays guitar for the Contemporary Music Group and is a member of Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Committee at St Theresa Parish. Tam also is Chairman of the Finance Council for Sacred Hearts Parish. Tam had a long career in technology and business and now works as an Adjunct Professor at Middlesex Community College teaching Chemistry, Math, and Computer Science. He holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering and expects to complete his Master’s in Theological Studies Degree (MTS) at St. John Seminary in 2015. Tam was raised as a Buddhist in Vietnam and grew up during in the midst of the devastating war that raged in his homeland through the 1960’s and 1970’s. He converted to Catholicism in 1997. Tam sees the great grace of God’s love in leading him through life to this moment of ordination where he can serve the Church and God’s people. Following ordination Tam will be assigned to St. Theresa Parish in North Reading and to the Campus Ministry Office where he will serve as a Catholic Chaplain at the UMass campus in Boston.
Carlos Simon Valentin
image040.jpg
Carlos Simon Valentin and his wife, Angelica, have been married for 16 years and live in Lynn. They have two children, Nicholas and Angel. Simon and Angelica have been active parishioners of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody throughout their married life. Simon is a Draftsman and Auto Cad graduate and is currently employed by Greater Lynn Senior Services as a driver for “ The Ride”, which is part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Simon is the youngest member of the Class of 2014 and will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and the Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Permanent Diaconate
Prior to this ordination, there are 273 deacons in the Archdiocese of Boston (142 active with the remaining retired, on leave, or serving outside of the diocese). Thirteen (13) men will be ordained on September 20, 2014. The Archdiocese of Boston ordains a class of deacons every year. There are currently 49 men in formation (this includes the 13 about to be ordained). Of these 49, 20 (41%) are from our ethnic communities (10 Hispanic, 4 Brazilian, 2 Haitian, 2 Vietnamese, 1 Iraqi), ages range from 36 – 63, and 48 (98%) are married.
The Archdiocese holds an Inquirer Program each year in October/November for those who feel a possible call to the diaconate vocation. This program provides information to men and their wives about the vocation and ministry of deacons, the formation program, and the admissions process. It also includes a Saturday discernment retreat. The program generally draws 20-30 men each year. Information is available from Deacon Burns at deacondan_burns@rcab.org.
Deacon Burns said, “Because the great majority of Permanent Deacons are married men with families, the formation and inquirer programs strongly involve their wives and focus on the grace and challenge of integrating ordained ministry with the primary vocation of marriage.”
Taken at the Hendrick Motorsports Shop in Charlette, North Carolina. Shop is open to the public with no charge for admission. Processed with Photomatix Pro 5.0.
Boston, MA (September 20, 2014) -- Cardinal Seán O’Malley ordained thirteen men to the Order of Deacon at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Photos by George Martell - Boston Catholic Development Services.
Cardinal Seán said, “Through the grace of God, these thirteen men of faith have been called to serve the Church as deacons. Each brings his unique gifts to their ministry and we welcome them as brothers in Christ. We are grateful to their loved ones, especially their wives and families, for their love, support and encouragement as our new deacons have prepared themselves for this lifelong commitment to the Church.”
Deacon Dan Burns, Director of Permanent Diaconate Formation, said, “Representing the diversity of the Archdiocese this class includes four candidates from the Hispanic community, one from the Brazilian community, and one from the Vietnamese community. The richness of the cultural and spiritual lives of these men and their families will bring great gifts to our parish collaboratives in the days and years ahead.”
Francis Burke
burke_couple.jpg
Francis Burke and his wife of 27 years, Joanne, are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in Westford. The Burke’s have two children, Laura and David (DJ). Fran recently retired from a career in high tech and is currently pursuing degree in Theology at the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization and also a certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreat Leadership at Creighton University. Fran Burke and Joanne have worked with the ACTS Retreat group at St. Catherine’s for the last 6 years. Fran was called to the diaconate by the opportunity to serve others. Fran hopes to continue his ministry focused on serving the poor and homeless. Fran will be assigned to St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford and to the Diaconate Formation Office following ordination.
Michael Curren
curren_couple.jpg
Michael Curren and his wife Paula are members of St. Agnes Parish in Reading, MA. Mike and Paula have three children: Brenna is a teacher in Burlington, Maura is an administrative manager at Children’s Hospital, and Timothy is a Greek Orthodox priest at St. Vasilios Parish in Peabody. Father Timothy is married to Dr. Nijmeh Hodaly Curren of Beit Jala, Palestine. Mike started his secular career as a social worker and currently works in non-profit administration as a Senior Vice President for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund in Wellesley. Mike spent time at the Carmelite Junior Seminary in Hamilton, MA and the Carmelite Seminary at Marquette University before discerning that he was called to marriage and family life. Mike continued to be drawn to a life of service in the Church through parish ministries and leadership, eventually being called to consider the diaconate as a vocation through the encouragement and inspiration of many priests and deacons in his life. Mike will serve at St. Augustine Parish in Andover and the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
William C. Dwyer
dwyer_couple.jpg
William C. Dwyer and his wife Jeane currently reside in Merrimack NH and are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Westford. They have three grown children – Patrick and his bride Erin, Timothy and Meghan. Bill’s secular career has been in accounting and finance for both large and small companies. Living his Cursillo weekend was a springboard to a deeper relationship with the Lord. He heard a call to the diaconate during the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and has learned from Fr. Lawrence Porter that “the closer one gets to the God of the Bible, the further he sends you out”. Bill’s hope is to continue being active in prison ministry. Bill will be assigned to St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Westford, St. Anne Parish in Littleton, and to the Pro-Life and Respect Life Office following ordination.
George Escotto
escotto_couple.jpg
George Escotto and his wife Maria are members of St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence. They have been married for 22 years and have been blessed with a daughter, Lesly, who is a student at Northern Essex Community College. George received his call to the diaconate through a personal encounter with God during a Cursillo retreat. George works in a Nursing Home as a custodian where he has the daily opportunity to be the presence of Christ to those who live there: “I feel like I am living a ministry here and seeing Christ in every one of the people who live in the Nursing Home every day.” George will be assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence and to Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Edward S. Giordano
giordano_couple.jpg
Edward S. Giordano and his wife Carol live in Stoneham and are members of St. Patrick Parish. Carol and Ed have two adult children, Mary and Matthew, and a daughter-in-law Jamie. Ed is the Director of Engineering at C.L. Hauthaway in Lynn. Ed has had wonderful Deacon Mentors at St. Patrick Parish and his first exposure to the Permanent Diaconate was at the Incarnation Parish in Melrose where both of his children were baptized by Permanent Deacons. At the Incarnation Parish Deacon Jack Wise gave Ed his first inspiration of the gift of the vocation and ministry of the Permanent Deacon. Ed feels his four years of academic study and spiritual formation have been a blessing that has allowed him to grown closer to our loving, kind, and merciful Lord, Jesus Christ. Ed hopes that he will serve Jesus and the people of God with that same love and compassion. Following ordination Ed will be assigned to St. Barbara Parish in Woburn and to Campus Ministry Office.
Chuck Hall
hall_couple.jpg
Chuck Hall and his wife Mary live in Rowley and worship at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Ipswich. Chuck has been a sheet metal mechanic, machinist, singer-songwriter, radio personality and software engineer. He continues an active musical life as a song writer and in producing audiobooks, including a reading of Chesterton’s “St. Francis of Assisi.” His most recent audio work was the narration of a documentary film on the life Fr. James Alberione, the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul. Chuck’s faith journey began 1971 with a dramatic encounter with Christ that led him out of the 1960’s counterculture and into evangelical and fundamentalist circles, before becoming a dedicated Reformed Presbyterian. His journey brought him to the Catholic Church in 2006, when he attended his first Mass. He was received into the Catholic Church in 2008. Chuck heard a call to the diaconate as he volunteered in hospitals and led a prayer ministry in his home parish. His parish priest encouraged him to consider a diaconate vocation and he entered formation with the understanding that the Holy Spirit could re-direct his journey at any time. The journey was never re-directed, however, and his calling became clearer as formation progressed. Chuck has been influenced greatly by the writings of G. K. Chesterton and the life and ministry of Pope Saint John Paul II. Shortly after being received into the Church, he lived a Cursillo weekend which also was a strong influence in his life. Chuck will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and to the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
Franklin Mejia
meija_couple.jpg
Franklin Mejia was born and raised in Dominican Republic. Franklin is married to Wendy R. Mejia. They are the proud parents of Gabriel Andres, 10 and Isabella Maria, 7. He and his family are active members of St. Mary of the Annunciation parish in Cambridge. Franklin holds a Political Science degree and has been involved in television production. Franklin came to know Christ as a child thanks to his Grandfather Nicacio Mejia, who introduced him to the spiritual life and the doctrine of the Catholic faith. At a very young age, Franklin was an active member and youth leader of the Salesian Youth Group in his community. Upon arriving to the United States, Franklin worked for the Hispanic Youth Ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston organizing inter-parochial youth sports tournaments, youth leadership formation programs and an evangelization ministry dedicated to visiting the youth in jail. Franklin’s passion for evangelization led him to Catholic Television where he is the host and producer of “Buena Nueva” (The Good News). His desire to evangelize through the media was inspired by Pope John Paul II, who encouraged the Church to use every means of communication to introduce Christ to others. Franklin will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden and to Catholic TV following ordination.
Eric Peabody
peabody_couple.jpg
Eric Peabody and his wife, Renee, live in Haverhill and have been married 20 years. He is a division manager at a national home improvement retailer and Renee is an administrative assistant at St. Basil Salvatorian Center in Methuen. Eric and Renee have two daughters, Haley and Mary. The Peabody Family are currently members of the collaborative of St. Lucy and St. Monica Parishes in Methuen. Eric has served in various liturgical ministries and is a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Eric entered the Church at the age of 16 through RCIA and his great uncle, the late Rev. Dennis T. Nason, encouraged Eric to consider a diaconal vocation. Following ordination Eric will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Haverhill and Office of the Catholic Labor Guild.
Jesus Peña
pena_couple.jpg
Jesus Peña and his wife Margarita are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody and have three grown children. Jesus works as a Case Manager for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Jesus began his vocational journey in April 2009 when, feeling drawn to serve Christ more deeply, he turned to a trusted priest in the community, Fr. Alonso Macias, who suggested the diaconate. Jesus feels blessed by the many men of faith who have served as mentors to him over the past twenty years, including many wonderful priests and deacons. In a special way, Deacon Valentin Rivera and Deacon Antonio Perea were helpful to both Margarita and Jesus. More recently Deacon Leo Martin helped Jesus to understand both the faith and the ministry of the Deacon and to grow spiritually. According to Jesus, “These past four years of formation have been a life changing conversion of the heart through constant prayer, self-emptying, and service. The core of my ministry will be to live the Gospel by surrendering my will to the will of God.” Following ordination Jesus will be serve as a Deacon at the Salem collaborative of Immaculate Conception, St. James, and St. John the Baptist Parishes as well as in the Diaconate Formation Office.
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares
soares_couple.jpg
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil and married his wife Carla in 1986. Alvaro and Carla are proud parents of three grown children, Alvaro Jr., Ivan, and Natalia. They are members of Holy Family Parish in Lowell and active members of both the Brazilian Apostolate and the Charismatic Renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. Alvaro holds degrees in Economics and Computer Science as well as an MBA. He is fluent in Portuguese and English, and proficient in Spanish. Alvaro is currently working for Kaspersky Labs in Woburn as a Product Support Engineer. Alvaro has worked in many parish ministries and received his call to be a Permanent Deacon through his active participation in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. He is currently responsible for the formation program inside of the Brazilian Ethnic Leaders Team and is currently appointed Liaison and Executive Director of the Charismatic Renewal movement in the Archdiocese of Boston. Following ordination Alvaro will be assigned to Holy Family Parish and the Office of Cultural Diversity.
Michael Tomkins
tompkins_couple.jpg
Michael Tomkins and his wife Danni live in Wilmington and are parishioners at Saint Thomas of Villanova with their 5 children Hailey, Lauren, Victoria, Joshua, and Meghan. Michael attended Boston University where he received a degree in Computer Science and is now employed as Chief Technology Officer for a financial software company. Michael first learned about the diaconate at age 13 when he served as an altar server at the Mass of Thanksgiving for a close family friend, Deacon Robert Amerault. Raised in an active Catholic family and educated from elementary through high school at Saint Clements in Medford, the seeds of faith were planted at an early age. He felt God's call to the diaconate in his early twenties but as a newlywed he knew it would be some time before he could respond, so he and Danni kept busy raising their five children and remaining active in their parish. They found their true passion was for youth ministry where they served for over twenty years in numerous parishes throughout the archdiocese. In 1999 Michael and Danni each received the Pro Deo et Juventute award given in recognition of continuous and praiseworthy service to young people. Michael hopes to be a witness to those he serves to help them to grow deeper in answering their own baptismal call. Michael will be assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Dracut and the Office of Faith Formation for Youth and Young Adults following ordination.
