12 Future Deacons: Servants of Christ and the Church

As they prepare for their upcoming ordination the permanent diaconate, we invite you to learn about each of the deacon candidate's unique all to this vocation, the formation journey, and their unwavering desire to be configured in the heart of Christ the Servant. 

John Arbeau

When John was first asked to consider the permanent diaconate, his initial reaction was that he wasn’t an appropriate candidate. But now he says, “With education, training and prayer I have matured and grown in my spirituality to understand the service of a deacon…the personal growth in my spirituality has been extreme and has definitely brought me closer to God.” John also credits several priests and the closeness of the deacon candidate group with providing valuable support.

His first and best supporter though, is his wife Kerry. Kerry and John have four children, John Jr., Jeffery, Jennifer and Joseph. John has served on many committees at the various parishes he attended and found satisfaction in his contributions to pastoral council (chairperson), finance council and as the chair of Ascension Parish Building Renovation Committee. This service was rewarding but he felt he was still missing something in serving the Lord.

​He is currently an active member of Ascension Parish in Calgary, volunteering with pastoral care at St. Marguerite Manor hospice and various senior centers. He also serves as a lector, EMHC and is a member of the Knights of Columbus. In future he hopes to work more with youth which is a passion of his.

​John has previously spent 12 years as a Boy Scout troupe leader so he has experience with teaching and motivating young people. Currently he is employed at Versa-Line Services where he gets to help clients find solutions for business operations.

Bruce Alan Barnett

Bruce has a deep love for Mother Mary and credits her influence in bringing him to the diaconate. He says, “Our most holy mother of God, Mary, has always guided me. As I look back, I sense this in the humbleness and meekness of my own earthly mother whose hidden powerful prayers were heard by God in bringing me to this vocation.” Bruce’s parents instilled the gifts of life-long learning and leading a simple faith-filled life into him. Though the Lord had to ‘pull’ at various times in Bruce’s life, God’s Church always remained an ever-blessing presence that culminated when Bruce met and married his wife in Lethbridge.

Asked who his biggest supporter is, Bruce answered, “My wife Pat in her unconditional, sacrificial love, prayers, and common sense.” He also acknowledged the close bonds formed within the diaconate class of 12 families. “We all experienced the ‘oneness’ of the Body of Christ in our prayers, compassion and empathy shown many times through the journey.”

​Bruce and Pat are members of St. Martha’s Parish in Lethbridge where Bruce currently chairs Pastoral Council. His volunteer work with welcoming immigrants into our culture strongly connects his service to our Lord with service at the altar and service within the community. This life of service extends still further as a business owner, land surveyor and geomatics engineer.

​Pat and Bruce feel blessed to have their daughter Karen, granddaughter Jessica, her husband Jacob, and great-grandchild Jack (4), all living in Lethbridge.

Ferdinand Gayos

Ferdinand (Ferdie) had an arduous path getting to-and through-the diaconate program. When he was 17 years old, he entered a seminary in the Philippines but had to forego his studies due to illness. This paved the way to meeting his wife Malou. The couple has been married 33 years. In 2011, having been accepted into the Calgary diaconate program, Ferdie again had to forego his studies, this time to support Malou who was transferred to the USA by her employer.

They returned in 2014 and Ferdie was readmitted to the diaconate program in 2019. Each subsequent year proved to be increasingly challenging with life-changing experiences - losing a job during Covid, being falsely diagnosed with cancer (twice!), and in the last year of formation, dealing with his mother-in-law’s series of strokes. Ferdie found himself writing most of his academic papers at the cafeteria of Foothills, Peter Lougheed and Fanning Centre as he and Malou dealt with his mother-in law’s ongoing complications. Forty years from his first call, God has finally blessed the desire of Ferdie’s heart to serve Him as an ordained deacon.

​Malou and Ferdie have five children, Lorenzo, Karissa, Jaime, Joanna, and Timothy plus two grandchildren Noah and Ava. Ferdie and Malou are members of St. Albert the Great Parish in Calgary. Ferdie is a supply chain professional and is currently working with Arcfield Canada Corp., a defense contractor for the Department of National Defense.       

Randy Victor Gritter

Randy was introduced to the Catholic Church through the Live In ministry where he met his wife, Mary. He was already a committed Christian. His father was a Protestant pastor.

After a few years of attending both churches he began to contemplate his faith at a deeper level. He read up on Church history, philosophy and theology. “I was excited about the Catholic theology when I had come to realize it is both true and beautiful,” Randy said. He also felt welcomed by parishioners at St. Michael’s in Calgary and was given many opportunities to serve. He did youth ministry, then prison ministry for a long time and, when that was curtailed by Covid restrictions, visited with seniors in Providence Care Center. He says, “Pastoral care ministries have been very rewarding.”

Throughout his faith journey, Randy has known about deacons and seen them take on various roles – teaching, preaching, visiting the sick and imprisoned and helping the poor – so he felt a call to serve in this way right from the outset of his initiation into the Catholic Church. Now he hopes to spend even more time sharing God’s Word, which he describes as a “special love” of his.

