The remains of the second missing US soldier who disappeared earlier this month during African Lion, a training exercise in Morocco, have been recovered.
The post Remains of Second Missing US Soldier Recovered in Morocco appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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The CIA has significantly expanded covert operations against Mexican drug cartels, including alleged involvement in targeted lethal missions inside Mexico.
The post REPORT: CIA is Waging a Secret Assassination Campaign Against Mexican Cartels appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
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“Contrary to news reports, Pope Leo has not bestowed an exclusive special honor on the Iranian ambassador to the Holy See,” the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See said.
![FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas promises pro-life agenda, calls advocates – #Catholic – Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas called pro-life organizations to offer reassurance about his commitment to life after some people in the movement raised concerns.“Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas is personally committed to delivering on President Trump’s pro-life and pro-family agenda at the FDA,” Andrew Nixon, deputy assistant secretary for media relations at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told EWTN News.“Both he and other administration officials will continue regularly interacting with stakeholders in this community to inform FDA decision-making,” he said.Diamantas is serving as acting commissioner after the May 12 resignation of Commissioner Marty Makary, who faced criticism from within the pro-life movement for failure to impose stricter regulations on the abortion drug mifepristone.Some pro-life leaders celebrated Makary’s departure but grew concerned about Diamantas because court records show him serving as legal counsel for a Planned Parenthood affiliate while working at the Baker Donelson law firm. The case was related to a property dispute.Alex Bruesewitz, an adviser to President Donald Trump, dismissed the concern in a post on X, saying he was a junior associate assigned to the case but removed himself because of his pro-life beliefs.Within the past two days, Diamantas has reached out to some pro-life advocates, including March for Life President Jennie Bradley Lichter. A spokesperson for Live Action confirmed he had scheduled a conversation with Live Action President Lila Rose as well. “Within a few hours of being handed this big new job, he was getting on the phone with pro-life leaders and that in itself, I think, is a really encouraging sign of where his priorities are going to be,” Lichter told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” host Abigail Galván.Lichter said she spoke with Diamantas about her concerns with mifepristone, specifically about “the lack of safety, the lack of guardrails, [and] its easy availability.”Under Makary, the FDA launched a study to review the 2023 deregulation of mifepristone, but so far no action has been taken to increase restrictions. Rather, in that same month, the FDA approved a generic version of the drug.Based on her conversation, Lichter said, “I think weʼre going to see real movement” on that study and “I think that the cause of life is going to have, you know, a real champion at the FDA” under Diamantas’ leadership.“I feel really comfortable that he is bringing in strong pro-life commitments and a commitment to transparency and to moving with all deliberate speed to take a close look at mifepristone and then take decisive action based on what that study shows,” she said.Mark Harrington, president of Created Equal, told EWTN News he had not received a call from Diamantas and expressed hesitations about his leadership of the FDA, saying his efforts “could just be viewed as nothing more than damage control.”“Talk is cheap,” he said. “But personnel is policy, and the fact that Diamantas [reportedly] represented Planned Parenthood makes me skeptical that he will advocate for the full mifepristone safety study. We will trust but verify. Action needs to be taken now on the abortion drug.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/fda-acting-commissioner-kyle-diamantas-promises-pro-life-agenda-calls-advocates-catholic-food-and-drug-administration-fda-acting-commissioner-kyle-diamantas-called-pro-life-organizations-to-of.jpg "FDA Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas promises pro-life agenda, calls advocates – #Catholic – Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas called pro-life organizations to offer reassurance about his commitment to life after some people in the movement raised concerns.“Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas is personally committed to delivering on President Trump’s pro-life and pro-family agenda at the FDA,” Andrew Nixon, deputy assistant secretary for media relations at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told EWTN News.