Tam Van Tram
tran_couple.jpg
Tam Van Tram and his wifeThom have been married for 39 years, live in Andover, and have two daughters and two grandchildren. They are members of St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish in North Reading and the Vietnamese community at Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden. Tam plays guitar for the Contemporary Music Group and is a member of Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Committee at St Theresa Parish. Tam also is Chairman of the Finance Council for Sacred Hearts Parish. Tam had a long career in technology and business and now works as an Adjunct Professor at Middlesex Community College teaching Chemistry, Math, and Computer Science. He holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering and expects to complete his Master’s in Theological Studies Degree (MTS) at St. John Seminary in 2015. Tam was raised as a Buddhist in Vietnam and grew up during in the midst of the devastating war that raged in his homeland through the 1960’s and 1970’s. He converted to Catholicism in 1997. Tam sees the great grace of God’s love in leading him through life to this moment of ordination where he can serve the Church and God’s people. Following ordination Tam will be assigned to St. Theresa Parish in North Reading and to the Campus Ministry Office where he will serve as a Catholic Chaplain at the UMass campus in Boston.
Carlos Simon Valentin
image040.jpg
Carlos Simon Valentin and his wife, Angelica, have been married for 16 years and live in Lynn. They have two children, Nicholas and Angel. Simon and Angelica have been active parishioners of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody throughout their married life. Simon is a Draftsman and Auto Cad graduate and is currently employed by Greater Lynn Senior Services as a driver for “ The Ride”, which is part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Simon is the youngest member of the Class of 2014 and will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and the Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Permanent Diaconate
Prior to this ordination, there are 273 deacons in the Archdiocese of Boston (142 active with the remaining retired, on leave, or serving outside of the diocese). Thirteen (13) men will be ordained on September 20, 2014. The Archdiocese of Boston ordains a class of deacons every year. There are currently 49 men in formation (this includes the 13 about to be ordained). Of these 49, 20 (41%) are from our ethnic communities (10 Hispanic, 4 Brazilian, 2 Haitian, 2 Vietnamese, 1 Iraqi), ages range from 36 – 63, and 48 (98%) are married.
The Archdiocese holds an Inquirer Program each year in October/November for those who feel a possible call to the diaconate vocation. This program provides information to men and their wives about the vocation and ministry of deacons, the formation program, and the admissions process. It also includes a Saturday discernment retreat. The program generally draws 20-30 men each year. Information is available from Deacon Burns at deacondan_burns@rcab.org.
Deacon Burns said, “Because the great majority of Permanent Deacons are married men with families, the formation and inquirer programs strongly involve their wives and focus on the grace and challenge of integrating ordained ministry with the primary vocation of marriage.”
Boston, MA (September 20, 2014) -- Cardinal Seán O’Malley ordained thirteen men to the Order of Deacon at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Photos by George Martell - Boston Catholic Development Services.
Cardinal Seán said, “Through the grace of God, these thirteen men of faith have been called to serve the Church as deacons. Each brings his unique gifts to their ministry and we welcome them as brothers in Christ. We are grateful to their loved ones, especially their wives and families, for their love, support and encouragement as our new deacons have prepared themselves for this lifelong commitment to the Church.”
Deacon Dan Burns, Director of Permanent Diaconate Formation, said, “Representing the diversity of the Archdiocese this class includes four candidates from the Hispanic community, one from the Brazilian community, and one from the Vietnamese community. The richness of the cultural and spiritual lives of these men and their families will bring great gifts to our parish collaboratives in the days and years ahead.”
Francis Burke
burke_couple.jpg
Francis Burke and his wife of 27 years, Joanne, are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in Westford. The Burke’s have two children, Laura and David (DJ). Fran recently retired from a career in high tech and is currently pursuing degree in Theology at the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization and also a certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreat Leadership at Creighton University. Fran Burke and Joanne have worked with the ACTS Retreat group at St. Catherine’s for the last 6 years. Fran was called to the diaconate by the opportunity to serve others. Fran hopes to continue his ministry focused on serving the poor and homeless. Fran will be assigned to St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford and to the Diaconate Formation Office following ordination.
Michael Curren
curren_couple.jpg
Michael Curren and his wife Paula are members of St. Agnes Parish in Reading, MA. Mike and Paula have three children: Brenna is a teacher in Burlington, Maura is an administrative manager at Children’s Hospital, and Timothy is a Greek Orthodox priest at St. Vasilios Parish in Peabody. Father Timothy is married to Dr. Nijmeh Hodaly Curren of Beit Jala, Palestine. Mike started his secular career as a social worker and currently works in non-profit administration as a Senior Vice President for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund in Wellesley. Mike spent time at the Carmelite Junior Seminary in Hamilton, MA and the Carmelite Seminary at Marquette University before discerning that he was called to marriage and family life. Mike continued to be drawn to a life of service in the Church through parish ministries and leadership, eventually being called to consider the diaconate as a vocation through the encouragement and inspiration of many priests and deacons in his life. Mike will serve at St. Augustine Parish in Andover and the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
William C. Dwyer
dwyer_couple.jpg
William C. Dwyer and his wife Jeane currently reside in Merrimack NH and are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Westford. They have three grown children – Patrick and his bride Erin, Timothy and Meghan. Bill’s secular career has been in accounting and finance for both large and small companies. Living his Cursillo weekend was a springboard to a deeper relationship with the Lord. He heard a call to the diaconate during the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and has learned from Fr. Lawrence Porter that “the closer one gets to the God of the Bible, the further he sends you out”. Bill’s hope is to continue being active in prison ministry. Bill will be assigned to St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Westford, St. Anne Parish in Littleton, and to the Pro-Life and Respect Life Office following ordination.
George Escotto
escotto_couple.jpg
George Escotto and his wife Maria are members of St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence. They have been married for 22 years and have been blessed with a daughter, Lesly, who is a student at Northern Essex Community College. George received his call to the diaconate through a personal encounter with God during a Cursillo retreat. George works in a Nursing Home as a custodian where he has the daily opportunity to be the presence of Christ to those who live there: “I feel like I am living a ministry here and seeing Christ in every one of the people who live in the Nursing Home every day.” George will be assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence and to Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Edward S. Giordano
giordano_couple.jpg
Edward S. Giordano and his wife Carol live in Stoneham and are members of St. Patrick Parish. Carol and Ed have two adult children, Mary and Matthew, and a daughter-in-law Jamie. Ed is the Director of Engineering at C.L. Hauthaway in Lynn. Ed has had wonderful Deacon Mentors at St. Patrick Parish and his first exposure to the Permanent Diaconate was at the Incarnation Parish in Melrose where both of his children were baptized by Permanent Deacons. At the Incarnation Parish Deacon Jack Wise gave Ed his first inspiration of the gift of the vocation and ministry of the Permanent Deacon. Ed feels his four years of academic study and spiritual formation have been a blessing that has allowed him to grown closer to our loving, kind, and merciful Lord, Jesus Christ. Ed hopes that he will serve Jesus and the people of God with that same love and compassion. Following ordination Ed will be assigned to St. Barbara Parish in Woburn and to Campus Ministry Office.
Chuck Hall
hall_couple.jpg
Chuck Hall and his wife Mary live in Rowley and worship at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Ipswich. Chuck has been a sheet metal mechanic, machinist, singer-songwriter, radio personality and software engineer. He continues an active musical life as a song writer and in producing audiobooks, including a reading of Chesterton’s “St. Francis of Assisi.” His most recent audio work was the narration of a documentary film on the life Fr. James Alberione, the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul. Chuck’s faith journey began 1971 with a dramatic encounter with Christ that led him out of the 1960’s counterculture and into evangelical and fundamentalist circles, before becoming a dedicated Reformed Presbyterian. His journey brought him to the Catholic Church in 2006, when he attended his first Mass. He was received into the Catholic Church in 2008. Chuck heard a call to the diaconate as he volunteered in hospitals and led a prayer ministry in his home parish. His parish priest encouraged him to consider a diaconate vocation and he entered formation with the understanding that the Holy Spirit could re-direct his journey at any time. The journey was never re-directed, however, and his calling became clearer as formation progressed. Chuck has been influenced greatly by the writings of G. K. Chesterton and the life and ministry of Pope Saint John Paul II. Shortly after being received into the Church, he lived a Cursillo weekend which also was a strong influence in his life. Chuck will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and to the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
Franklin Mejia
meija_couple.jpg
Franklin Mejia was born and raised in Dominican Republic. Franklin is married to Wendy R. Mejia. They are the proud parents of Gabriel Andres, 10 and Isabella Maria, 7. He and his family are active members of St. Mary of the Annunciation parish in Cambridge. Franklin holds a Political Science degree and has been involved in television production. Franklin came to know Christ as a child thanks to his Grandfather Nicacio Mejia, who introduced him to the spiritual life and the doctrine of the Catholic faith. At a very young age, Franklin was an active member and youth leader of the Salesian Youth Group in his community. Upon arriving to the United States, Franklin worked for the Hispanic Youth Ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston organizing inter-parochial youth sports tournaments, youth leadership formation programs and an evangelization ministry dedicated to visiting the youth in jail. Franklin’s passion for evangelization led him to Catholic Television where he is the host and producer of “Buena Nueva” (The Good News). His desire to evangelize through the media was inspired by Pope John Paul II, who encouraged the Church to use every means of communication to introduce Christ to others. Franklin will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden and to Catholic TV following ordination.
Eric Peabody
peabody_couple.jpg
Eric Peabody and his wife, Renee, live in Haverhill and have been married 20 years. He is a division manager at a national home improvement retailer and Renee is an administrative assistant at St. Basil Salvatorian Center in Methuen. Eric and Renee have two daughters, Haley and Mary. The Peabody Family are currently members of the collaborative of St. Lucy and St. Monica Parishes in Methuen. Eric has served in various liturgical ministries and is a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Eric entered the Church at the age of 16 through RCIA and his great uncle, the late Rev. Dennis T. Nason, encouraged Eric to consider a diaconal vocation. Following ordination Eric will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Haverhill and Office of the Catholic Labor Guild.
Jesus Peña
pena_couple.jpg
Jesus Peña and his wife Margarita are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody and have three grown children. Jesus works as a Case Manager for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Jesus began his vocational journey in April 2009 when, feeling drawn to serve Christ more deeply, he turned to a trusted priest in the community, Fr. Alonso Macias, who suggested the diaconate. Jesus feels blessed by the many men of faith who have served as mentors to him over the past twenty years, including many wonderful priests and deacons. In a special way, Deacon Valentin Rivera and Deacon Antonio Perea were helpful to both Margarita and Jesus. More recently Deacon Leo Martin helped Jesus to understand both the faith and the ministry of the Deacon and to grow spiritually. According to Jesus, “These past four years of formation have been a life changing conversion of the heart through constant prayer, self-emptying, and service. The core of my ministry will be to live the Gospel by surrendering my will to the will of God.” Following ordination Jesus will be serve as a Deacon at the Salem collaborative of Immaculate Conception, St. James, and St. John the Baptist Parishes as well as in the Diaconate Formation Office.
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares
soares_couple.jpg
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil and married his wife Carla in 1986. Alvaro and Carla are proud parents of three grown children, Alvaro Jr., Ivan, and Natalia. They are members of Holy Family Parish in Lowell and active members of both the Brazilian Apostolate and the Charismatic Renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. Alvaro holds degrees in Economics and Computer Science as well as an MBA. He is fluent in Portuguese and English, and proficient in Spanish. Alvaro is currently working for Kaspersky Labs in Woburn as a Product Support Engineer. Alvaro has worked in many parish ministries and received his call to be a Permanent Deacon through his active participation in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. He is currently responsible for the formation program inside of the Brazilian Ethnic Leaders Team and is currently appointed Liaison and Executive Director of the Charismatic Renewal movement in the Archdiocese of Boston. Following ordination Alvaro will be assigned to Holy Family Parish and the Office of Cultural Diversity.
