16 Men Set to be Ordained as Deacons

A bumper crop of 16 men will be ordained to the permanent diaconate in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at Christ King Catholic Church, 2604 N. Swan Blvd., Wauwatosa. Due to the anticipated large crowd, entrance into the church is by ticket only. The Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate will be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/archmil.

Here is a look at the 16 men who will soon be deacons.

Tom Binder

Wife: Joey

City: Kenosha

Children: Allie, Jack and Max

Parish(es): St. Anne, Pleasant Prairie

What led you to the diaconate? I was led to the diaconate because I felt called to turn my life over to the Lord and his Church through service.

Area of diaconal ministry: Visiting and bringing Eucharist to the sick and homebound, and helping lead faith and liturgical formation.

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: St. Anne Parish, Pleasant Prairie, area hospitals, senior centers and homes.

Occupation: Marketing consultant

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 10, 5:15 p.m., at St. Anne, Pleasant Prairie

Arnold M. Bryson II

Wife: Mary

City: Elkhorn

Children: Nikole (Travis), Eric, Andrew and two grandchildren (Dylan and Addison)

Parish(es): St. Patrick, Elkhorn, and St. Andrew, Delavan

What led you to the diaconate? Serving others was always a part of my life. I saw many needs both inside and outside of the Church, and God revealed this path to me as a way I could help.

Occupation: Assistant plant manager

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 18, 7:30 and 10:30 a.m., at St. Patrick, Elkhorn

Jerome (Jerry) T. Campbell II

Wife: Rebecca (Becky) L. Gorder

City: Big Bend

Children: Elizabeth, Samuel and Gregory; eight grandchildren from ages 3 to 12

Parish(es): Catholic Community of Waukesha (St. John Neumann, St. Joseph, St. Mary and St. William)

What led you to the diaconate? God led me to the diaconate. I felt a call to diaconal service as I witnessed deacons and priests serving with me in the Navy. Over the past 20 years, many friends and acquaintances have encouraged me to consider becoming a deacon.

Area of diaconal ministry: I will be participating in the ministries of the word, liturgy and charity. I will be ministering to the homebound, and those in nursing homes and assisted living. I will also be engaged in adult faith formation by facilitating bible study and lay leadership development programs.

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: Waukesha

Occupation: Retired physician’s assistant, United States Naval officer, and Veteran’s Administration

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 10 at St. John Neumann, Waukesha

James G. Casserly

Wife: Kimmy

City: Watertown

Children: N/A

Parish(es): St. Jerome, Oconomowoc

What led you to the diaconate? My strong love of the Catholic Church and a strong desire to share that love with others has led me to the diaconate.

Area of diaconal ministry: Parish ministry and pro-life ministry

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: St. Jerome Parish, Oconomowoc, and the Waukesha area

Occupation: Veterinarian

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 10, 4:30 p.m., at St. Jerome, Oconomowoc

Michael P. Dunn

Wife: Catherine

City: Whitefish Bay

Children: Margaret J. Nikolic and Mary G. Dunn

Parish(es): Holy Family, Whitefish Bay, and St. Robert Newminster, Shorewood

What led you to the diaconate? While in retrospect, my life experiences were leading me to the path to the diaconate, my journey began in earnest when Fr. David Zampino suggested to me that I should consider becoming a deacon.

Area of diaconal ministry: I plan to serve as a deacon for the Women’s Care Center, a pregnancy service organization.

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: Milwaukee

Occupation: Retired attorney

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 11 at Holy Family, Whitefish Bay

Brent A. Enwright

Wife: Mari

City: Kenosha

Children: Jordan, Christian and Grant

Parish(es): St. Mary, Kenosha

What led you to the diaconate? I received a letter that came from the three deacons at St. Mary, inviting me to consider the diaconate. For many years, I felt called by the Holy Spirit to serve. Through prayer and thoughtful consideration, I was led to this joyful calling.

Area of diaconal ministry: Charity: Communion to the homebound, hospitals and nursing homes. Altar: Assist at the altar by preaching, proclaiming the Gospel, and assisting at baptisms, weddings and funerals. Word: Assisting with baptism prep classes and RCIA classes.

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: St. Mary Parish, Kenosha

Occupation: Regional representative at Textbook Warehouse

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 17 and 18 at St. Mary, Kenosha

Jon S. Gabik

Wife: Yvonne

City: Whitefish Bay

Children: Ian and Zoe

Parish(es): Holy Family, Whitefish Bay, and St. Robert Newminster, Shorewood

What led you to the diaconate? My pastor, Fr. Dennis Dirkx, asked me if I’d consider becoming a deacon. He saw something in me I didn’t see in myself. I told him, “If God wanted me to become a deacon, I will be a deacon.” Serving God’s people, particularly the poor and the marginalized, remains an important part of my life.

Area of diaconal ministry: Assist at a multi-resource center for the homeless and at-risk individuals.