“Both he and other administration officials will continue regularly interacting with stakeholders in this community to inform FDA decision-making,” he said.Diamantas is serving as acting commissioner after the May 12 resignation of Commissioner Marty Makary, who faced criticism from within the pro-life movement for failure to impose stricter regulations on the abortion drug mifepristone.Some pro-life leaders celebrated Makary’s departure but grew concerned about Diamantas because court records show him serving as legal counsel for a Planned Parenthood affiliate while working at the Baker Donelson law firm. The case was related to a property dispute.Alex Bruesewitz, an adviser to President Donald Trump, dismissed the concern in a post on X, saying he was a junior associate assigned to the case but removed himself because of his pro-life beliefs.Within the past two days, Diamantas has reached out to some pro-life advocates, including March for Life President Jennie Bradley Lichter. A spokesperson for Live Action confirmed he had scheduled a conversation with Live Action President Lila Rose as well. “Within a few hours of being handed this big new job, he was getting on the phone with pro-life leaders and that in itself, I think, is a really encouraging sign of where his priorities are going to be,” Lichter told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” host Abigail Galván.Lichter said she spoke with Diamantas about her concerns with mifepristone, specifically about “the lack of safety, the lack of guardrails, [and] its easy availability.”Under Makary, the FDA launched a study to review the 2023 deregulation of mifepristone, but so far no action has been taken to increase restrictions. Rather, in that same month, the FDA approved a generic version of the drug.Based on her conversation, Lichter said, “I think weʼre going to see real movement” on that study and “I think that the cause of life is going to have, you know, a real champion at the FDA” under Diamantas’ leadership.“I feel really comfortable that he is bringing in strong pro-life commitments and a commitment to transparency and to moving with all deliberate speed to take a close look at mifepristone and then take decisive action based on what that study shows,” she said.Mark Harrington, president of Created Equal, told EWTN News he had not received a call from Diamantas and expressed hesitations about his leadership of the FDA, saying his efforts “could just be viewed as nothing more than damage control.”“Talk is cheap,” he said. “But personnel is policy, and the fact that Diamantas [reportedly] represented Planned Parenthood makes me skeptical that he will advocate for the full mifepristone safety study. We will trust but verify. Action needs to be taken now on the abortion drug.”")
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus,
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for “the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians
1:17-23
Brothers and sisters:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
With the Ascension, something new and beautiful happened: Jesus brought our humanity, our flesh, into heaven — this is the first time — that is, he brought it in God. That humanity that he had assumed on earth did not remain here. The risen Jesus was not a spirit, no. He had his human body, flesh and bones, everything. He will be there in God forever. We could say that from the day of the Ascension on, God himself “changed” — from then on, he is not only spirit, but such is his love for us that he bears our own flesh in himself, our humanity! The place awaiting us is thus indicated; that is our destiny. (…) What does Jesus do in heaven? He is there for us before the Father, continually showing our humanity to him — showing him his wounds. I like to think that Jesus, prays like this in front of the Father — showing him his wounds. “This is what I suffered for humanity: Do something!” He shows him the price of redemption and the Father is moved. This is something I like to think about. This is how Jesus prays. He did not leave us alone. In fact, before ascending, he told us, as the Gospel says today, “I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20). (Pope Francis, Regina caeli, 21 May 2023)
Read More![Legislation would ensure parents can arrange burial or cremation after pregnancy loss – #Catholic – Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, said he is introducing legislation to ensure hospitals and freestanding birth centers provide clear information about the rights that grieving parents have regarding the cremation or burial of their miscarried or stillborn child.Marshall, who practiced as an obstetrician-gynecologist for more than 25 years, said he is naming the bill the “Bereaved Parents Rights Act.” Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Florida, who personally suffered an ectopic pregnancy, said she is sponsoring a companion version in the House.Laws on the handling of fetal remains following a miscarriage or stillbirth vary state to state, and many states have no clear legal requirements regarding the disposition of remains, leaving hospitals to rely on internal policies and procedures, according to Marshall.Students for Life Action backs the measure and is leading lobbying on Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to back it, said Kristan Hawkins, the organization’s president.The legislation would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act “to say that the hospital that she is birthing her child into, whether the childʼs born stillborn or miscarried … has to notify the parents no less than six hours after the event or before discharge“ and ”how she can get her babyʼs body to the funeral home to have a funeral if she would like to,” Hawkins said.A standardized form from the secretary of Health and Human Services would ensure a parent has the right to cremate the child after miscarriage or stillbirth, and it would apply in every state, Hawkins said.The legislation “is a no-brainer,” Cammack said. “This is very simple in my mind. Any parent who has lost a child needs the space, opportunity, and resources to properly grieve that child.”To “provide a burial for your child to recover the remains of your child” is “not a partisan issue,” she said. “I believe that is a human issue and something that, if we are serious about honoring life and protecting people, we really do champion and pass this legislation to give closure to so many families around the country.”Bill sponsors said they have been trying to find a Democratic cosponsor for the bill without success.