Michael Tomkins
tompkins_couple.jpg
Michael Tomkins and his wife Danni live in Wilmington and are parishioners at Saint Thomas of Villanova with their 5 children Hailey, Lauren, Victoria, Joshua, and Meghan. Michael attended Boston University where he received a degree in Computer Science and is now employed as Chief Technology Officer for a financial software company. Michael first learned about the diaconate at age 13 when he served as an altar server at the Mass of Thanksgiving for a close family friend, Deacon Robert Amerault. Raised in an active Catholic family and educated from elementary through high school at Saint Clements in Medford, the seeds of faith were planted at an early age. He felt God's call to the diaconate in his early twenties but as a newlywed he knew it would be some time before he could respond, so he and Danni kept busy raising their five children and remaining active in their parish. They found their true passion was for youth ministry where they served for over twenty years in numerous parishes throughout the archdiocese. In 1999 Michael and Danni each received the Pro Deo et Juventute award given in recognition of continuous and praiseworthy service to young people. Michael hopes to be a witness to those he serves to help them to grow deeper in answering their own baptismal call. Michael will be assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Dracut and the Office of Faith Formation for Youth and Young Adults following ordination.
Tam Van Tram
tran_couple.jpg
Tam Van Tram and his wifeThom have been married for 39 years, live in Andover, and have two daughters and two grandchildren. They are members of St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish in North Reading and the Vietnamese community at Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden. Tam plays guitar for the Contemporary Music Group and is a member of Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Committee at St Theresa Parish. Tam also is Chairman of the Finance Council for Sacred Hearts Parish. Tam had a long career in technology and business and now works as an Adjunct Professor at Middlesex Community College teaching Chemistry, Math, and Computer Science. He holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering and expects to complete his Master’s in Theological Studies Degree (MTS) at St. John Seminary in 2015. Tam was raised as a Buddhist in Vietnam and grew up during in the midst of the devastating war that raged in his homeland through the 1960’s and 1970’s. He converted to Catholicism in 1997. Tam sees the great grace of God’s love in leading him through life to this moment of ordination where he can serve the Church and God’s people. Following ordination Tam will be assigned to St. Theresa Parish in North Reading and to the Campus Ministry Office where he will serve as a Catholic Chaplain at the UMass campus in Boston.
Carlos Simon Valentin
image040.jpg
Carlos Simon Valentin and his wife, Angelica, have been married for 16 years and live in Lynn. They have two children, Nicholas and Angel. Simon and Angelica have been active parishioners of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody throughout their married life. Simon is a Draftsman and Auto Cad graduate and is currently employed by Greater Lynn Senior Services as a driver for “ The Ride”, which is part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Simon is the youngest member of the Class of 2014 and will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and the Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Permanent Diaconate
Prior to this ordination, there are 273 deacons in the Archdiocese of Boston (142 active with the remaining retired, on leave, or serving outside of the diocese). Thirteen (13) men will be ordained on September 20, 2014. The Archdiocese of Boston ordains a class of deacons every year. There are currently 49 men in formation (this includes the 13 about to be ordained). Of these 49, 20 (41%) are from our ethnic communities (10 Hispanic, 4 Brazilian, 2 Haitian, 2 Vietnamese, 1 Iraqi), ages range from 36 – 63, and 48 (98%) are married.
The Archdiocese holds an Inquirer Program each year in October/November for those who feel a possible call to the diaconate vocation. This program provides information to men and their wives about the vocation and ministry of deacons, the formation program, and the admissions process. It also includes a Saturday discernment retreat. The program generally draws 20-30 men each year. Information is available from Deacon Burns at deacondan_burns@rcab.org.
Deacon Burns said, “Because the great majority of Permanent Deacons are married men with families, the formation and inquirer programs strongly involve their wives and focus on the grace and challenge of integrating ordained ministry with the primary vocation of marriage.”
Boston, MA (September 20, 2014) -- Cardinal Seán O’Malley ordained thirteen men to the Order of Deacon at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Photos by George Martell - Boston Catholic Development Services.
Cardinal Seán said, “Through the grace of God, these thirteen men of faith have been called to serve the Church as deacons. Each brings his unique gifts to their ministry and we welcome them as brothers in Christ. We are grateful to their loved ones, especially their wives and families, for their love, support and encouragement as our new deacons have prepared themselves for this lifelong commitment to the Church.”
Deacon Dan Burns, Director of Permanent Diaconate Formation, said, “Representing the diversity of the Archdiocese this class includes four candidates from the Hispanic community, one from the Brazilian community, and one from the Vietnamese community. The richness of the cultural and spiritual lives of these men and their families will bring great gifts to our parish collaboratives in the days and years ahead.”
Francis Burke
burke_couple.jpg
Francis Burke and his wife of 27 years, Joanne, are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in Westford. The Burke’s have two children, Laura and David (DJ). Fran recently retired from a career in high tech and is currently pursuing degree in Theology at the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization and also a certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreat Leadership at Creighton University. Fran Burke and Joanne have worked with the ACTS Retreat group at St. Catherine’s for the last 6 years. Fran was called to the diaconate by the opportunity to serve others. Fran hopes to continue his ministry focused on serving the poor and homeless. Fran will be assigned to St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford and to the Diaconate Formation Office following ordination.
Michael Curren
curren_couple.jpg
Michael Curren and his wife Paula are members of St. Agnes Parish in Reading, MA. Mike and Paula have three children: Brenna is a teacher in Burlington, Maura is an administrative manager at Children’s Hospital, and Timothy is a Greek Orthodox priest at St. Vasilios Parish in Peabody. Father Timothy is married to Dr. Nijmeh Hodaly Curren of Beit Jala, Palestine. Mike started his secular career as a social worker and currently works in non-profit administration as a Senior Vice President for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund in Wellesley. Mike spent time at the Carmelite Junior Seminary in Hamilton, MA and the Carmelite Seminary at Marquette University before discerning that he was called to marriage and family life. Mike continued to be drawn to a life of service in the Church through parish ministries and leadership, eventually being called to consider the diaconate as a vocation through the encouragement and inspiration of many priests and deacons in his life. Mike will serve at St. Augustine Parish in Andover and the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
William C. Dwyer
dwyer_couple.jpg
William C. Dwyer and his wife Jeane currently reside in Merrimack NH and are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Westford. They have three grown children – Patrick and his bride Erin, Timothy and Meghan. Bill’s secular career has been in accounting and finance for both large and small companies. Living his Cursillo weekend was a springboard to a deeper relationship with the Lord. He heard a call to the diaconate during the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and has learned from Fr. Lawrence Porter that “the closer one gets to the God of the Bible, the further he sends you out”. Bill’s hope is to continue being active in prison ministry. Bill will be assigned to St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Westford, St. Anne Parish in Littleton, and to the Pro-Life and Respect Life Office following ordination.
George Escotto
escotto_couple.jpg
George Escotto and his wife Maria are members of St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence. They have been married for 22 years and have been blessed with a daughter, Lesly, who is a student at Northern Essex Community College. George received his call to the diaconate through a personal encounter with God during a Cursillo retreat. George works in a Nursing Home as a custodian where he has the daily opportunity to be the presence of Christ to those who live there: “I feel like I am living a ministry here and seeing Christ in every one of the people who live in the Nursing Home every day.” George will be assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence and to Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Edward S. Giordano
giordano_couple.jpg
Edward S. Giordano and his wife Carol live in Stoneham and are members of St. Patrick Parish. Carol and Ed have two adult children, Mary and Matthew, and a daughter-in-law Jamie. Ed is the Director of Engineering at C.L. Hauthaway in Lynn. Ed has had wonderful Deacon Mentors at St. Patrick Parish and his first exposure to the Permanent Diaconate was at the Incarnation Parish in Melrose where both of his children were baptized by Permanent Deacons. At the Incarnation Parish Deacon Jack Wise gave Ed his first inspiration of the gift of the vocation and ministry of the Permanent Deacon. Ed feels his four years of academic study and spiritual formation have been a blessing that has allowed him to grown closer to our loving, kind, and merciful Lord, Jesus Christ. Ed hopes that he will serve Jesus and the people of God with that same love and compassion. Following ordination Ed will be assigned to St. Barbara Parish in Woburn and to Campus Ministry Office.
Chuck Hall
hall_couple.jpg
Chuck Hall and his wife Mary live in Rowley and worship at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Ipswich. Chuck has been a sheet metal mechanic, machinist, singer-songwriter, radio personality and software engineer. He continues an active musical life as a song writer and in producing audiobooks, including a reading of Chesterton’s “St. Francis of Assisi.” His most recent audio work was the narration of a documentary film on the life Fr. James Alberione, the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul. Chuck’s faith journey began 1971 with a dramatic encounter with Christ that led him out of the 1960’s counterculture and into evangelical and fundamentalist circles, before becoming a dedicated Reformed Presbyterian. His journey brought him to the Catholic Church in 2006, when he attended his first Mass. He was received into the Catholic Church in 2008. Chuck heard a call to the diaconate as he volunteered in hospitals and led a prayer ministry in his home parish. His parish priest encouraged him to consider a diaconate vocation and he entered formation with the understanding that the Holy Spirit could re-direct his journey at any time. The journey was never re-directed, however, and his calling became clearer as formation progressed. Chuck has been influenced greatly by the writings of G. K. Chesterton and the life and ministry of Pope Saint John Paul II. Shortly after being received into the Church, he lived a Cursillo weekend which also was a strong influence in his life. Chuck will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and to the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
Franklin Mejia
meija_couple.jpg
Franklin Mejia was born and raised in Dominican Republic. Franklin is married to Wendy R. Mejia. They are the proud parents of Gabriel Andres, 10 and Isabella Maria, 7. He and his family are active members of St. Mary of the Annunciation parish in Cambridge. Franklin holds a Political Science degree and has been involved in television production. Franklin came to know Christ as a child thanks to his Grandfather Nicacio Mejia, who introduced him to the spiritual life and the doctrine of the Catholic faith. At a very young age, Franklin was an active member and youth leader of the Salesian Youth Group in his community. Upon arriving to the United States, Franklin worked for the Hispanic Youth Ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston organizing inter-parochial youth sports tournaments, youth leadership formation programs and an evangelization ministry dedicated to visiting the youth in jail. Franklin’s passion for evangelization led him to Catholic Television where he is the host and producer of “Buena Nueva” (The Good News). His desire to evangelize through the media was inspired by Pope John Paul II, who encouraged the Church to use every means of communication to introduce Christ to others. Franklin will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden and to Catholic TV following ordination.
Eric Peabody
peabody_couple.jpg
Eric Peabody and his wife, Renee, live in Haverhill and have been married 20 years. He is a division manager at a national home improvement retailer and Renee is an administrative assistant at St. Basil Salvatorian Center in Methuen. Eric and Renee have two daughters, Haley and Mary. The Peabody Family are currently members of the collaborative of St. Lucy and St. Monica Parishes in Methuen. Eric has served in various liturgical ministries and is a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Eric entered the Church at the age of 16 through RCIA and his great uncle, the late Rev. Dennis T. Nason, encouraged Eric to consider a diaconal vocation. Following ordination Eric will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Haverhill and Office of the Catholic Labor Guild.
Jesus Peña
pena_couple.jpg
Jesus Peña and his wife Margarita are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody and have three grown children. Jesus works as a Case Manager for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Jesus began his vocational journey in April 2009 when, feeling drawn to serve Christ more deeply, he turned to a trusted priest in the community, Fr. Alonso Macias, who suggested the diaconate. Jesus feels blessed by the many men of faith who have served as mentors to him over the past twenty years, including many wonderful priests and deacons. In a special way, Deacon Valentin Rivera and Deacon Antonio Perea were helpful to both Margarita and Jesus. More recently Deacon Leo Martin helped Jesus to understand both the faith and the ministry of the Deacon and to grow spiritually. According to Jesus, “These past four years of formation have been a life changing conversion of the heart through constant prayer, self-emptying, and service. The core of my ministry will be to live the Gospel by surrendering my will to the will of God.” Following ordination Jesus will be serve as a Deacon at the Salem collaborative of Immaculate Conception, St. James, and St. John the Baptist Parishes as well as in the Diaconate Formation Office.
