Sixteen men are answering calls to serve as priests and deacons in the Diocese of Cleveland this spring.
Three liturgies will take place: transitional deacon ordination, 7 p.m. April 27; permanent deacon ordination, 10 a.m. May 5 and priestly ordination, 10 a.m. May 19, all in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland. Bishop Nelson Perez will be the celebrant for each Mass and all three liturgies will be streamed live on the diocesan website, dioceseofcleveland.org.
Nine men, Martin James Dober of St. Mary Parish, Berea; Kevin Jerome Fox of St. Justin Martyr Parish, Eastlake; Andrew John Gonzalez of St. Mary of the Falls Parish, Olmsted Falls; Michael Arthur Petkosek of St. Peter Parish, Lorain; Daniel Martin Samide of St. Mary Parish, Hudson; David Alexander Stavarz of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Akron; Joshua Francis Trefney of St. Ladislas Parish, Westlake; Francisco Honorato Garnica, CSJ of the Congregation of St. Joseph, Avon; and John Inwoo Jeong of St. Andrew Kim Parish, Cleveland, will be ordained as transitional deacons on April 27.
As transitional deacons, they will be assigned to serve in parishes across the diocese during the coming year as they prepare for ordination to the priesthood in spring 2019. Ordination of transitional deacons, which has taken place in the fall in the Cleveland diocese for many years, was moved to spring this year. As a result, the newly ordained transitional deacons will have more time to experience pastoral work before they are ordained as priests.
Two of the ordinandi are brothers: Deacon Richard Samide, who will be ordained a priest on May 19, and Daniel Samide, who will be ordained as a transitional deacon on April 27.
Also, Thomas P. Bizon of