“Thereʼs a culture around the issue that doesnʼt allow people to get to the facts. And while you are entitled, certainly, to your own opinion, you are not entitled to your own facts,” Cammack said.“And the fact is that these are children, these are human beings that have heartbeats, and they deserve the same dignity that a child who was born and has been lost deserves," she said.“It should be something very simple that every woman, regardless of where you are in the country, what hospital you find yourself in, is given the exact same rights as a woman who is in a state that values and protects life,” she said.Personal testimonies“I see tremendous value in women coming together and reaching across the aisle saying, ‘Weʼve all experienced loss in some form or fashion, whether yourself personally or you know someone who has,’” Cammack said.A briefing by Students for Life Action on May 13 included numerous personal testimonials from women who have been affected by miscarriage and stillbirth who are urging lawmakers to advance the bill.Sarah Wirtz said: “I could not go to the hospital. I actually waited three days to go to the hospital because I just was trying to research … if I was going to be allowed to have my son," she said. "He had passed away, but I still had him inside of me."“I knew within at least the medical system, after 20 weeks I was afforded more protection” and “I was absolutely terrified what this meant legally for my baby,” she said.Wirtz said she was asking: “Would I be given my baby? When I went in to give birth, would they take him from me?”Wirtz said she risked her own health to spend time finding resources to ensure she was able to keep her sonʼs body. Once she found Heavenʼs Gain Ministries, a Catholic organization that helps families with pregnancy loss, she was told “Youʼre very blessed to be in Ohio,” because state law ensured she had the right to her baby.“So I went to the hospital, I gave birth to my son Noah, and I was able to bury him,” she said. “But I was also told at the time, if [I] had been in California … I wouldnʼt be afforded the same rights under the law."“He would have been deemed as his gestational size, which is under 20 weeks, and I wouldnʼt have been guaranteed right to disposition and … what happened to his body,” she said.Language of miscarriageHawkins also noted the importance of the language when discussing abortion and miscarriage, and ensuring women know the difference and understand the procedures.“Something we saw in the fall of the Dobbs … was Planned Parenthood intentionally started changing the language around abortion, direct intentional abortion, and they started using the phrase ‘induced miscarriage,’” she said.“Thatʼs largely because of the invention and the shifting of the abortion industry to the chemical abortion pill, where we know at least 70% of these abortions, that are still killing about a million children a year, are being committed using these pills,” she said.“The way theyʼre framing these abortions to many young confused women, very scared women, is youʼre just going to ‘induce a miscarriage. Itʼs going to be just like a miscarriage,’” she said.“We know those are two very different things. And I think apart from the evil of Planned Parenthood killing children and harming women … this is the third greatest evil theyʼve ever committed, which is trying to use the pain and the tragedy of a miscarriage to then justify and try to change the hearts of millions of Americans on their issue, which is the intentional destruction of a human being,” Hawkins said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/legislation-would-ensure-parents-can-arrange-burial-or-cremation-after-pregnancy-loss-catholic-sen-roger-marshall-r-kansas-said-he-is-introducing-legislation-to-ensure-hospitals-and-freestandi-scaled.jpg "Legislation would ensure parents can arrange burial or cremation after pregnancy loss – #Catholic – Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, said he is introducing legislation to ensure hospitals and freestanding birth centers provide clear information about the rights that grieving parents have regarding the cremation or burial of their miscarried or stillborn child.Marshall, who practiced as an obstetrician-gynecologist for more than 25 years, said he is naming the bill the “Bereaved Parents Rights Act.” Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Florida, who personally suffered an ectopic pregnancy, said she is sponsoring a companion version in the House.Laws on the handling of fetal remains following a miscarriage or stillbirth vary state to state, and many states have no clear legal requirements regarding the disposition of remains, leaving hospitals to rely on internal policies and procedures, according to Marshall.Students for Life Action backs the measure and is leading lobbying on Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to back it, said Kristan Hawkins, the organization’s president.The legislation would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act “to say that the hospital that she is birthing her child into, whether the childʼs born stillborn or miscarried … has to notify the parents no less than six hours after the event or before discharge“ and ”how she can get her babyʼs body to the funeral home to have a funeral if she would like to,” Hawkins said.A standardized form from the secretary of Health and Human Services would ensure a parent has the right to cremate the child after miscarriage or stillbirth, and it would apply in every state, Hawkins said.The legislation “is a no-brainer,” Cammack said. “This is very simple in my mind. Any parent who has lost a child needs the space, opportunity, and resources to properly grieve that child.”To “provide a burial for your child to recover the remains of your child” is “not a partisan issue,” she said. “I believe that is a human issue and something that, if we are serious about honoring life and protecting people, we really do champion and pass this legislation to give closure to so many families around the country.”Bill sponsors said they have been trying to find a Democratic cosponsor for the bill without success.