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares
soares_couple.jpg
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil and married his wife Carla in 1986. Alvaro and Carla are proud parents of three grown children, Alvaro Jr., Ivan, and Natalia. They are members of Holy Family Parish in Lowell and active members of both the Brazilian Apostolate and the Charismatic Renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. Alvaro holds degrees in Economics and Computer Science as well as an MBA. He is fluent in Portuguese and English, and proficient in Spanish. Alvaro is currently working for Kaspersky Labs in Woburn as a Product Support Engineer. Alvaro has worked in many parish ministries and received his call to be a Permanent Deacon through his active participation in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. He is currently responsible for the formation program inside of the Brazilian Ethnic Leaders Team and is currently appointed Liaison and Executive Director of the Charismatic Renewal movement in the Archdiocese of Boston. Following ordination Alvaro will be assigned to Holy Family Parish and the Office of Cultural Diversity.
Michael Tomkins
tompkins_couple.jpg
Michael Tomkins and his wife Danni live in Wilmington and are parishioners at Saint Thomas of Villanova with their 5 children Hailey, Lauren, Victoria, Joshua, and Meghan. Michael attended Boston University where he received a degree in Computer Science and is now employed as Chief Technology Officer for a financial software company. Michael first learned about the diaconate at age 13 when he served as an altar server at the Mass of Thanksgiving for a close family friend, Deacon Robert Amerault. Raised in an active Catholic family and educated from elementary through high school at Saint Clements in Medford, the seeds of faith were planted at an early age. He felt God's call to the diaconate in his early twenties but as a newlywed he knew it would be some time before he could respond, so he and Danni kept busy raising their five children and remaining active in their parish. They found their true passion was for youth ministry where they served for over twenty years in numerous parishes throughout the archdiocese. In 1999 Michael and Danni each received the Pro Deo et Juventute award given in recognition of continuous and praiseworthy service to young people. Michael hopes to be a witness to those he serves to help them to grow deeper in answering their own baptismal call. Michael will be assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Dracut and the Office of Faith Formation for Youth and Young Adults following ordination.
Tam Van Tram
tran_couple.jpg
Tam Van Tram and his wifeThom have been married for 39 years, live in Andover, and have two daughters and two grandchildren. They are members of St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish in North Reading and the Vietnamese community at Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden. Tam plays guitar for the Contemporary Music Group and is a member of Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Committee at St Theresa Parish. Tam also is Chairman of the Finance Council for Sacred Hearts Parish. Tam had a long career in technology and business and now works as an Adjunct Professor at Middlesex Community College teaching Chemistry, Math, and Computer Science. He holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering and expects to complete his Master’s in Theological Studies Degree (MTS) at St. John Seminary in 2015. Tam was raised as a Buddhist in Vietnam and grew up during in the midst of the devastating war that raged in his homeland through the 1960’s and 1970’s. He converted to Catholicism in 1997. Tam sees the great grace of God’s love in leading him through life to this moment of ordination where he can serve the Church and God’s people. Following ordination Tam will be assigned to St. Theresa Parish in North Reading and to the Campus Ministry Office where he will serve as a Catholic Chaplain at the UMass campus in Boston.
Carlos Simon Valentin
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Carlos Simon Valentin and his wife, Angelica, have been married for 16 years and live in Lynn. They have two children, Nicholas and Angel. Simon and Angelica have been active parishioners of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody throughout their married life. Simon is a Draftsman and Auto Cad graduate and is currently employed by Greater Lynn Senior Services as a driver for “ The Ride”, which is part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Simon is the youngest member of the Class of 2014 and will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and the Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Permanent Diaconate
Prior to this ordination, there are 273 deacons in the Archdiocese of Boston (142 active with the remaining retired, on leave, or serving outside of the diocese). Thirteen (13) men will be ordained on September 20, 2014. The Archdiocese of Boston ordains a class of deacons every year. There are currently 49 men in formation (this includes the 13 about to be ordained). Of these 49, 20 (41%) are from our ethnic communities (10 Hispanic, 4 Brazilian, 2 Haitian, 2 Vietnamese, 1 Iraqi), ages range from 36 – 63, and 48 (98%) are married.
The Archdiocese holds an Inquirer Program each year in October/November for those who feel a possible call to the diaconate vocation. This program provides information to men and their wives about the vocation and ministry of deacons, the formation program, and the admissions process. It also includes a Saturday discernment retreat. The program generally draws 20-30 men each year. Information is available from Deacon Burns at deacondan_burns@rcab.org.
Deacon Burns said, “Because the great majority of Permanent Deacons are married men with families, the formation and inquirer programs strongly involve their wives and focus on the grace and challenge of integrating ordained ministry with the primary vocation of marriage.”
Boston, MA (September 20, 2014) -- Cardinal Seán O’Malley ordained thirteen men to the Order of Deacon at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Photos by George Martell - Boston Catholic Development Services.
Cardinal Seán said, “Through the grace of God, these thirteen men of faith have been called to serve the Church as deacons. Each brings his unique gifts to their ministry and we welcome them as brothers in Christ. We are grateful to their loved ones, especially their wives and families, for their love, support and encouragement as our new deacons have prepared themselves for this lifelong commitment to the Church.”
Deacon Dan Burns, Director of Permanent Diaconate Formation, said, “Representing the diversity of the Archdiocese this class includes four candidates from the Hispanic community, one from the Brazilian community, and one from the Vietnamese community. The richness of the cultural and spiritual lives of these men and their families will bring great gifts to our parish collaboratives in the days and years ahead.”
Francis Burke
burke_couple.jpg
Francis Burke and his wife of 27 years, Joanne, are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in Westford. The Burke’s have two children, Laura and David (DJ). Fran recently retired from a career in high tech and is currently pursuing degree in Theology at the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization and also a certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreat Leadership at Creighton University. Fran Burke and Joanne have worked with the ACTS Retreat group at St. Catherine’s for the last 6 years. Fran was called to the diaconate by the opportunity to serve others. Fran hopes to continue his ministry focused on serving the poor and homeless. Fran will be assigned to St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford and to the Diaconate Formation Office following ordination.
Michael Curren
curren_couple.jpg
Michael Curren and his wife Paula are members of St. Agnes Parish in Reading, MA. Mike and Paula have three children: Brenna is a teacher in Burlington, Maura is an administrative manager at Children’s Hospital, and Timothy is a Greek Orthodox priest at St. Vasilios Parish in Peabody. Father Timothy is married to Dr. Nijmeh Hodaly Curren of Beit Jala, Palestine. Mike started his secular career as a social worker and currently works in non-profit administration as a Senior Vice President for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund in Wellesley. Mike spent time at the Carmelite Junior Seminary in Hamilton, MA and the Carmelite Seminary at Marquette University before discerning that he was called to marriage and family life. Mike continued to be drawn to a life of service in the Church through parish ministries and leadership, eventually being called to consider the diaconate as a vocation through the encouragement and inspiration of many priests and deacons in his life. Mike will serve at St. Augustine Parish in Andover and the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
William C. Dwyer
dwyer_couple.jpg
William C. Dwyer and his wife Jeane currently reside in Merrimack NH and are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Westford. They have three grown children – Patrick and his bride Erin, Timothy and Meghan. Bill’s secular career has been in accounting and finance for both large and small companies. Living his Cursillo weekend was a springboard to a deeper relationship with the Lord. He heard a call to the diaconate during the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and has learned from Fr. Lawrence Porter that “the closer one gets to the God of the Bible, the further he sends you out”. Bill’s hope is to continue being active in prison ministry. Bill will be assigned to St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Westford, St. Anne Parish in Littleton, and to the Pro-Life and Respect Life Office following ordination.
George Escotto
escotto_couple.jpg
George Escotto and his wife Maria are members of St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence. They have been married for 22 years and have been blessed with a daughter, Lesly, who is a student at Northern Essex Community College. George received his call to the diaconate through a personal encounter with God during a Cursillo retreat. George works in a Nursing Home as a custodian where he has the daily opportunity to be the presence of Christ to those who live there: “I feel like I am living a ministry here and seeing Christ in every one of the people who live in the Nursing Home every day.” George will be assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence and to Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Edward S. Giordano
giordano_couple.jpg
Edward S. Giordano and his wife Carol live in Stoneham and are members of St. Patrick Parish. Carol and Ed have two adult children, Mary and Matthew, and a daughter-in-law Jamie. Ed is the Director of Engineering at C.L. Hauthaway in Lynn. Ed has had wonderful Deacon Mentors at St. Patrick Parish and his first exposure to the Permanent Diaconate was at the Incarnation Parish in Melrose where both of his children were baptized by Permanent Deacons. At the Incarnation Parish Deacon Jack Wise gave Ed his first inspiration of the gift of the vocation and ministry of the Permanent Deacon. Ed feels his four years of academic study and spiritual formation have been a blessing that has allowed him to grown closer to our loving, kind, and merciful Lord, Jesus Christ. Ed hopes that he will serve Jesus and the people of God with that same love and compassion. Following ordination Ed will be assigned to St. Barbara Parish in Woburn and to Campus Ministry Office.
Chuck Hall
hall_couple.jpg
Chuck Hall and his wife Mary live in Rowley and worship at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Ipswich. Chuck has been a sheet metal mechanic, machinist, singer-songwriter, radio personality and software engineer. He continues an active musical life as a song writer and in producing audiobooks, including a reading of Chesterton’s “St. Francis of Assisi.” His most recent audio work was the narration of a documentary film on the life Fr. James Alberione, the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul. Chuck’s faith journey began 1971 with a dramatic encounter with Christ that led him out of the 1960’s counterculture and into evangelical and fundamentalist circles, before becoming a dedicated Reformed Presbyterian. His journey brought him to the Catholic Church in 2006, when he attended his first Mass. He was received into the Catholic Church in 2008. Chuck heard a call to the diaconate as he volunteered in hospitals and led a prayer ministry in his home parish. His parish priest encouraged him to consider a diaconate vocation and he entered formation with the understanding that the Holy Spirit could re-direct his journey at any time. The journey was never re-directed, however, and his calling became clearer as formation progressed. Chuck has been influenced greatly by the writings of G. K. Chesterton and the life and ministry of Pope Saint John Paul II. Shortly after being received into the Church, he lived a Cursillo weekend which also was a strong influence in his life. Chuck will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and to the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
Franklin Mejia
meija_couple.jpg
Franklin Mejia was born and raised in Dominican Republic. Franklin is married to Wendy R. Mejia. They are the proud parents of Gabriel Andres, 10 and Isabella Maria, 7. He and his family are active members of St. Mary of the Annunciation parish in Cambridge. Franklin holds a Political Science degree and has been involved in television production. Franklin came to know Christ as a child thanks to his Grandfather Nicacio Mejia, who introduced him to the spiritual life and the doctrine of the Catholic faith. At a very young age, Franklin was an active member and youth leader of the Salesian Youth Group in his community. Upon arriving to the United States, Franklin worked for the Hispanic Youth Ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston organizing inter-parochial youth sports tournaments, youth leadership formation programs and an evangelization ministry dedicated to visiting the youth in jail. Franklin’s passion for evangelization led him to Catholic Television where he is the host and producer of “Buena Nueva” (The Good News). His desire to evangelize through the media was inspired by Pope John Paul II, who encouraged the Church to use every means of communication to introduce Christ to others. Franklin will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden and to Catholic TV following ordination.
Eric Peabody
peabody_couple.jpg
Eric Peabody and his wife, Renee, live in Haverhill and have been married 20 years. He is a division manager at a national home improvement retailer and Renee is an administrative assistant at St. Basil Salvatorian Center in Methuen. Eric and Renee have two daughters, Haley and Mary. The Peabody Family are currently members of the collaborative of St. Lucy and St. Monica Parishes in Methuen. Eric has served in various liturgical ministries and is a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Eric entered the Church at the age of 16 through RCIA and his great uncle, the late Rev. Dennis T. Nason, encouraged Eric to consider a diaconal vocation. Following ordination Eric will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Haverhill and Office of the Catholic Labor Guild.
Jesus Peña
pena_couple.jpg
Jesus Peña and his wife Margarita are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody and have three grown children. Jesus works as a Case Manager for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Jesus began his vocational journey in April 2009 when, feeling drawn to serve Christ more deeply, he turned to a trusted priest in the community, Fr. Alonso Macias, who suggested the diaconate. Jesus feels blessed by the many men of faith who have served as mentors to him over the past twenty years, including many wonderful priests and deacons. In a special way, Deacon Valentin Rivera and Deacon Antonio Perea were helpful to both Margarita and Jesus. More recently Deacon Leo Martin helped Jesus to understand both the faith and the ministry of the Deacon and to grow spiritually. According to Jesus, “These past four years of formation have been a life changing conversion of the heart through constant prayer, self-emptying, and service. The core of my ministry will be to live the Gospel by surrendering my will to the will of God.” Following ordination Jesus will be serve as a Deacon at the Salem collaborative of Immaculate Conception, St. James, and St. John the Baptist Parishes as well as in the Diaconate Formation Office.
