PATERSON Bishop Serratelli will ordain eight men — who come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds and life experiences — to the priesthood for the Paterson Diocese during the Rite of Ordination of Priests at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 11 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here.
During the Mass, the Bishop will ordain to the priesthood the following seven transitional deacons: Rev. Mr. John Rocco Calabro Jr., born in Summit; Rev. Mr. Andrew Dutko, born in Westwood; Rev. Mr. Kerwin Timothy M. Gaza, born in the Philippines; Rev. Mr. Charles Henry Lana Jr., born in Paterson; Rev. Mr. Dailon Lisabet, born in Cuba; Rev. Mr. William Alexandre (Alex) Sylvain Nevitt IV, born in Morristown; and Rev. Mr. Artur Prażak, born in Poland. Bishop Serratelli also will ordain to the priesthood Deacon John Uricchio Brandi, born in Newark, who was ordained by the Bishop in 2014 to the permanent diaconate of the Paterson Diocese and has served at Assumption Parish, Morristown. The Bishop will be the main celebrant and homilist of the liturgy with priests of the Diocese as concelebrants.
Well-wishers — family, friends, priests and religious of the diocese, members of the parishes where the deacons have served and the faithful of the Diocese — are invited to attend the ordination as a sign of encouragement to the men receiving the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Following are brief biographies on the eight men who will be ordained to the presbyterate:
Rev. Mr. Andrew Dutko
Born in Westwood to Andrew G. Dutko and Adaria K. Dutko; his parish is St. Patrick, Chatham. He holds an associate’s degree in mathematics from Sussex County Community College, Newton, (1998); a bachelor’s degree in business management from Rutgers University, Camden, (2005); and a Master of Divinity degree from Seton Hall University, South Orange.
Rev. Mr. Kerwin Timothy M. Gaza
Born in Floridablanca, Pampanga, Philippines, to Jose G. Gaza, Jr. and Aurora M. Gaza; his parish is St. Jude, Hopatcong. He has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and communication from St. Paul Seminary Foundation, Lalaan 1st Silang, Cavite, the Philippines (2014), where he was awarded Most Promising Thesis with the title “The Perceptions of St. Paul Seminarians on Teatro Paolino as an Apostolate.” In seminary, he served the following positions: photographer of the yearbook, artistic director of the theater guild, head coordinator of the editorial apostolate, head of the creative writing apostolate, president of the student body, assistant artistic director of the theater guild and managing editor of the newsletter. His apostolic experience includes being prefect of discipline in a private Catholic school in the Philippines and as part of a media team for the apostolic visit of the Holy Father to the Philippines. Parish assignments include: Holy Family, Florham Park, and St. Jude, Hopatcong, where he has been serving as a transitional deacon.
Rev. Mr. Charles Henry Lana Jr.
Born in Paterson to Charles and Diane Lana of Hawthorne; his home parish is St. Anthony, Hawthorne. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, summa cum laude, from Seton Hall University, South Orange, (2007); a juris doctor degree from Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, (2011); and a Master of Divinity/Master of Arts degree in theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, South Orange, (2019). His work experience includes attorney at Strasser and Associates, P.C., Paramus, (2012-13); law clerk for the Hon. James J. Guida of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Hackensack, (2011-12); legal intern for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Newark, (2010); judicial intern for the Hon. James J. Guida of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Hackensack, (2009); clerk at Kaps & Barto, Esq., Hackensack, (2008); intern for the Office of the Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), Newark, (2007-08); and counselor at the Boys & Girls Club of Hawthorne in Hawthorne, (2003-06). He was admitted to the N.J. Bar in 2011 and admitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in 2012. His apostolic experience includes: St. Anthony Parish, Hawthorne, (2013 to present); Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany, (2017-18); St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, Paterson, (2016-17); the Institute for Priestly Formation, Omaha, Neb., (2016); St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes, (2015-16); St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly, Totowa, (2014-15); and Catholic Charities of the Newark Archdiocese (2014).
Rev. Mr. Dailon Lisabet
Born in Cuba to Andres Lisabet and Marta Sanchez; his parish is St. Anthony, Hawthorne. He was awarded a bachelor’s degree with a major in Catholic studies and a minor in history from St. Andrew College Seminary at Immaculate Conception School of Theology, South Orange, and a Masters of Divinity in pastoral ministry from Immaculate Conception School of Theology. His apostolic experience includes: Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Verona; St. James the Apostle Parish, Springfield; St. Joseph’s Home, Jersey City; the soup kitchen of the Missionaries of Charity in Newark; St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes; St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Paterson; Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Whippany; and St. Anthony Parish, Hawthorne.
Rev. Mr. William Alexandre (Alex) Sylvain Nevitt IV
Born in Morristown to Florence Marthe Bouche-Nevitt and William Alexander Nevitt III; his parish is St. Rose of Lima, East Hanover. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, New York City (2013); took pre-theology studies at Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. (2013-15), earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (STB) from Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (2018) and is studying for his License of Sacred Theology at St. Peter Favre Centre in Rome, anticipated 2020. He holds dual citizenship; his mother is from France and his father is from the U.S. His employment experience includes interning for Maxim Group, an investment bank, in the last semester of his senior year of high school. His apostolic experience includes being involved in various ministries in his parish since seventh grade, including altar server training, religious education, visiting the sick and sacramental prep. He was also active in campus ministry in Washington, D.C. and led the Regina Cœli Prison Ministry Apostolate in Rome. As a transitional deacon, he has served at the Naval Support Activity Naples, a U.S. Navy military complex, located at Naples Airport in Capodichino, Naples, Italy, helping in local parish ministry on the base, which included preaching, catechizing and baptizing.
Rev. Mr. Artur Prażak
Born in 1991 in Hrubieszów, Poland to Bożena and Piotr; his parish is Holy Rosary in Passaic. He completed studies at the Major Seminary of the Diocese of Zamość-Lubaczów in Poland and earned a master’s degree in theology from John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin in Poland (2017).
Rev. Mr. John Rocco Calabro Jr.
Born in 1985 to Judith Calabro and John Calabro Sr.; his parish is St. Vincent de Paul, Stirling. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Seton Hall University, South Orange (2008); a doctorate in education from Seton Hall (2012); and a bachelor’s degree in theology from the University of the Holy Cross, Rome (2018).
Deacon John Uricchio Brandi
Born in Newark, he was raised by his mother, Angela Uricchio Brandi; grandmother, Rose Uricchio; and two “second mothers,” Catherine Parlavecchio and Rose Lombardino — all devout Catholics. His parish is Assumption, Morristown. He did undergraduate and graduate studies at Fordham University, the Bronx, N.Y., with concentrations in clinical child psychology and human motivation. He has worked as a psychologist and college professor, and served as a college baseball coach. Currently, he is the chaplain of the baseball team of Seton Hall University, South Orange. Ordained a permanent deacon by Bishop Serratelli in 2014, he has served at Assumption Parish in the religious education program and made visits to nursing homes and hospice.