“Thereʼs a culture around the issue that doesnʼt allow people to get to the facts. And while you are entitled, certainly, to your own opinion, you are not entitled to your own facts,” Cammack said.“And the fact is that these are children, these are human beings that have heartbeats, and they deserve the same dignity that a child who was born and has been lost deserves,\" she said.“It should be something very simple that every woman, regardless of where you are in the country, what hospital you find yourself in, is given the exact same rights as a woman who is in a state that values and protects life,” she said.Personal testimonies“I see tremendous value in women coming together and reaching across the aisle saying, ‘Weʼve all experienced loss in some form or fashion, whether yourself personally or you know someone who has,’” Cammack said.A briefing by Students for Life Action on May 13 included numerous personal testimonials from women who have been affected by miscarriage and stillbirth who are urging lawmakers to advance the bill.Sarah Wirtz said: “I could not go to the hospital. I actually waited three days to go to the hospital because I just was trying to research … if I was going to be allowed to have my son,\" she said. \"He had passed away, but I still had him inside of me.\"“I knew within at least the medical system, after 20 weeks I was afforded more protection” and “I was absolutely terrified what this meant legally for my baby,” she said.Wirtz said she was asking: “Would I be given my baby? When I went in to give birth, would they take him from me?”Wirtz said she risked her own health to spend time finding resources to ensure she was able to keep her sonʼs body. Once she found Heavenʼs Gain Ministries, a Catholic organization that helps families with pregnancy loss, she was told “Youʼre very blessed to be in Ohio,” because state law ensured she had the right to her baby.“So I went to the hospital, I gave birth to my son Noah, and I was able to bury him,” she said. “But I was also told at the time, if [I] had been in California … I wouldnʼt be afforded the same rights under the law.\"“He would have been deemed as his gestational size, which is under 20 weeks, and I wouldnʼt have been guaranteed right to disposition and … what happened to his body,” she said.Language of miscarriageHawkins also noted the importance of the language when discussing abortion and miscarriage, and ensuring women know the difference and understand the procedures.“Something we saw in the fall of the Dobbs … was Planned Parenthood intentionally started changing the language around abortion, direct intentional abortion, and they started using the phrase ‘induced miscarriage,’” she said.“Thatʼs largely because of the invention and the shifting of the abortion industry to the chemical abortion pill, where we know at least 70% of these abortions, that are still killing about a million children a year, are being committed using these pills,” she said.“The way theyʼre framing these abortions to many young confused women, very scared women, is youʼre just going to ‘induce a miscarriage. Itʼs going to be just like a miscarriage,’” she said.“We know those are two very different things. And I think apart from the evil of Planned Parenthood killing children and harming women … this is the third greatest evil theyʼve ever committed, which is trying to use the pain and the tragedy of a miscarriage to then justify and try to change the hearts of millions of Americans on their issue, which is the intentional destruction of a human being,” Hawkins said.")
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, who practiced as an obstetrician-gynecologist for more than 25 years, said he is naming the bill the “Bereaved Parents Rights Act.”
The pope also accepted Wednesday the resignation of Bishop Frank J. Dewane, 76, who led the Diocese of Venice, Florida, since 2007.
The Ortega regime’s repression of the Catholic Church could not silence God’s call to Cristhian Mendieta. Having fled Nicaragua as a seminarian, the young man was ordained to the priesthood in Miami.
Humanity has spent eons looking up at the stars and wondering whether we’re alone, or if there are others like us out there in the vast unknown. Our curiosity has only increased as we have become a technological civilization capable of scanning the heavens for potential signs or signals from other civilizations, called technosignatures. ButContinue reading “Should we keep looking for ET?”
The post Should we keep looking for ET? appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.
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8 men to be ordained permanent deacons May 30 #Catholic – 
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney will ordain eight men of diverse backgrounds to the permanent diaconate of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., on Saturday, May 30, at 10 a.m. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J.
