PEOPLE

The Diocese of Phoenix lost a rare jewel when the Lord called Fr. Doug Lorig home Feb. 28.

We were blessed to be the chairs last year and were asked to chair it again this year.

The new coordinator for the Phoenix Diocese’s Safe Environment Training Office, Maria Escárcega, is a native of Arizona, is fluent in Spanish and has a background in the field of mental and behavioral health.

Seven years after what was supposed to be a short-term internship through AmericCorps, Norma Carrillo is still at St. Vincent de Paul and helps countless volunteers, especially young children, embrace the idea of service.

Newly ordained Dcn. Jeffrey Strom did not think of becoming a deacon until in recent years, when in the course of a month three different people suggested the role to him. This caught his attention and he started taking steps toward this ordained ministry and the Lord kept opening doors.

From preaching on the front porch to at the pulpit, Dcn. Stephen Schmidt can see God’s hand in it all.

It happened 10 years ago at St. Matthew Parish in Phoenix. Dcn. Catarino Portillo and his wife Julia regularly attended the parish where they served in various ministries and participated in a group Bible study.

For Dcn. Jim Myers, the path to the diaconate was filled with little signs nudging him along the way to ordination.

What one East Valley boy once filled in the blank with for what he wanted to be when he grew up is now a reality. That’s not to say his path to priesthood was direct.

For Fr. John Nahrgang, the call to the priesthood came not from a Catholic upbringing, but from the consistent whisper of Mary to his heart.