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares
soares_couple.jpg
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil and married his wife Carla in 1986. Alvaro and Carla are proud parents of three grown children, Alvaro Jr., Ivan, and Natalia. They are members of Holy Family Parish in Lowell and active members of both the Brazilian Apostolate and the Charismatic Renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. Alvaro holds degrees in Economics and Computer Science as well as an MBA. He is fluent in Portuguese and English, and proficient in Spanish. Alvaro is currently working for Kaspersky Labs in Woburn as a Product Support Engineer. Alvaro has worked in many parish ministries and received his call to be a Permanent Deacon through his active participation in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. He is currently responsible for the formation program inside of the Brazilian Ethnic Leaders Team and is currently appointed Liaison and Executive Director of the Charismatic Renewal movement in the Archdiocese of Boston. Following ordination Alvaro will be assigned to Holy Family Parish and the Office of Cultural Diversity.
Michael Tomkins
tompkins_couple.jpg
Michael Tomkins and his wife Danni live in Wilmington and are parishioners at Saint Thomas of Villanova with their 5 children Hailey, Lauren, Victoria, Joshua, and Meghan. Michael attended Boston University where he received a degree in Computer Science and is now employed as Chief Technology Officer for a financial software company. Michael first learned about the diaconate at age 13 when he served as an altar server at the Mass of Thanksgiving for a close family friend, Deacon Robert Amerault. Raised in an active Catholic family and educated from elementary through high school at Saint Clements in Medford, the seeds of faith were planted at an early age. He felt God's call to the diaconate in his early twenties but as a newlywed he knew it would be some time before he could respond, so he and Danni kept busy raising their five children and remaining active in their parish. They found their true passion was for youth ministry where they served for over twenty years in numerous parishes throughout the archdiocese. In 1999 Michael and Danni each received the Pro Deo et Juventute award given in recognition of continuous and praiseworthy service to young people. Michael hopes to be a witness to those he serves to help them to grow deeper in answering their own baptismal call. Michael will be assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Dracut and the Office of Faith Formation for Youth and Young Adults following ordination.
Tam Van Tram
tran_couple.jpg
Tam Van Tram and his wifeThom have been married for 39 years, live in Andover, and have two daughters and two grandchildren. They are members of St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish in North Reading and the Vietnamese community at Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden. Tam plays guitar for the Contemporary Music Group and is a member of Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Committee at St Theresa Parish. Tam also is Chairman of the Finance Council for Sacred Hearts Parish. Tam had a long career in technology and business and now works as an Adjunct Professor at Middlesex Community College teaching Chemistry, Math, and Computer Science. He holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering and expects to complete his Master’s in Theological Studies Degree (MTS) at St. John Seminary in 2015. Tam was raised as a Buddhist in Vietnam and grew up during in the midst of the devastating war that raged in his homeland through the 1960’s and 1970’s. He converted to Catholicism in 1997. Tam sees the great grace of God’s love in leading him through life to this moment of ordination where he can serve the Church and God’s people. Following ordination Tam will be assigned to St. Theresa Parish in North Reading and to the Campus Ministry Office where he will serve as a Catholic Chaplain at the UMass campus in Boston.
Carlos Simon Valentin
image040.jpg
Carlos Simon Valentin and his wife, Angelica, have been married for 16 years and live in Lynn. They have two children, Nicholas and Angel. Simon and Angelica have been active parishioners of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody throughout their married life. Simon is a Draftsman and Auto Cad graduate and is currently employed by Greater Lynn Senior Services as a driver for “ The Ride”, which is part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Simon is the youngest member of the Class of 2014 and will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and the Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Permanent Diaconate
Prior to this ordination, there are 273 deacons in the Archdiocese of Boston (142 active with the remaining retired, on leave, or serving outside of the diocese). Thirteen (13) men will be ordained on September 20, 2014. The Archdiocese of Boston ordains a class of deacons every year. There are currently 49 men in formation (this includes the 13 about to be ordained). Of these 49, 20 (41%) are from our ethnic communities (10 Hispanic, 4 Brazilian, 2 Haitian, 2 Vietnamese, 1 Iraqi), ages range from 36 – 63, and 48 (98%) are married.
The Archdiocese holds an Inquirer Program each year in October/November for those who feel a possible call to the diaconate vocation. This program provides information to men and their wives about the vocation and ministry of deacons, the formation program, and the admissions process. It also includes a Saturday discernment retreat. The program generally draws 20-30 men each year. Information is available from Deacon Burns at deacondan_burns@rcab.org.
Deacon Burns said, “Because the great majority of Permanent Deacons are married men with families, the formation and inquirer programs strongly involve their wives and focus on the grace and challenge of integrating ordained ministry with the primary vocation of marriage.”
Boston, MA (September 20, 2014) -- Cardinal Seán O’Malley ordained thirteen men to the Order of Deacon at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Photos by George Martell - Boston Catholic Development Services.
Cardinal Seán said, “Through the grace of God, these thirteen men of faith have been called to serve the Church as deacons. Each brings his unique gifts to their ministry and we welcome them as brothers in Christ. We are grateful to their loved ones, especially their wives and families, for their love, support and encouragement as our new deacons have prepared themselves for this lifelong commitment to the Church.”
Deacon Dan Burns, Director of Permanent Diaconate Formation, said, “Representing the diversity of the Archdiocese this class includes four candidates from the Hispanic community, one from the Brazilian community, and one from the Vietnamese community. The richness of the cultural and spiritual lives of these men and their families will bring great gifts to our parish collaboratives in the days and years ahead.”
Francis Burke
burke_couple.jpg
Francis Burke and his wife of 27 years, Joanne, are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in Westford. The Burke’s have two children, Laura and David (DJ). Fran recently retired from a career in high tech and is currently pursuing degree in Theology at the Theological Institute for the New Evangelization and also a certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreat Leadership at Creighton University. Fran Burke and Joanne have worked with the ACTS Retreat group at St. Catherine’s for the last 6 years. Fran was called to the diaconate by the opportunity to serve others. Fran hopes to continue his ministry focused on serving the poor and homeless. Fran will be assigned to St. Mary Parish in Chelmsford and to the Diaconate Formation Office following ordination.
Michael Curren
curren_couple.jpg
Michael Curren and his wife Paula are members of St. Agnes Parish in Reading, MA. Mike and Paula have three children: Brenna is a teacher in Burlington, Maura is an administrative manager at Children’s Hospital, and Timothy is a Greek Orthodox priest at St. Vasilios Parish in Peabody. Father Timothy is married to Dr. Nijmeh Hodaly Curren of Beit Jala, Palestine. Mike started his secular career as a social worker and currently works in non-profit administration as a Senior Vice President for the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund in Wellesley. Mike spent time at the Carmelite Junior Seminary in Hamilton, MA and the Carmelite Seminary at Marquette University before discerning that he was called to marriage and family life. Mike continued to be drawn to a life of service in the Church through parish ministries and leadership, eventually being called to consider the diaconate as a vocation through the encouragement and inspiration of many priests and deacons in his life. Mike will serve at St. Augustine Parish in Andover and the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
William C. Dwyer
dwyer_couple.jpg
William C. Dwyer and his wife Jeane currently reside in Merrimack NH and are members of St. Catherine of Alexandria in Westford. They have three grown children – Patrick and his bride Erin, Timothy and Meghan. Bill’s secular career has been in accounting and finance for both large and small companies. Living his Cursillo weekend was a springboard to a deeper relationship with the Lord. He heard a call to the diaconate during the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and has learned from Fr. Lawrence Porter that “the closer one gets to the God of the Bible, the further he sends you out”. Bill’s hope is to continue being active in prison ministry. Bill will be assigned to St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Westford, St. Anne Parish in Littleton, and to the Pro-Life and Respect Life Office following ordination.
George Escotto
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George Escotto and his wife Maria are members of St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence. They have been married for 22 years and have been blessed with a daughter, Lesly, who is a student at Northern Essex Community College. George received his call to the diaconate through a personal encounter with God during a Cursillo retreat. George works in a Nursing Home as a custodian where he has the daily opportunity to be the presence of Christ to those who live there: “I feel like I am living a ministry here and seeing Christ in every one of the people who live in the Nursing Home every day.” George will be assigned to St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence and to Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Edward S. Giordano
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Edward S. Giordano and his wife Carol live in Stoneham and are members of St. Patrick Parish. Carol and Ed have two adult children, Mary and Matthew, and a daughter-in-law Jamie. Ed is the Director of Engineering at C.L. Hauthaway in Lynn. Ed has had wonderful Deacon Mentors at St. Patrick Parish and his first exposure to the Permanent Diaconate was at the Incarnation Parish in Melrose where both of his children were baptized by Permanent Deacons. At the Incarnation Parish Deacon Jack Wise gave Ed his first inspiration of the gift of the vocation and ministry of the Permanent Deacon. Ed feels his four years of academic study and spiritual formation have been a blessing that has allowed him to grown closer to our loving, kind, and merciful Lord, Jesus Christ. Ed hopes that he will serve Jesus and the people of God with that same love and compassion. Following ordination Ed will be assigned to St. Barbara Parish in Woburn and to Campus Ministry Office.
Chuck Hall
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Chuck Hall and his wife Mary live in Rowley and worship at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Ipswich. Chuck has been a sheet metal mechanic, machinist, singer-songwriter, radio personality and software engineer. He continues an active musical life as a song writer and in producing audiobooks, including a reading of Chesterton’s “St. Francis of Assisi.” His most recent audio work was the narration of a documentary film on the life Fr. James Alberione, the founder of the Daughters of St. Paul. Chuck’s faith journey began 1971 with a dramatic encounter with Christ that led him out of the 1960’s counterculture and into evangelical and fundamentalist circles, before becoming a dedicated Reformed Presbyterian. His journey brought him to the Catholic Church in 2006, when he attended his first Mass. He was received into the Catholic Church in 2008. Chuck heard a call to the diaconate as he volunteered in hospitals and led a prayer ministry in his home parish. His parish priest encouraged him to consider a diaconate vocation and he entered formation with the understanding that the Holy Spirit could re-direct his journey at any time. The journey was never re-directed, however, and his calling became clearer as formation progressed. Chuck has been influenced greatly by the writings of G. K. Chesterton and the life and ministry of Pope Saint John Paul II. Shortly after being received into the Church, he lived a Cursillo weekend which also was a strong influence in his life. Chuck will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and to the Office of Ecumenical Affairs following ordination.
Franklin Mejia
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Franklin Mejia was born and raised in Dominican Republic. Franklin is married to Wendy R. Mejia. They are the proud parents of Gabriel Andres, 10 and Isabella Maria, 7. He and his family are active members of St. Mary of the Annunciation parish in Cambridge. Franklin holds a Political Science degree and has been involved in television production. Franklin came to know Christ as a child thanks to his Grandfather Nicacio Mejia, who introduced him to the spiritual life and the doctrine of the Catholic faith. At a very young age, Franklin was an active member and youth leader of the Salesian Youth Group in his community. Upon arriving to the United States, Franklin worked for the Hispanic Youth Ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston organizing inter-parochial youth sports tournaments, youth leadership formation programs and an evangelization ministry dedicated to visiting the youth in jail. Franklin’s passion for evangelization led him to Catholic Television where he is the host and producer of “Buena Nueva” (The Good News). His desire to evangelize through the media was inspired by Pope John Paul II, who encouraged the Church to use every means of communication to introduce Christ to others. Franklin will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden and to Catholic TV following ordination.
Eric Peabody
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Eric Peabody and his wife, Renee, live in Haverhill and have been married 20 years. He is a division manager at a national home improvement retailer and Renee is an administrative assistant at St. Basil Salvatorian Center in Methuen. Eric and Renee have two daughters, Haley and Mary. The Peabody Family are currently members of the collaborative of St. Lucy and St. Monica Parishes in Methuen. Eric has served in various liturgical ministries and is a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Eric entered the Church at the age of 16 through RCIA and his great uncle, the late Rev. Dennis T. Nason, encouraged Eric to consider a diaconal vocation. Following ordination Eric will be assigned to Sacred Hearts Parish in Haverhill and Office of the Catholic Labor Guild.