This class of permanent deacons is the first to be ordained in the diocese since 2023.
The men received their spiritual and pastoral formation through the Paterson Diocese diaconate formation program and received their academic formation in theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology in South Orange, N.J. Depending on their educational background at the start of formation, the men received a Master of Arts in Theology, and/or a Certificate in Diaconal Studies or a Certificate in Spirituality from the Seminary.
The men to be ordained are: Stephen Deehan of St. Luke Parish in the Long Valley of Washington Township, N.J., Paul DePinto of St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln Park, N.J., Timothy P. Dunmyer of St. Jude Parish in Hopatcong, N.J., James Gillespie of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes, N.J., Tobi Ippolito of Holy Family Parish in Florham Park, N.J., Tom Kimble of St. Jude Thaddeus Parish in the Budd Lake neighborhood of Mount Olive Township, N.J., Gregory Marchesi of St. Therese Parish in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury Township, N.J., Elmer Lopez Maximo of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Rockaway, N.J.
“These are all men of deep faith and spiritual commitment,” said Deacon William Ruane, the director of the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate. “They have studied and trained hard these past five years under the direction of the deacons in their formation team, led by Deacon John Mihalko. They will be a tremendous asset to the diocese and we take great joy in seeing them ordained to serve the Church of Paterson,” he said.
A permanent deacon is an ordained minister in the Catholic Church, belonging to the clergy but often married and holding a secular job. As a permanent member of the hierarchy—not on the way to priesthood — he acts as a “servant” to the bishop and pastor, focusing on the ministry of liturgy, word, and charity, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
There are 125 active and retired permanent deacons serving 74 parishes in the diocese. The first were ordained in 1974. Since then, about 340 men have been ordained.
The permanent deacon candidates are:
DEEHAN
Stephen Deehan
Stephen Deehan, 59, belongs to St. Luke Parish in Washington Township. His faith journey started as an altar server and continued with years of ministry at St. Luke Parish. The call to pursue the diaconate grew in part from his and his family’s work establishing the St. Luke Food Pantry.
Deehan has been married to his wife, Yvonne, for 32 years, and together they are parents of four children: Patrick, 29, and his spouse, Nikki; Christian, 27; Stephen, 25, and his fiancée, Gillian; and Noelle, 22.
He graduated from Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange, N.J. and Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J. He then earned his doctorate from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–New Jersey Dental School in Newark, N.J.
Deehan has operated a private dental practice in Hackettstown, N.J., for 31 years.
“I look forward to the challenges and blessings of serving God and his Church on the path guided by the Holy Spirit,” Deehan said.
DEPINTO
Paul DePinto
Paul DePinto, 57, and his wife, Loren, have been married since 1997 and have lived in Lincoln Park for 25 years as members of St. Joseph Parish.
DePinto earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Rutgers University, a master’s in counseling from Montclair University, a master’s in educational leadership from St. Elizabeth University in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, N.J.
Paul and Loren have two children: Gia, 26, and Alec, 23.
DePinto has worked for Strength For Change private counseling practice as a licensed professional counselor since 2004. He also spent more than 12 years in the public school system, serving as a student assistance counselor, psychology teacher, and vice principal from 2001 to 2014.
DUNMYER
Timothy P. Dunmyer
Timothy P. Dunmyer, 61, and his wife Lisa, married for 20 years, serve as lectors, catechists, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at St. Jude Parish in Hopatcong, N.J.
Dunmyer was grand knight and district deputy in the Knights of Columbus. He now belongs to the Hopatcong Knights of Columbus Council 9914.
Dunmyer is a recently retired police lieutenant with 36 years of service in the Livingston Police Department in New Jersey.
GILLESPIE
James Gillespie
James Gillespie, 60, and Beth, his wife of 30 years, have been members of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Mountain Lakes, N.J., for 30 years. They have three adult children.
At St. Catherine, Gillespie has served as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, a lector, and an usher. He is a member of the Lazarus ministry, the men’s group, and the Blessed Sacrament Society. He also belongs to Knights of Columbus Council 3359, which supports St. Catherine’s and other parishes in the diocese.
In 1984, Gillespie graduated from Morris Catholic High School in Denville, N.J. He earned an associate’s degree in business administration from the County College of Morris in Randolph.