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: Northshore community and MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary

Occupation: Director of operations and administration at St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Milwaukee

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 18 at both Holy Family, Whitefish Bay, and St. Robert Newminster, Shorewood

Jeffrey Kucharski

Wife: Maria

City: Hartland

Children: Olivia and Zachary

Parish(es): St. Dominic, Brookfield

What led you to the diaconate? My love and service toward God, my wife, children and family has led me to love and serve God’s Church through the diaconate.

Area of diaconal ministry: Pastoral care of the sick and homebound

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Milwaukee, and St. Dominic Parish, Brookfield

Occupation: Architecture and construction

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 11, 9 a.m., at St. Dominic, Brookfield

Jason Myres

Wife: Susan

City: Kenosha

Children: N/A

Parish(es): Kenosha-Racine County Line Catholic Parishes

What led you to the diaconate? I was called into a deeper relationship with God through service.

Area of diaconal ministry: Catechesis

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: Kenosha and Racine counties

Occupation: Business development director

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 11 at St. John the Baptist, Paris

Michael A. Reesman

Wife: Jodi

City: Menomonee Falls

Children: Dan and Andrew

Parish(es): St. Mary Mother of God and St. Anthony the Hermit, Menomonee Falls

What led you to the diaconate? My love of serving others and a persistent call from God to this vocation, along with encouragement from other deacons, led me to answer the call to the diaconate.

Area of diaconal ministry: Beside the ministries done at the parishes, such as assisting at Mass, weddings, baptisms and funerals, I will be doing communion services to the homebound and assisted living centers, bible study at a detention center and, of course, learning to be a good deacon.

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: St. Mary Mother of God and St. Anthony the Hermit Parishes, local assisted living centers and the Waukesha County Jail.

Occupation: Retired

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: St. Mary Mother of God, Menomonee Falls

Raul V. Rueda

Wife: N/A

City: Racine

Children: N/A

Parish(es): St. Patrick, Racine

What led you to the diaconate? The call of the Lord to serve in his vineyard.

Area of diaconal ministry: Evangelization

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: Catholic Community of Central Racine

Occupation: Manufacturing operations management

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 11 at St. Patrick, Racine

Michael Skupien

Wife: Susan

City: New Berlin

Children: Amy Gleeson, Erin Skupien and Brian Skupien

Parish(es): Holy Apostles, New Berlin

What led you to the diaconate? I had been called to serve in the diaconate for a long time and it grew out of my hunger to serve God in a deeper and more meaningful way. We just had to wait until it was the right time for both of us.

Area of diaconal ministry: Homeless meal programs, jail ministry and nursing home ministry

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: Holy Apostles Parish, the Waukesha County Correctional System and nursing homes in New Berlin.

Occupation: Customer care representative for Diggers Hotline

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 11, 10 a.m., at Holy Apostles, New Berlin

Edward Sosa

Wife: Julie

City: Kenosha

Children: Angie, Julisa, Justin, Adela and Marcelo

Parish(es): St. John Nepomuk, Racine

What led you to the diaconate? Prior to formation, I had a love for God’s word and sharing it with others, particularly in prison ministry. When I discovered that proclaiming the Gospel and serving on the margins were the core of the diaconate, it seemed the Lord had been laying a foundation for this calling.

Area of diaconal ministry: Prison ministry, communion to the homebound and nursing homes

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility and St. Catherine Commons

Occupation: Manufacturing retiree/theology teacher

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 11 at St. John Nepomuk, Racine

Lance Tappa

Wife: Angie

City: Sussex

Children: Logan, Carson and Ben

Parish(es): St. Mary Mother of God and St. Anthony the Hermit, Menomonee Falls

What led you to the diaconate? It took someone tapping me on the shoulder and gently encouraging me to pray about it. It also took a lot of prayer and discernment from myself and others to eventually discover in my heart that God is calling me to service his Church and his people.

Area of diaconal ministry: Homebound, engaged/married couples, prison ministry, service at the altar and of the word

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: St. Mary Mother of God and St. Anthony the Hermit Parishes, Menomonee Falls

Occupation: Business professional

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 10, 5 p.m., at St. Mary, Menomonee Falls

John Van Zeeland

Wife: Julie

City: Delafield

Children: Phillip and Jacob

Parish(es): St. James, Mukwonago, and St. Theresa, Eagle

What led you to the diaconate? While praying for God to send us good men to become priests, he asked me, “What’s wrong with you? I need deacons, too.” After discerning this voice, I answered God’s call to serve his people.

Area of diaconal ministry: St. Ben’s homeless ministry and veterans at the VA Hospital

Occupation: Maintenance supervisor

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 10, 4 p.m., at St. James, Mukwonago

Brian Witteman

Wife: Amy

City: Whitefish Bay

Children: Kurt and Alex

Parish(es): St. Monica, Whitefish Bay

What led you to the diaconate? It wasn’t my idea. It is simply saying yes to what God called me to out of a desire to serve him, his flock and his Church.

Area of diaconal ministry: Discipleship, ministry to the homebound

Place(s) where diaconal services will be performed: St. Monica, Whitefish Bay, and St. Eugene, Fox Point

Occupation: Architect

Date and place of your first Mass assisting as an ordained deacon: Sept. 10 at St. Monica, Whitefish Bay