​Randy works in software development. He says, “If I did not get paid for playing with computers, I would likely do that in my spare time.” Mary and Randy’s family includes six children, Abigael, Kevin, Peter, Hannah, Teresa and John, ranging in age from 28-15 years.

Thomas Ha

Thomas has dedicated himself to Jesus’ command, “I was in prison and you visited me” (Matthew 25:36) by serving in prison ministry for the last 14 years. He continues to minister the Liturgy of the Word programs at all three of Calgary’s prisons - the Youth Offender Center, Remand Center and Correctional Center.  He is currently the Catholic Volunteer Coordinator of the Calgary Remand Center. As he listens to inmate stories, Thomas says he feels privileged “to see the power of prayers and the Holy Spirit at work” in the conversions of many of the inmates.

At Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Calgary, Thomas has served on pastoral council, financial council and as an EMHC to name but a few of his many commitments.  He was equally active previously at St. Luke’s parish.

Thomas is a professional geologist and runs a family-owned environmental assessments business. He is married to May. They have two children, Joanna and Weison, and four grandchildren Sophie, Joey, August and Remi.

​Thomas was invited to consider the permanent diaconate by Bishop Emeritus Henry during a Chinese New Year Banquet. He is thankful to Bishop Henry, Bishop McGrattan, everyone involved in the diaconate program and those who prayed for him, most especially his beloved family. The four year program appeared daunting at the beginning but turned out to be “the best gift he has ever received”. 

Brian Kinahan

Brian echoes a common theme among the deacon candidates, of hearing a call to serve but not being entirely sure if that call was to the diaconate. It was only after he retired from a career in banking, and after speaking with a deacon friend, that Brian says he, “Felt a real sense that this was what I was being called to.”

Presently Brian is very active in St. Augustine’s Parish in Taber serving as an acolyte, lector, greeter, EMHC and occasional chorist, as well as being involved in pastoral visiting, St. Vincent de Paul and the Knights of Columbus.

Brian and Linda, his wife of 17 years, also belong to a small faith sharing group called "The Threads of Love". Brian credits this group, plus his supportive spouse, understanding family and “so many people” in his parish, with praying for him during the successes and doubts of his diaconate studies.

​Another passion of Brian’s is young people in schools. He wants to give them a better understanding of the strength and joy that the Catholic faith can bring them. “They are our future and we can't afford to leave their faith journey to chance," he said.

Linda and Brian have a blended family with 7 children and 11 grandchildren. The oldest grandchild is 17 and the youngest is just 2.

Timothy Peter Lilienthal

Peter spent over 38 years in the Canadian Armed Forces (RCAF). During his military service he was responsible for repatriating deceased soldiers from Afghanistan, an experience which weighed heavily on him. On the advice of a chaplain priest, he attended Mass where he finally found the fullness of faith which he was missing. Although Peter was raised Lutheran, he felt drawn to the Eucharist from his earliest years. He was formally received into the Church in 2010. After his final military posting to Colorado, Peter, and his wife Cyndi (they have been married 36 years), decided to return to Canada. 

Peter and Cyndi experienced a series of Holy-Spirit-inspired events which led them to Lethbridge, where Cyndi accepted a position as sacramental coordinator at All Saints Parish in Lethbridge. Upon arrival, the parish priest first suggested the calling of diaconate to Peter. “I’d never heard a call to be a deacon specifically,” Peter said, “But God was (continuously) asking me to serve His people through my hands and words.” This service has included leadership in Knights of Columbus, RCIA, guiding parents whose children are in sacramental preparation, being a lector, EMHC, livestream technician and leading adult faith formation Q&A sessions.

​Going forward, Peter hopes to interact with high schoolers to help them discern how God is calling them. To relax, Peter plays golf and periodically enjoys a good cigar while reading.

James Arnold Manzara

Jim and his wife Helen have been married for 35 years and have two sons, Andrew and Matthew, plus a daughter, Tyree. Matthew is married to Charity and they have a 2 year old son Xavier. Raised in Calgary, Jim has made his home in Lethbridge with his wife, Helen, since 1989 and are members of All Saints Parish.

​Now retired, Jim dedicated three decades of his career as an athletic therapist at the Lethbridge College Kodiaks.  He achieved his degree from Brigham Young University in Utah where he says his Catholic faith was “challenged daily”. It created a deep desire to proclaim and serve God. This desire is seen in Jim’s many volunteer commitments, e.g., pastoral support to Lethbridge Correctional Centre, soup kitchen, altar serving and training altar servers, EMHC, hospitality, lector, sacristan and more. In most of these ministries Helen and Jim function as a team. 

​Beyond the parish, Jim is a steersperson for a number of dragon boat teams, both local and inter-provincial. “I keep people on the straight and narrow in another way,” he laughed.

​Over two decades this challenge has taken him to competitions in Puerto Rico, Trinidad/Tobago, New Zealand and Panama, besides many provinces and states in Canada and the USA.