Jesus Peña
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Jesus Peña and his wife Margarita are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody and have three grown children. Jesus works as a Case Manager for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Jesus began his vocational journey in April 2009 when, feeling drawn to serve Christ more deeply, he turned to a trusted priest in the community, Fr. Alonso Macias, who suggested the diaconate. Jesus feels blessed by the many men of faith who have served as mentors to him over the past twenty years, including many wonderful priests and deacons. In a special way, Deacon Valentin Rivera and Deacon Antonio Perea were helpful to both Margarita and Jesus. More recently Deacon Leo Martin helped Jesus to understand both the faith and the ministry of the Deacon and to grow spiritually. According to Jesus, “These past four years of formation have been a life changing conversion of the heart through constant prayer, self-emptying, and service. The core of my ministry will be to live the Gospel by surrendering my will to the will of God.” Following ordination Jesus will be serve as a Deacon at the Salem collaborative of Immaculate Conception, St. James, and St. John the Baptist Parishes as well as in the Diaconate Formation Office.
Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares
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Alvaro Jose Leiva Soares was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil and married his wife Carla in 1986. Alvaro and Carla are proud parents of three grown children, Alvaro Jr., Ivan, and Natalia. They are members of Holy Family Parish in Lowell and active members of both the Brazilian Apostolate and the Charismatic Renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. Alvaro holds degrees in Economics and Computer Science as well as an MBA. He is fluent in Portuguese and English, and proficient in Spanish. Alvaro is currently working for Kaspersky Labs in Woburn as a Product Support Engineer. Alvaro has worked in many parish ministries and received his call to be a Permanent Deacon through his active participation in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. He is currently responsible for the formation program inside of the Brazilian Ethnic Leaders Team and is currently appointed Liaison and Executive Director of the Charismatic Renewal movement in the Archdiocese of Boston. Following ordination Alvaro will be assigned to Holy Family Parish and the Office of Cultural Diversity.
Michael Tomkins
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Michael Tomkins and his wife Danni live in Wilmington and are parishioners at Saint Thomas of Villanova with their 5 children Hailey, Lauren, Victoria, Joshua, and Meghan. Michael attended Boston University where he received a degree in Computer Science and is now employed as Chief Technology Officer for a financial software company. Michael first learned about the diaconate at age 13 when he served as an altar server at the Mass of Thanksgiving for a close family friend, Deacon Robert Amerault. Raised in an active Catholic family and educated from elementary through high school at Saint Clements in Medford, the seeds of faith were planted at an early age. He felt God's call to the diaconate in his early twenties but as a newlywed he knew it would be some time before he could respond, so he and Danni kept busy raising their five children and remaining active in their parish. They found their true passion was for youth ministry where they served for over twenty years in numerous parishes throughout the archdiocese. In 1999 Michael and Danni each received the Pro Deo et Juventute award given in recognition of continuous and praiseworthy service to young people. Michael hopes to be a witness to those he serves to help them to grow deeper in answering their own baptismal call. Michael will be assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Dracut and the Office of Faith Formation for Youth and Young Adults following ordination.
Tam Van Tram
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Tam Van Tram and his wifeThom have been married for 39 years, live in Andover, and have two daughters and two grandchildren. They are members of St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish in North Reading and the Vietnamese community at Sacred Hearts Parish in Malden. Tam plays guitar for the Contemporary Music Group and is a member of Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Committee at St Theresa Parish. Tam also is Chairman of the Finance Council for Sacred Hearts Parish. Tam had a long career in technology and business and now works as an Adjunct Professor at Middlesex Community College teaching Chemistry, Math, and Computer Science. He holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering and expects to complete his Master’s in Theological Studies Degree (MTS) at St. John Seminary in 2015. Tam was raised as a Buddhist in Vietnam and grew up during in the midst of the devastating war that raged in his homeland through the 1960’s and 1970’s. He converted to Catholicism in 1997. Tam sees the great grace of God’s love in leading him through life to this moment of ordination where he can serve the Church and God’s people. Following ordination Tam will be assigned to St. Theresa Parish in North Reading and to the Campus Ministry Office where he will serve as a Catholic Chaplain at the UMass campus in Boston.
Carlos Simon Valentin
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Carlos Simon Valentin and his wife, Angelica, have been married for 16 years and live in Lynn. They have two children, Nicholas and Angel. Simon and Angelica have been active parishioners of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody throughout their married life. Simon is a Draftsman and Auto Cad graduate and is currently employed by Greater Lynn Senior Services as a driver for “ The Ride”, which is part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Simon is the youngest member of the Class of 2014 and will be assigned to St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas the Apostle Parishes in Peabody and the Office of Cultural Diversity following ordination.
Permanent Diaconate
Prior to this ordination, there are 273 deacons in the Archdiocese of Boston (142 active with the remaining retired, on leave, or serving outside of the diocese). Thirteen (13) men will be ordained on September 20, 2014. The Archdiocese of Boston ordains a class of deacons every year. There are currently 49 men in formation (this includes the 13 about to be ordained). Of these 49, 20 (41%) are from our ethnic communities (10 Hispanic, 4 Brazilian, 2 Haitian, 2 Vietnamese, 1 Iraqi), ages range from 36 – 63, and 48 (98%) are married.
The Archdiocese holds an Inquirer Program each year in October/November for those who feel a possible call to the diaconate vocation. This program provides information to men and their wives about the vocation and ministry of deacons, the formation program, and the admissions process. It also includes a Saturday discernment retreat. The program generally draws 20-30 men each year. Information is available from Deacon Burns at deacondan_burns@rcab.org.
Deacon Burns said, “Because the great majority of Permanent Deacons are married men with families, the formation and inquirer programs strongly involve their wives and focus on the grace and challenge of integrating ordained ministry with the primary vocation of marriage.”
"Study one more hour, and I will get a better-looking husband."
"You played while others studied - please leave."
"The drool of today will turn into the tears of tomorrow."
Here is a subway ad from a women's university.
The seat below the ad is marked by the ad as "reserved seating for high school senior." And being a high school senior is enough of a nightmare that it does deserve reserved subway seating, and a lot more, in return.
South Korea's college entrance examination hell is legendary. A single examination, held in November of the senior year (Korean academic year starts in March and ends in February), pretty much is the decisive factor in determining whether it is possible for the student to apply to, and be accepted at, the university of choice. Going to the right university (preferably a Seoul-based one, and ideally the cream of the crop - Seoul National, Korea University, and Yonsei University) is the key to a cushy corporate job, respectability, meeting respectable spouses, and a comfortable life. Because of the overwhelming importance of the college entrance examination in determining one's future, preparation means giving up all semblance of a sane life for the entire junior and senior years of high school. (The misery may be extended by an additional year or two, for repeat(s) of the examination, if the scores are too low to allow admission to a semi-acceptable university.) Forget about proms, forget about teeny bopper crushes on rock stars, forget about anything else. (That is to be remedied once in college.)
Korean and other Asian immigrant parents have turned the US college admissions process into a less holistic, more exam cram-based one as well. They will forcibly march their kids to tutors and exam cram academies so that they can get a perfect SAT score and get into Harvard (while neglecting extracurricular activities and other semblance of being a human being that Harvard admissions committee wants to see also). I am NOT happy about that at all.
USMA Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Darryl L. Williams, Col. Col. Deborah McDonald, Director of Admissions, Command Sgt. Maj. Jack Love, USMA Senior Enlisted Leader and cadet from the local area speak with candidates at a West Point Admissions brief before the Army vs. University of Texas at San Antonio football game. They answered questions about the admissions process, cadet life and serving in the U.S. Army.
USMA Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Darryl L. Williams, Col. Col. Deborah McDonald, Director of Admissions, Command Sgt. Maj. Jack Love, USMA Senior Enlisted Leader and cadet from the local area speak with candidates at a West Point Admissions brief before the Army vs. University of Texas at San Antonio football game. They answered questions about the admissions process, cadet life and serving in the U.S. Army.
OCHA observed an overall increase in violence and insecurity in the Northern Triangle during the pandemic. Criminal groups took advantage of the lockdown to tighten their control over territories and communities, killing their opponents and increasing extortions.
Border closures and health risks have led many to postpone their journey, but those who had no other option to save their lives had to take the risk.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, most visa and admission processes have been halted: courts are not conducting hearings for health reasons and vulnerable refugees and migrants are forced to wait for months before receiving an appointment to follow up their case.
© European Union, 2020 (photographer: C.Palma)
Visiting students learned about Westminster College's admission process, toured campus, and enjoyed food.
USMA Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Darryl L. Williams, Col. Col. Deborah McDonald, Director of Admissions, Command Sgt. Maj. Jack Love, USMA Senior Enlisted Leader and cadet from the local area speak with candidates at a West Point Admissions brief before the Army vs. University of Texas at San Antonio football game. They answered questions about the admissions process, cadet life and serving in the U.S. Army.
USMA Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Darryl L. Williams, Col. Col. Deborah McDonald, Director of Admissions, Command Sgt. Maj. Jack Love, USMA Senior Enlisted Leader and cadet from the local area speak with candidates at a West Point Admissions brief before the Army vs. University of Texas at San Antonio football game. They answered questions about the admissions process, cadet life and serving in the U.S. Army.
Taken at the Hendrick Motorsports Museum in Charlette, North Carolina. Museum is open to the public with no charge for admission. Processed with Photomatix Pro 5.0.
from ift.tt/17Vd0vQ
I recently came across an older article that I thought needed reshared, especially for many of the Medical Professionals and Medical Students that I represent. In January 2012 USNews posted a great read titled “Tips for Medical School Applicants with Criminal Records” (see original article below). This article provides some very useful information and explains in great detail how having a criminal record could cause problems for those with criminal records who are hoping to have a future in the medical field. Having worked with clients who struggle with issues related to this topic, I’ve seen first hand how detrimental these issues could be for one’s career. If you have questions about anything related to this topic and would like to discuss your situation, please contact my office.
The Law Office of Joseph A. Paletta
412.391.7999
_______________________________________
Tips for Medical School Applicants With Criminal Records
By VERITAS PREP
January 23, 2012RSS FeedPrint
It’s anyone’s worst nightmare—getting caught up in the legal system. Whether it’s a result of a night of indiscretion or something more serious, a criminal charge or conviction could be one of the factors medical schooladmissions committees use when making decisions.
What should you do if you have a criminal record?
Medical schools in the United States and overseas have struggled with the question of how to handle criminal records in admissions. Even medical schools sometimes don’t get it right. In 2007, the prestigious Karolinska Institutet in Sweden matriculated an applicant convicted of murder, which raised tough ethical issues. Though the vast majority of applicants need not worry about such serious crimes, it’s important to address any criminal record in the admissions process.
[See three reasons to include an M.D. application addendum.]
Most medical schools ask applicants to disclose prior convictions. Some schools only ask about felonies, while others want to know about anything other than a minor traffic violation (such as a speeding ticket). The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has a national background check service that reviews databases for a list of participating schools, which are listed on the website. Some medical schools in certain states, such as Illinois, perform additional checks.
Having a criminal record affects an applicant’s review in the admissions process in the following two ways.
• Convictions: This is one of a variety of factors that are checked. A charge that was dismissed is very different from a conviction or no contest plea. Note that once a charge is filed by the relevant city or district attorney’s office, it may still appear in a background check even if it was later dropped. If you were arrested, you were likely fingerprinted, and many schools fingerprint incoming students and run the prints through a national databank.
• Nature of crime: Committees are reluctant to admit students who may not be able to get eventual credentials or state licenses. They will be looking at whether any convictions involved crimes that raise doubts about a student’s fitness to eventually practice medicine.
[Learn why medical schools value applicants' personal qualities.]
Types of crimes that usually concern admissions committees are those that involve dishonesty (such as cheating or fraud) or possible risks to patients (such as drug offenses or sexual and violent crimes). They also keep in mind how the public may view the offense and whether it could be a predictor of future destructive behaviors or crimes.
Also keep in mind that crimes that may not seem related to medicine at first glance (such as a DUI) may be problematic, depending on the circumstances.
If you have a criminal record, there are two important things to remember in order to best position yourself in the admissions process.
• Disclosure: Withholding all or part of a criminal record could lead to a rescinding of an acceptance, or if discovered later on, even dismissal from medical school. Schools consider withholding this information to be a form of dishonesty.
If in doubt, obtain your police records on your own to see where you stand, especially as questions now include military discharge history and misdemeanors.
[Learn how hospital violence affects medical students.]
• Mitigating factors: Committees typically view the context of the circumstances leading to the conviction and any steps taken toward rehabilitation favorably. They like applicants to have reflected on the incident and to attempt to show mitigating circumstances and steps taken to address problems.
