Eight men will be ordained Permanent Deacons for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Saturday, June 14 at 10 a.m. in the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul during Mass celebrated by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez.
All are invited to watch the livestream on St. Charles Borromeo Seminary’s website, the archdiocesan Vimeo channel, or on Facebook Live at facebook.com/ArchbishopPerez and facebook.com/StCharlesSem.
Permanent Deacons serve as ordained clergy in the Roman Catholic Church. They may be single or married men. As ministers at the altar, permanent deacons assist the priest and bishop at the Liturgy. They proclaim God’s Word, preach and teach, baptize, witness marriages, carry out funeral rites at the vigil and the grave, administer Holy Communion to the sick and dying, and perform a wide variety of other pastoral and charitable works as part of their vocation.
Learn more about the Permanent Deacon program in the archdiocese through the School of Diaconal Formation at the seminary.
Those being ordained as Permanent Deacons are listed below in alphabetical order:
Peter J. Anninos and his wife, Suzanne, are members of St. Alphonsus Parish in Maple Glen. They are the parents of Peter J. III; Katherine Hardwick (John); Jaclyn Hostutler (Ryan); Joanna Demas (Luke); and Jessica Swiger (Cole). They are proud grandparents of four, with one more on the way. Peter graduated from Delran High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Villanova University. He recently retired as the owner of SyscomTech.
James V. Coffey and his wife, Felicia, are members of St. Denis Parish in Havertown. They are the parents of James V. Jr. (Anna); Gianna (who will marry Frank Scarchilli on June 27, 2025); Elena; Monica; and the late Mary. They are also the proud grandparents of two. James graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and naval science from Villanova University. He later received a Master of Arts in theology, with a concentration in moral theology, from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. James currently serves as Vice President for Advancement at The Papal Foundation.
Michael E. Connor and his wife, Laura, are members of St. Eleanor Parish in Collegeville. They are the parents of Katharine and Brian. Michael graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration from Penn State University. Michael is a certified public accountant with Ascension Press.
Charles D. Dern and his wife, Geraldine, are members of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Doylestown. They are the parents of Christopher, Elizabeth, and Sarah. Charles graduated from Holy Ghost Preparatory School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University. He went on to receive a Master of Arts in Theology from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Villanova University. He holds a doctoral degree in Moral Theology from The Catholic University of America. Charles recently retired as an applications engineer with ATS Scientific Products and currently serves as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Theological Studies at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary.
Mario A. Gonzalez and his wife, Luz Martinez-Gonzalez, are members of Holy Innocents Parish in Philadelphia. They are the parents of Marian Gonzalez-Wloczuck (Christopher) and the late Arilein. After immigrating to the United States from El Salvador, Mario earned his high school diploma from Fairfax Adult School in Los Angeles and attended Los Angeles Community College. He is a real estate agent.
Matthew J. Ruel and his wife, Rachel, are members of St. Bede the Venerable Parish in Holland. They are the parents of John and the proud grandparents of a grandson born to John and his wife, Danielle. Matthew earned his high school diploma from Bellefontaine-IHM in Lenox, Massachusetts, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University. He retired as Vice President of Store Operations for Macy’s.
Kris Van Hees and his wife, Kathy, are members of St. David Parish in Willow Grove. They are the parents of Daniel, Alyanna, Nikolas, Gabriel, Aubrey, and Joseph. Kris graduated from Sint-Michielscollege in Brasschaat, Belgium, and continued his education at KU Leuven, where he earned a master’s degree in informatics and a Doctor of Philosophy in engineering. He is a senior software architect with Oracle Corporation.
Michael F. Willcox and his wife, Alice, are members of SS. Simon and Jude Parish in West Chester. They are the parents of Nicole (David Dishman); Ashley Willcox (David Fein); Sean; and Kimberly. Michael graduated from Malvern Preparatory School. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware and an associate degree in Computer Science from Penn State University. Michael is a solution architect with 11:11 Systems, Inc.
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