For many years, Gillespie has worked with his father in a family-owned business in the flooring industry. For the past 28 years, he has also been a member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 251. He installs commercial flooring in many hospitals, schools, and corporate office spaces.
About his journey to the permanent diaconate, Gillespie thanked his wife for her encouragement, support, and love. He acknowledged the bond he and his wife have created with the men and their wives in his cohort, “allowing us to be united in our shared love of the Church and our faith.”
“I have been truly humbled by the endless gifts of prayer and support my cohort and I have received during our faith journey,” Gillespie said. “As an ordained minister, I look forward to serving my parish and the Diocese of Paterson. I want to share my love of the faith and the knowledge I have gained during five years of formation,” he said.
IPPOLITO
Tobi Ippolito
Tobi Ippolito, 58, and his wife, Anne Brauner, married in 1995, belong to Holy Family Parish in Florham Park, N.J., where they are active in several ministries. They live in East Hanover with their three children: Toby, Michael, and Jessica.
Ippolito graduated from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, N.J. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at St. Peter’s University in Jersey City, N.J, where he met Brauner, and a doctor of medicine from Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School in Newark.
Ippolito completed an internal medicine residency and now practices with RWJ Barnabas Medical Group.
KIMBLE
Tom Kimble
Tom Kimble belongs to St. Jude Thaddeus Parish in the Budd Lake neighborhood of Mount Olive Township, N.J., where he serves as pastoral ministries director and directs the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults’ (OCIA) catechesis.
Previously, Kimble was director for Men’s Cornerstone at St. Jude’s, a parish trustee, and Diocesan Ministries Appeal chairman.
Kimble has been married to his wife, Karla, for 32 years; they have three children: Alex, 32, Cassie, 28, and Samie, 26. He is a mechanical Engineer who has been employed with Sealed Air Corporation since 1989.
MARCHESI
Gregory Marchesi
Gregory Marchesi, 57, belongs to St. Therese Parish in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury Township, N.J., where he serves as the faith-formation director and co-director of OCIA. He also serves as a lector, an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and an acolyte.
For 29 years, Marchesi has been married to his wife, Jennifer; together they have three children: Alexander, 27, Nicholas, 23, and Madison, 21.
Marchesi graduated from Manalapan High School in Englishtown, N.J. He earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Kean University, where he played men’s soccer and received Second Team honors. Marchesi also earned a certification for teaching of the handicapped from Kean and a master’s degree in education from Marygrove College in 2002.
Marchesi worked 29 years for the Board of Education of West Orange, N.J., before retiring in 2023. There, he coached baseball at various high school levels, concluding his career as the West Orange Boys’ varsity soccer assistant coach. He also coached with the Player Development Academy in Zarephath, N.J., where his team won the Under-19 State Championship.
MAXIMO
Elmer Lopez Maximo
Elmer Lopez Maximo, 58, was born and raised in the Philippines and now belongs to Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Rockaway, N.J. He serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, a lector, a liturgical coordinator, and a parish leader. He is also a member of the Rosary Society, the Pro-Life ministry, the Finance Board, and the Pastoral Council.
At the diocesan level, Maximo serves as president of the Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries. This group supports the faith formation and community life of Filipinos in our diocese.
Maximo earned a bachelor’s in commerce, specializing in business management, from San Beda College, now San Beda University, in Manila, the Philippines.
For 28 years, Maximo has been senior managing director of HR and administration at Seven Seven Softwares, Inc., an IT and global services company.
Reflecting on his call to the permanent diaconate, Maximo said, “My vocation developed through prayer, service, and love for the Eucharist.”
“Guided by the Blessed Virgin Mary, I learned to trust in God’s will. Through both joy and suffering, I came to see the diaconate as a call to serve as a bridge between the Church and the world,” Maximo said. “With gratitude, holiness, and humility, I offer my life in service to Christ and His people. I trust in His grace,” he said.
– Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney will ordain eight men of diverse backgrounds to the permanent diaconate of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., on Saturday, May 30, at 10 a.m. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J. This class of permanent deacons is the first to be ordained in the diocese since 2023. The men received their spiritual and pastoral formation through the Paterson Diocese diaconate formation program and received their academic formation in theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology in South Orange, N.J. Depending on their educational background at the start of formation, the men received
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover recently took a self-portrait against a sweeping backdrop of ancient Martian terrain at a location the science team calls “Lac de Charmes.”
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