Including any extenuating circumstances at the time (such as a recent family death) and whether it was an isolated event is important. Good ways to address rehabilitation are documenting treatment at a drug rehab facility or engaging in volunteer work in the community.
Applying to medical school seems hard enough; with a criminal record it can be doubly so. The best way to deal with this issue is by explaining what happened and why, lessons you learned, and steps you’ve taken to ensure it will not be repeated.
Ibrahim Busnaina, M.D. is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and coauthor of “Examkrackers’ How to Get Into Medical School.” He has been consulting with prospective medical school applicants, with a special focus on minority and other nontraditional candidates, since 2006.
USMA Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Darryl L. Williams, Col. Col. Deborah McDonald, Director of Admissions, Command Sgt. Maj. Jack Love, USMA Senior Enlisted Leader and cadet from the local area speak with candidates at a West Point Admissions brief before the Army vs. University of Texas at San Antonio football game. They answered questions about the admissions process, cadet life and serving in the U.S. Army.
Maheshwara Medical College is one of the leading medical colleges in Patancheruvu. It is located in Patancheru, a town in the state of Telangana. The college offers both undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses. It is affiliated with Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences, Telangana.
THE STETHOSCOPE PRESENTS: Medical School Interview Seminar, in partnership with The Princeton Review!
The Stethoscope is U of T’s magazine for the life sciences, and this semester we’re bringing you more events you care about! Are you applying to medical school? Curious about the admissions process and what an interview might be like? Join us next Thursday, January 19th from 5:00 to 6:30 PM in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Building (50 St. George St) for a FREE medical school interview seminar hosted by the Princeton Review.
The seminar will include Q&A with a panel of medical students who will answer students’ questions about the medical school interview processes, and details from their own experiences. There might also be an opportunity for role-playing, with med students interviewing interested members of the audience! Learn strategies and tips for preparation, have your questions answered, and more!
To pre-register for the event, go to www.princetonreview.com, or click “attending” and invite your friends to the Facebook event – www.facebook.com/events/225309450885543/
See you all there!
Top MBA Colleges in Bangalore: Search top MBA Colleges in Bangalore on www.mbauniverse.com/college/bangaloremba.php. Find Fees, Cutoff, Placements, Eligibility, Admission Process, Rank and Contact Details of Top MBA College in Bangalore
Check out the complete Details of Top Diploma Universities in India 2023 with the admission Process, courses, cutoff, fees, placements, and other information at My First College.
For More Info Visit Our Website - bit.ly/3Ynu3Em
On February 12th Young European Ambassadors from Azerbaijan hosted annual kick-off event . The meeting aimed to rebuild connections, welcome new YEAs, identify new strategies, gain new skills, learn about EU-Funded programmes and networking.
70 YEAs participated in the meeting covering different sessions. During these sessions, Nargiz Abdullayeva, Senior Administrative Assistant of College of Europe gave detailed information about scholarship opportunities and the admissions process. In another info session, Parviz Bagirov, Head of the National Erasmus+ Office provided information on “Erasmus+ Opportunities” and held Q&A session. During the event YEAs made action plans and exchanged their ideas by proposing solutions to different issues.
Taken at the Hendrick Motorsports Museum in Charlette, North Carolina. Museum is open to the public with no charge for admission. Processed with Photomatix Pro 5.0.
January 12, 2011 Irina Shubina visited School-Lyceum №56 and met with 10th Graders. She gave information for students to understand Standardized Tests. Many U.S. universities/colleges include standardized tests as a mandatory part of their application requirements. Individual universities/colleges will tell student which tests they require either on their website or through the application material they send to student. Educational Adviser told International students should understand that although many U.S. universities/colleges require standardized tests as part of the admission process, test scores alone do not determine whether student will be admitted. American universities and colleges take many other factors into consideration. However, test scores can play an important role in determining any financial aid package. The most common sources of information regarding the testing requirements for each university/college are the university/college websites or the catalogs and bulletins of individual institution. Also, students are recommended to visit EducationUSA Advising Center in Astana – address: ul. Beibitshiluk, 18, office 409. Tel.: (7172) 91 00 68. The staff of this EducationUSA Advising Center can help students with information on university/college requirements, test registration, and preparation. There are many useful test preparation materials at ACIE EducationUSA Advising Center. Among them
Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test: The Paper Test (Student Book with Answer Key and CD-ROM). – Deborah Phillips. – 641 p.,
The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test. – ETS. - Third Edition. – CD-ROM with 2 Full-length Authentic TOEFL Tests. – McGraw-Hill. – 453 p.,
Barron’s. SAT with CD-ROM. – Sharon Weiner Green, M.A., and Ira K. Wolf, PhD. - 24th Edition. – A diagnostic test and five full-length practice tests. – 920 p.,
The Official SAT Study Guide. From the Test Maker. - Take 8 Practice Tests. – CollegeBoard, New York. – 889 p.
So students have opportunities to practice tests at EducationUSA Advising Center and to experience a taste of what it’d be like to pass real tests. This meeting was useful for students especially for those who pursue to study abroad and particularly in America.
Also I.Shubina informed students about upcoming January schedule of 13 EdUSA Connects sessions: Researching Choices and encouraged students to take part in these events online.
Total participants – 80
Discover SCC Open House Event hosted on SCC's Giles Campus on 3-26-2022 showcases programs and assists potential students with admissions process.
On Monday, March 26, 2018, the middle school kicked off College Week with guest speaker Wes Whiteside from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Wes discussed college requirements and the admissions process with all 7th graders, drawing from his work at Syracuse University as an academic adviser and previous experience in college admissions. He offered hands-on activities in which students could state positive things about themselves and provide examples of college admission requirements. Wes explained crucial information about SAT and ACT tests, college admissions essays, self-discipline, time management, organization and plagiarism. At SAS we remain fully committed to our college preparatory mission to create tomorrow’s leaders! Go ATOMS! #SASCS #SASAtoms
Local high school students and their families were invited to learn about LCC at Spring Preview Night held on April 21, 2015 in the Health & Science Building. Students and parents received a welcome from LCC President, Chris Bailey. President Bailey shared why LCC is the Smart Choice! Students had opportunities to meet faculty and staff as well as "sample" classrooms and labs! Parents received information on the college admissions process and financial aid. LCC's advising staff and career services manager were on hand to assist with questions about degree programs & certificates, choosing a career and more.
Our Undergraduate Admissions counselors are available and accessible to prospective students throughout the admissions process - and they're a lot of fun.
View all details about Sandip University, like admission process, fee structure, courses offered, placements, ranking, reviews, cut off, facilities more @MyFirstCollege
More Info Visit Here - www.myfirstcollege.com/university/31/sandip-university/
Last Wednesday, March 15, IVC hosted over 50 different colleges and universities for the College Fair. Students were able to ask different representatives about their college admissions process and requirements.
Are you planning to transfer to a 4-year university? Visit the IVC Transfer Center at ivc.edu/transfer-center.
Visit www.admissiondetails.com/hkbk-college-of-engineering-bang...
H.K B.K COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING BANGALORE is one of the premier technical colleges in India. The college was established by Sri C M Ibrahim in the year 1997. The main motive of this college is to provide great knowledge based academic sources to the students, who can cater to the nation in future. The college is situated in the heart of the city in Bangalore, with all state-of-the-art facilities. An ancient mode of studies does not meet with the current industry standard, and the college provides modern technical and upgraded campus to their students. Libraries, large play ground, high speed internet access, updated labs, hostels and food court add special attractions to this college. Along with that, its strong academic council is structured with experienced professors, lecturers and technical experts who collaborate to bring out the best of each student.
For Admission in HKBK College of Engineering Bangalore contact 8095723044 / 7760635804
HKBK College of Engineering always admires the intelligent mind that can develop and invent something new and constructive. So the college always tries to improvise upon its students with the best interpersonal skill development system, and it encourages them to pursue research work at the end of the courses. Along with that the college has excellent placement record for their students every year, and most of the students get through the top most companies in India and abroad. For direct admission in HKBK College of Engineering Bangalore, students can contact with the administrative cell of the college.
Courses:
Under-Graduate courses (B.E)
Computer science and engineering
Electronics and communication engineering
Mechanical engineering
Electrical and electronics engineering
Civil engineering
Information technology
Post-Graduate Courses:
Tech
Mechanical engineering
Computer science
Electronics and communication engineering
Information technology
Management course
Master of business administration (MBA)
Admission in HKBK College of Engineering Bangalore:
For the admission in HKBK College of Engineering Bangalore, students need to apply through online mode from the official website of the college.
For admission in under-graduate course (B.E) students need to meet the criteria as per the AICTE norms and they must secure at least 45% marks at their 10+2 levels with science combination. Along with that, students need to apply through common entrance test conducted by the state government of Karnataka. For management quota in HKBK College of Engineering Bangalore, students can mail to the authority or administrative cell of the college.
For the admission in Post-Graduate courses, student need to secure minimum 50% marks at their graduation level and they must apply through common entrance test. Fee structure of HKBK College of Engineering Bangalore is very reasonable.
Admission process: students need to collect the application kit from the college or they can also fill up the form and submit it online at the college’s official website. Along with that students need to submit all their documents such as certificates, address proof and photographs.
Placement assistance in HKBK College of Engineering Bangalore:
The college has an excellent placement and training cell for the students and it provides soft skill and communication development training to the students from the first semester. Along with that, the college conducts industry meets, mock interviews, seminars, conferences and business lectures in the campus every year. Students can meet with the industry experts through this placement cell and they can enhance their skill and knowledge as per the company’s requirements.
Top companies such as IBM, Infosys, Tech Mahindra, Wipro, Dell and Accenture select many students from this college each year.
For HKBK College of Engineering Bangalore admission, contact 8095723044 / 7760635804
The U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., Director of Admissions Col. Deborah McDonald, Army West Point Athletics Associate Athletic Director Lt. Col. (R) Gaylord Green, Cadet Taylor Chambers and Cadet Andre Michell speak with candidates at a West Point Admissions brief before the Army vs. Rice game today.
Questions were answered about the admissions process, cadet life and serving in the U.S. Army. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sadie Routzahn)
More and more people are taking Ibogaine as they discover its amazing benefits. Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive substance that is said to alleviate the physical symptoms of opiate withdrawal. Ibogaine is made from a root bark and the medicine has been used for thousands of years as a rite of passage in parts of Africa. In America, it’s been used in a secretive and illicit way since the 1960s for spiritual development and addiction treatment. Ibogaine is a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance under State and federal law. Due to legal restrictions of Ibogaine in the US, there hasn’t been the opportunity for much clinical research. Since ibogaine is illegal in the United States, American patients travel to foreign countries for treatment. Ibogaine is legal but unregulated in Canada and Mexico. New Zealand, South Africa, and Brazil authorize the use of ibogaine by licensed medical practitioners and is an approved medicine.
Wendell Beitzel, a Maryland Republican Member of House of Delegates submitted a proposal to re-introduce a bill in the next General Assembly session to study ibogaine. Wendell’s wife, provided extensive research for the legislative approval. This bill would provide ibogaine treatment at participating health care facilities targeting opioid addicts who have not responded to conventional treatments, such as suboxone and methadone for opioid dependence. President Trump declared America’s opioid crisis a public health emergency. According to Beitzel, Maryland drug and alcohol deaths are at an all-time high. Of all intoxication deaths 86% were opioid-related last year. Beitzel and his wife know from personal experience with their son, an opiate addict, that ibogaine healed him of his addition. We have to pass this bill so that we can research ways to institutionalize ibogaine treatment in a way that is accessible and effective for all people. For the thousands of people in this country who are struggling and dying in the grips of opiate addiction. If this bill passes, the first Ibogaine Treatment Pilot Program would be set to begin by January 1, 2019 and be approved for research for up to four years. This bill specifies that during the treatment of ibogaine, the patients will be evaluated on the effectiveness of Ibogaine compared to conventional treatment methods. The General Assembly’s bill demonstrates a recognition that addiction is a disease and that recovery is possible. The need to pass the bill could not be more urgent for the many hundreds of thousands across Maryland and the United States of America who are facing the disease of addiction and for the loved ones of those who have already lost their lives to this disease. This bill comes at a very important time for America’s opioid crisis. The American Society of Addiction Medicine estimates that there’s nearly 2.6 million Americans with an opioid addiction.
