DARTMOUTH — Eleven candidates who are currently studying for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Fall River will be installed as Readers by Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., at 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in St Mary’s Church, 789 Dartmouth St., South Dartmouth, Mass.

Assisting Bishop da Cunha will be Deacon Frank Lucca and Deacon Joseph McGinley, Co-Directors of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese.

The Ministry of Reader is the first of two ministries which candidates must receive and exercise as part of their preparation for ordination as permanent deacon. 

These candidates are the eleventh class for the Permanent Diaconate of the Diocese of Fall River and have been in the formation program for three years.  They will continue two more years of academic and pastoral formation before ordination as deacons. 

Those to be installed as Readers and their home parishes are as follows:

  • Paul Edward DeMeo                           St. Joseph Guardian of the Holy Family Parish, Falmouth
  • Peter DeTerra                                       St. Joseph’s Parish, Fairhaven
  • Mark Paul Fanzoni                               Holy Cross Parish, Easton
  • Juan Christian Galli                              St. Anthony of Padua Parish, New Bedford
  • James Ian Johnston                            St. John Neumann Parish, East Freetown
  • David Brian Lima                                  St. Nicholas of Myra Parish, North Dighton
  • George Joseph MacKoul                     Christ the King Parish, Mashpee
  • John Ross O’Neill                                 Transfiguration of the Lord Parish, North Attleboro
  • Marcos Xavier Echevarria-Parrilla       Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, New Bedford
  • Mariano Manuel Pimentel                    St. John of God Parish, Somerset
  • Joseph Michael Sollecito                     St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, Taunton
Diocese of Fall River
Diocese of Fall River
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