BISHOP SCHARFENBERGER TO ORDAIN FOUR NEW DEACONS
FOR ALBANY DIOCESE AT CATHEDRAL ON MAY 19
Two men will be ordained as permanent deacons and two as transitional deacons as part of their continuing journey to the priesthood by Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 125 Eagle St., Albany, on Saturday, May 19, at 11 a.m.
A call to vocations can happen at any time. Though many are called in their young adult life, others may have had a career and a family before they finally hear God’s call. Whether inspired by their education at Catholic universities, service work, or a hope to better understand and share their faith with others, the lives these men have led so far have informed and prepared their path to ordination.
Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate
Kyle Eads is the oldest of ten children and grew up in Glenville and Clifton Park; currently his family lives in Florida. While living in Clifton Park, he enjoyed working as an umpire with Clifton Park Baseball, playing CYO basketball, and participating in a local Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Schenectady. He studied at Ave Maria University in Florida, where he majored in Greek and minored in philosophy and theology. “With the loving guidance of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Our Blessed Mother, I hope to lead as many as possible to the love and peace God has prepared for us and so passionately wants to fill our hearts with,” he says of his call to his priestly vocation. This call led him directly to St. Joseph Seminary in Dunwoodie, Yonkers, after finishing his degree. He has just completed his third year of theology studies.
Sam Bellafiore is originally from Bethlehem, N.Y. He attended St. Vincent de Paul Church in Albany and La Salle Institute in Troy before enrolling at the University of Notre Dame, where he received degrees in philosophy and vocal performance. During that time — working with high school students and people with disabilities, encountering the poor, praying the Psalms and above all at Mass — a desire grew in him to serve God and the Catholic Church. “I thought and prayed about studying for the priesthood, and it became clear that God’s will and mine were aligned, and I needed to apply to seminary,” Bellafiore said. Since beginning formation for the priesthood in 2015, he has attended St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie. He sings in Downtown Voices, a chorale group in New York City and blogs occasionally at churchlife.nd.edu.
Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate
Al Censullo is originally from East Boston where he learned at his home parish, Most Holy Redeemer Church, and from his parent’s example how important it is to have a relationship with God. Censullo attended Northeastern University and eventually began a career in electrical engineering. Now, he finds himself drawn to the diaconate with the intention of better understanding his faith and to share it with others. “The more I learned, the more I came to understand that it was the heart, not the head that was the key to sharing my faith,” Censullo says. He and his wife, Rose, were married at Our Lady of Victory Church in Troy, where they are still parishioner’s today. Censullo immediately felt at home here in the Albany area and felt especially welcome at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He later found out that both the Cathedral and his childhood church in East Boston were designed by the same architect.
Doug Erickson became a member of the Roman Catholic Church in 1997 and has since served in many positions within the St. Thomas the Apostle parish community in Delmar. When he is not volunteering his time to his home parish, Erickson works as the Capital Asset Manager for the VA New York/New Jersey Healthcare Network, or spends time with his family — his adult children, Megan and Christopher, and his wife, Joan, to whom he has been married for 33 years. Before he joined the Catholic Church, Erickson earned a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration from Union College and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University at Albany. Erickson was called to enter the formation process for the diaconate in the fall of 2012. “As I have prayerfully engaged in the formation process, I have become increasingly aware of God’s presence in my life and the power of the Holy Spirit guiding me,” Erickson says. “While my ordination to the diaconate will mark a significant milestone, it won’t mark the end of discernment for me as I continue to listen for God’s call.” Erickson is continuing his formation by working toward a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies through St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry.
Contact:
Mary DeTurris Poust
518.453.6618