Ibogaine remains a Schedule I drug, even as the opioid crisis continues to grow. This is the first time ibogaine has come up as a topic in mainstream media regarding the opioid crisis. I believe it is the wave of decriminalisation/legalisation of marijuana that has created a backdrop to finally introduce scientific research of ibogaine in America. Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has had some success introducing clinical trials of Ibogaine in other countries where Ibogaine is legal. A past research study sponsored by MAPS in Mexico and New Zealand, both show that a single treatment of ibogaine, for reasons unknown, someone could go cold turkey from opiates without any physical or mental symptoms of withdrawal. Just one treatment of ibogaine can reset the brain’s neurochemistry freeing the drug user from a destructive pattern of abuse. Whereas, traditional treatment methods like suboxone or methadone, need to be taken continuously, and can be addictive. This bill may not be easy to pass as traditional opiate treatments today provide big incentives for Big Pharma: Suboxone and Methadone are drugs that require daily use for extended periods of time whereas ibogaine, with its one treatment, threatens the very order of things.
Due to the success of ibogaine healing addicts, ibogaine treatment centers have popped up all over the world, except here in the states. Conventional science says that anecdotes do not count but when you have several hundred cases saying that Ibogaine works to cure opioid addiction, maybe anecdotal evidence should be counted. It is clear that ibogaine is a beautiful and powerful medicine that can really help facilitate transformative growth in anyone trying to overcome addiction to become the best version of themself. Ibogaine has appeared as a ray of light for millions of people suffering with heroin addiction and overdose.
Crossroads Ibogaine is the best Treatment Center offering a 7-day ibogaine detox treatment program that’s considered to be among the best in the world. What makes Crossroads better than other ibogaine detox programs is Crossroads believes in a 3-part Ibogaine program. Part one is our precare preparation to help the patient achieve the greatest results.Part one includes a Skype or phone coaching call and an advanced medical screening where we answer any questions the patient may have prior to heading to the Bahamas for treatment. Part 2 is a safe and highly transformative plant medicine experience with the Ibogaine. During part two the patient goes through a physical evaluation by a physician prior to Ibogaine treatment and is medically supervised during treatment. Also included in part two of the Crossroads treatment are optional massages, beach time and horseback riding trips. Part 3 is an extended aftercare program, helping the patient integrate back into their lives at a licensed facility in the US. Part 3 also includes: skype or phone recovery coaching once the patient returns home, access to our social media support group, personalized integration resources and optional post-ibogaine herbal supplements.
Crossroads has helped 1000’s of guests experience Ibogaine and achieve success over addiction for over 5 years now. Check out some of our testimonials below.
Crossroads Program Testimonials
I honestly feel like you guys have an excellent program/service there. The whole process was smooth, positive, and just what I was after. I came there just wanting to be “cured” from an addiction but it did more than I thought was even possible. The addiction was just a side effect of stuff in my mind that I didn’t even know was there. That place will forever have a special place in my heart. I have my LIFE back!! THANK YOU!! (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)
The admission process was very accommodating and fast. I wasn’t left to be in withdrawals for any of the intake process. I appreciated the staff’s warm demeanor. Changed my life forever. It’s an amazing plant medicine. Gave me 100% freedom not just from my addiction but from all my deep emotional issues as well. All I can say is WOW!!! (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)
The program is outstanding; I felt like everything was thought of. There was nothing to worry about while I was there; all of my needs were met. The staff was so helpful and kind. I felt like everyone there was really concerned about my healing. There was no judgement. I have never been treated that way when dealing with addiction. (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)
I’m currently getting a few of my friends who had the same problems on board and Crossroads will be seeing them soon. They are in awe of my transformation and how quickly the ibogaine treatment worked. You can tell that the doctors and staff genuinely care; had lots of great conversations with all of them. Very laid-back, relaxing vibe to the house; soo good! (Crossroads Patient(insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)
Fantastic location, great airy space, large rooms with high ceilings, comfortable beds. I’ve been ranting and raving already to people close to me about this treatment. Ibogaine is a serious psychedelic that you need to be careful with and your facility is excellent at making sure everything is done right and safely. (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)
The post Legal Status of Ibogaine Around the World appeared first on Crossroads Ibogaine Treatment Center | Bahamas.
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The U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., Director of Admissions Col. Deborah McDonald, Army West Point Athletics Associate Athletic Director Lt. Col. (R) Gaylord Green, Cadet Taylor Chambers and Cadet Andre Michell speak with candidates at a West Point Admissions brief before the Army vs. Rice game today.
Questions were answered about the admissions process, cadet life and serving in the U.S. Army. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Sadie Routzahn)
On Wednesday, April 29th, 2015, Micheal Broski, a representative from West Point Academy visited Utica Academy of Science Charter School. Scholars in grades 7 through 10 were given a survey to indicate whether they are interested to hear from West Point Academy or not. There were 83 scholars who signed up for it. Mr. Broski had arrived to give information about the admission process of West Point and other programs are being offered at West Point Academy. West Point Academy’s role in our nation's history dates back to the Revolutionary War, when both sides realized the strategic importance of the commanding plateau on the west bank of the Hudson River. General George Washington considered West Point to be the most important strategic position in America. Washington personally selected Thaddeus Kosciuszko, one of the heroes of Saratoga, to design the fortifications for West Point in 1778, and Washington transferred his headquarters to West Point in 1779. Continental soldiers built forts, batteries and redoubts and extended a 150-ton iron chain across the Hudson to control river traffic. Fortress West Point was never captured by the British, despite Benedict Arnold's treason. West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America. Mr. Broski showed a video which was amazing to have students get an idea what they do at West Point. Students asked a lot of questions to Mr. Broski to learn more about it. Students answered some questions, they earned a USB drive, and several other prizes.
As part of the admission process, children are given a sachet of ready-to-use therapeutic food to test their appetite. Children who have a good appetite can be treated as outpatients, while those who refuse to eat will referred to a stabilisation centre for around-the-clock care.
© IMC/Crystal Wells
Local high school students and their families were invited to learn about LCC at Spring Preview Night held on April 21, 2015 in the Health & Science Building. Students and parents received a welcome from LCC President, Chris Bailey. President Bailey shared why LCC is the Smart Choice! Students had opportunities to meet faculty and staff as well as "sample" classrooms and labs! Parents received information on the college admissions process and financial aid. LCC's advising staff and career services manager were on hand to assist with questions about degree programs & certificates, choosing a career and more.
More and more people are taking Ibogaine as they discover its amazing benefits. Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive substance that is said to alleviate the physical symptoms of opiate withdrawal. Ibogaine is made from a root bark and the medicine has been used for thousands of years as a rite of passage in parts of Africa. In America, it’s been used in a secretive and illicit way since the 1960s for spiritual development and addiction treatment. Ibogaine is a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance under State and federal law. Due to legal restrictions of Ibogaine in the US, there hasn’t been the opportunity for much clinical research. Since ibogaine is illegal in the United States, American patients travel to foreign countries for treatment. Ibogaine is legal but unregulated in Canada and Mexico. New Zealand, South Africa, and Brazil authorize the use of ibogaine by licensed medical practitioners and is an approved medicine.
Wendell Beitzel, a Maryland Republican Member of House of Delegates submitted a proposal to re-introduce a bill in the next General Assembly session to study ibogaine. Wendell’s wife, provided extensive research for the legislative approval. This bill would provide ibogaine treatment at participating health care facilities targeting opioid addicts who have not responded to conventional treatments, such as suboxone and methadone for opioid dependence. President Trump declared America’s opioid crisis a public health emergency. According to Beitzel, Maryland drug and alcohol deaths are at an all-time high. Of all intoxication deaths 86% were opioid-related last year. Beitzel and his wife know from personal experience with their son, an opiate addict, that ibogaine healed him of his addition. We have to pass this bill so that we can research ways to institutionalize ibogaine treatment in a way that is accessible and effective for all people. For the thousands of people in this country who are struggling and dying in the grips of opiate addiction. If this bill passes, the first Ibogaine Treatment Pilot Program would be set to begin by January 1, 2019 and be approved for research for up to four years. This bill specifies that during the treatment of ibogaine, the patients will be evaluated on the effectiveness of Ibogaine compared to conventional treatment methods. The General Assembly’s bill demonstrates a recognition that addiction is a disease and that recovery is possible. The need to pass the bill could not be more urgent for the many hundreds of thousands across Maryland and the United States of America who are facing the disease of addiction and for the loved ones of those who have already lost their lives to this disease. This bill comes at a very important time for America’s opioid crisis. The American Society of Addiction Medicine estimates that there’s nearly 2.6 million Americans with an opioid addiction.
Ibogaine remains a Schedule I drug, even as the opioid crisis continues to grow. This is the first time ibogaine has come up as a topic in mainstream media regarding the opioid crisis. I believe it is the wave of decriminalisation/legalisation of marijuana that has created a backdrop to finally introduce scientific research of ibogaine in America. Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has had some success introducing clinical trials of Ibogaine in other countries where Ibogaine is legal. A past research study sponsored by MAPS in Mexico and New Zealand, both show that a single treatment of ibogaine, for reasons unknown, someone could go cold turkey from opiates without any physical or mental symptoms of withdrawal. Just one treatment of ibogaine can reset the brain’s neurochemistry freeing the drug user from a destructive pattern of abuse. Whereas, traditional treatment methods like suboxone or methadone, need to be taken continuously, and can be addictive. This bill may not be easy to pass as traditional opiate treatments today provide big incentives for Big Pharma: Suboxone and Methadone are drugs that require daily use for extended periods of time whereas ibogaine, with its one treatment, threatens the very order of things.
Due to the success of ibogaine healing addicts, ibogaine treatment centers have popped up all over the world, except here in the states. Conventional science says that anecdotes do not count but when you have several hundred cases saying that Ibogaine works to cure opioid addiction, maybe anecdotal evidence should be counted. It is clear that ibogaine is a beautiful and powerful medicine that can really help facilitate transformative growth in anyone trying to overcome addiction to become the best version of themself. Ibogaine has appeared as a ray of light for millions of people suffering with heroin addiction and overdose.
Crossroads Ibogaine is the best Treatment Center offering a 7-day ibogaine detox treatment program that’s considered to be among the best in the world. What makes Crossroads better than other ibogaine detox programs is Crossroads believes in a 3-part Ibogaine program. Part one is our precare preparation to help the patient achieve the greatest results.Part one includes a Skype or phone coaching call and an advanced medical screening where we answer any questions the patient may have prior to heading to the Bahamas for treatment. Part 2 is a safe and highly transformative plant medicine experience with the Ibogaine. During part two the patient goes through a physical evaluation by a physician prior to Ibogaine treatment and is medically supervised during treatment. Also included in part two of the Crossroads treatment are optional massages, beach time and horseback riding trips. Part 3 is an extended aftercare program, helping the patient integrate back into their lives at a licensed facility in the US. Part 3 also includes: skype or phone recovery coaching once the patient returns home, access to our social media support group, personalized integration resources and optional post-ibogaine herbal supplements.
Crossroads has helped 1000’s of guests experience Ibogaine and achieve success over addiction for over 5 years now. Check out some of our testimonials below.
Crossroads Program Testimonials
I honestly feel like you guys have an excellent program/service there. The whole process was smooth, positive, and just what I was after. I came there just wanting to be “cured” from an addiction but it did more than I thought was even possible. The addiction was just a side effect of stuff in my mind that I didn’t even know was there. That place will forever have a special place in my heart. I have my LIFE back!! THANK YOU!! (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)
The admission process was very accommodating and fast. I wasn’t left to be in withdrawals for any of the intake process. I appreciated the staff’s warm demeanor. Changed my life forever. It’s an amazing plant medicine. Gave me 100% freedom not just from my addiction but from all my deep emotional issues as well. All I can say is WOW!!! (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)
The program is outstanding; I felt like everything was thought of. There was nothing to worry about while I was there; all of my needs were met. The staff was so helpful and kind. I felt like everyone there was really concerned about my healing. There was no judgement. I have never been treated that way when dealing with addiction. (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)
I’m currently getting a few of my friends who had the same problems on board and Crossroads will be seeing them soon. They are in awe of my transformation and how quickly the ibogaine treatment worked. You can tell that the doctors and staff genuinely care; had lots of great conversations with all of them. Very laid-back, relaxing vibe to the house; soo good! (Crossroads Patient(insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)
Fantastic location, great airy space, large rooms with high ceilings, comfortable beds. I’ve been ranting and raving already to people close to me about this treatment. Ibogaine is a serious psychedelic that you need to be careful with and your facility is excellent at making sure everything is done right and safely. (Crossroads Patient (insert what they were addicted to? Year of treatment?)
The post Legal Status of Ibogaine Around the World appeared first on Crossroads Ibogaine Treatment Center | Bahamas.
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