Bishop Misko ordains deacons in Yuma

There are five more deacons serving the diocese following Sunday’s ordination in Yuma. Bishop James Misko ordained five men on June 14, 2026, they are Fernando Desarden and Michael Diehl of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Robert Goekler and Roger Torres of St. John Neumann Parish, and Ricardo Jaramillo of Immaculate Conception Church.

The five join nine other men who were recently ordained as deacons in Tucson on May 30, 2026. They are Randi Buros of St. Andrew the Apostle in Sierra Vista; James Curtis of St. Monica Parish; Luis Gonzalez Orsini of San Martin de Porres in Sahuarita; John Kubat of St. Mark the Evangelist in Oro Valley; Randy Lazar of St. George Catholic Church in Apache Junction; Binh Quang Ly of Our Lady of LaVang in Tucson; Wade Thompson of St. Cyril of Alexandria in Tucson; Jesus Tiznado of Our Lady Queen of All Saints in Tucson; and Federico Veloz of St. John the Evangelist in Tucson.


In his homily, Bishop Misko told the deacons, “You will be charged with one of the most important lines in Mass: ‘The Mass has ended. Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.’ You won’t say, ‘The Mass has ended. Let’s never leave. Let’s stay here forever.’ You’ll say, ‘Go out there and tell everybody out there what just happened in here.’” 
This summer, the diocese also welcomed five Lay Ecclesial Ministers. They are Maria Isabel Franco of St. Cyril of Alexandria in Tucson; Eva Rivera Jaramillo of Immaculate Conception in Yuma; Shantell Rain-Kubat of St. Mark the Evangelist in Oro Valley; Marlene Lorraine Loroña of St. Francis of Assisi in Yuma; and Norma Valle of Immaculate Conception in Yuma.
Lay Ecclesial Ministers often serve as parish catechetical leaders, youth ministry leaders, pastoral associates, and parish life coordinators. LEMs, as they are commonly referred to, can be male or female and must undergo formation through the pastoral services office of the diocese. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, upon completion of a formation program, Lay Ecclesial Ministers are characterized as follows: (1) authorization of the hierarchy to serve publicly in the local church; (2) leadership in a particular area of ministry; (3) close mutual collaboration with the pastoral ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons; and (4) preparation and formation appropriate to the level of responsibilities assigned to them. 
In the Diocese of Tucson, formation often takes four years but can vary. If you are interested in learning more about serving the diocese, please visit https://diocesetucson.org/formation-1.