By Rose Brennan
BRIDGEPORT— Three men in formation to become permanent deacons of the Diocese of Bridgeport will be installed to the Ministry of Acolyte by Bishop Frank J. Caggiano on Sunday, October 22 at 10 am at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bridgeport. The public is invited to attend.
The three men are Walter Avitabile of Westport, Edward R. Carrillo of Bridgeport and Frank Mantero of Trumbull.
The Ministry of Acolyte includes assisting the priest and deacon at the altar during Mass. Acolytes serve during liturgies, help distribute Holy Communion and purify sacred vessels. Installation to this ministry marks the final step before ordination to the permanent diaconate, which will take place next June, according to diaconate program director Deacon John DiTaranto.
The permanent diaconate is a distinct ordained ministry of the Church. As sacramental signs of the servant God, fulfilled in Christ, deacons are called to serve the Church and the community in three areas: the ministry of the Word of God, the ministry of the liturgy/worship, and the ministry of charity and justice. Deacons function in all three areas: service in the transmission of the Word, service in the celebration of the sacraments and service in the community’s active love.
Men who seek to discern the diaconate can be either married or single, and should be between the ages of 35 and 60. For more information on the Diocese of Bridgeport’s diaconate program, visit www.bridgeportdiocese.org/diaconate/welcome.
Walter Avitabile and his wife, Gracemary, have three grown daughters and are members of Assuption Parish in Westport. Avitabile currently serves his parish by assisting in the RCIA program and with adult Confirmation. He has also served as a catechist, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, Reader, and is an active member of the Knights of Columbus. Originally from the Bronx, N.Y., Avitabile attended Salesian High School and works as a general construction superintendent in New York City on infrastructure projects.
Edward R. Carrillo and his wife, Glenda are parents to one son, age 19, and three daughters, ages 26 and 23, the third of whom passed away due to COVID-19 in 2021 at age 29. They also have four grandchildren—two of whom they have adopted—with another on the way. Carrillo is a member of St. George Parish, which recently extantly merged with St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Bridgeport. He has served as Director of Liturgical Music, co-founder of the parish youth group, catechist, and co-founder of the St. George family prayer group. Carrillo earned a Licentiate Degree in Guatemala, Central America. Carrillo has worked as a subcontractor for the Department of Justice as an EOIR interpreter. He has worked as a Certified Spanish Medical Interpreter at Yale New Haven Hospital for the past year and a half.
Frank Mantero is a member of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull, along with his wife, Angela, and their four children, Marisa (27), Francisco (25), Olivia (24) and Antonio (20). He has served as Deputy Grand Knight for the Knights of Columbus St. Catherine of Siena Council and is a trustee for the Knights of Columbus Monsignor Edward Halloran Assembly and a member of the board of directors for Habitat Humanity of Greater New Haven. Mantero, a native of Madrid, Spain, holds a master’s degree in internal relations from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from the University of Georgia. He has held various marketing and communications leadership roles across several industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, financial services and others.
