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When 10 men professed their first vows as Augustinian friars at St. Rita High School on July 31, two of them had unusual examples to follow. Friar Joseph Roccasalva and Friar Robert Carroll are both the sons of permanent deacons in the Archdiocese of Chicago. They grew up in neighboring parishes on the South Side and both attended Catholic high schools. They now are part of the largest group of new friars the community has had in decades, said Augustinian Father Bernard Scianna, the prior provincial for the Mother of Good Counsel Province. “This is indeed an important and historic event,” said Scianna, whose province includes the Chicago area. The men were part of a novice class of 11, with one, Atsushi Kuwahara, scheduled to go home to Japan to make his profession. They represent all three Augustinian provinces in the United States.
And there’s this:
In the case of Roccasalva and Carroll, [vocation director Fr. Tom] McCarthy said, their fathers’ dual vocations to marriage and to diaconate ministry had a profound effect. Both fathers said their sons, as well as their other children, grew up in their parishes, serving at the altar, setting up and cleaning up for parish events, even just sitting through parish meetings. “He was that much more involved in things,” Deacon Roccasalva said. “He saw more behind the scenes at the parish than most kids.” Deacon Bob Carroll recalls bringing a young Bobby — maybe 7 or 8 years old — to a communications class at Saint Xavier University during his diaconate formation. When the teacher distributed handouts, Bobby raised his hand and asked for one too. “That’s just kind of how he was,” Deacon Carroll said. “It’s a matter of kids seeing what you do and picking up on it.”
Photo: Karen Callaway/Catholic New World
And today we celebrate...