Carlos Perez

Carlos has a large, supportive family, primarily his wife Melrose, their four children Carmela 23, Sharon 22, Patrick 19 and Charlotte 16, his mother and siblings. His father passed away in 2021. Carlos credits his family with praying the rosary every day asking the Blessed Mother to intercede for him.

Balancing diaconate studies with his family and career, as senior pre-planning director of Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery, was challenging for Carlos. He quickly learned the key was self-sacrifice. He said, “Just like the Lord, I needed to have a servant heart.”

Carlos is a member of St. Thomas More Parish in Calgary where he serves in several ministries including EMHC, acolyte and Couples for Christ (CFC). It was at a CFC evangelization rally, while bantering with Bishop Emeritus Frederick Henry, that the bishop instructed Carlos to talk to his pastor about applying to become a deacon. Carlos says, “I did not even know at that time what exactly a deacon was.” Since then he has been guided by the phrase “God does not call the equipped but equips those he calls.”

As an avid musician and songwriter, Carlos uses his talent to support the annual “Love More” concert hosted by CFC. Proceeds go towards the care of retired priests in the Diocese of Calgary and the poor, via ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor). “Love More” is also a great way for young people to share their talents for God’s purpose.

Ricardo Rosero

Ricardo began his missionary work in Columbia, serving at San José de Calasanz Parish, and in pastoral care at St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi Foundation, in Medellin. He is now a Canadian citizen and a member of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish, which celebrates Masses in English, Spanish and Italian. He continues his service in pastoral care, St. Vincent de Paul Society, EMHC and as a sacristan among other ministries. His focus is on service to those most in need, including those who are outside the formal boundaries of the parish.

​Ricardo is married to Gladys Alvarez and the couple has three children, John Alejandro (32), Laura Patricia (28) and stepdaughter Adriana Garcia Alvarez (48).

Ricardo was drawn to the diaconate by a desire to serve more deeply and to better support his parish priest. He says that the weekends of diaconal formation helped him feel the presence of the Holy Spirit and he marveled at seeing how the liturgy and readings of the day were in harmony with the academics and training of that same weekend. His favorite saints are Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta for the testimonies they offered simply by their way of life.

As an accountant, Ricardo worked as a manager at Price Waterhouse Coopers in Colombia, and is currently financial director of L'Arche in Calgary. In addition to church activities and his work, he enjoys spending time with family and especially playing with his granddaughter Liana (2).

Andrew Ross

Andrew has been resolute in his commitment. “The calling of God, as in the compass needle, has not waivered and it keeps pointing me in this direction,” he said. However, he also knows that his vocation will progress over time. “As faith is a journey – so is our formation – a constant, iterative improvement process.”  

The rigorous diaconate formation provided opportunities for candidates to explore a lot of different areas which helped to draw out their unique gifts. This process will continue as they evolve and grow as servant leaders. Andrew is active in his parish, St. Joseph’s, serving as an EMHC and lector as well as leading the altar server ministry. He has also volunteered on pastoral council and on the executive of the Feed the Hungry program.

In addition to church commitments, Andrew is a professional engineer and an independent consultant focusing on portfolio, program and project work in various industries. Most important to Andrew though, is his 40 year marriage to Irene. He says, “Irene and I have worked together (through the diaconate program) and become even stronger in our marriage and spiritual partnership.” Irene and Andrew have three grown children - Kharah, Sydony who is married to Daniel, and Andrew who is married to Heather. They also have three grandchildren - Sonja, Erik, and Miceala.

​Andrew says he has learned to embrace the servant heart of Christ and recognizes it is a lifelong journey. He is ready to serve wherever God calls him.

Reynaldo Tadifa

Like the other deacon candidates, Rey is warm in his praise of his wife whom he calls, “My biggest supporter and prayer warrior.” He says, “Pam learned with me during the formation. She has encouraged me in so many ways.  She took the time to participate, attended and tried her best to be present in all activities, together with the other wives, on the formation weekends.”

Pam and Rey have two children, Lianne (25) and Miguel (15). The family attends St. Albert the Great Parish in Calgary. Rey loves the vibrant and diverse nature of his parish where he volunteers as an EMHC, lector, acolyte, with St. Vincent de Paul and extensively with Couples for Christ. Additionally Rey says, “I am passionate about husband and wife relationships and marriage preparation and would love to get more involved in these ministries.”

Rey first heard about permanent deacons through a Catholic website. “I learned that the permanent diaconate is a sacrament of Holy Orders and deacons are ordained ministers. (My) perception has evolved from merely seeing it as a role of service to recognizing the permanent diaconate as a sacred calling”. The formation journey has taught Rey that faith is meant to grow and deepen, not stagnate. “I know that I am moving forward as the Holy Spirit leads,” he says.

​Beyond the church, Rey works as a senior architectural technologist producing construction documents for hospital projects. In this role, he communicates daily with architects, interior designers, and consultants all over Canada.

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Written by Alice Matisz for Faithfully. ​Alice lives in Lethbridge with her husband Don. She is a member of All Saints Parish where she volunteers to bring the Eucharist to a long term care home. She enjoys reading, writing, baking and painting. 

​Photos submitted by Deacon John Walsh.