Deacon Ordination: Deacon R. Barry, Deacon T. Bui, Deacon P. Cain, Deacon K. Christian

Deacon Robert Barry

Deacon Robert A. Barry converted to Catholicism in 2016, and his experience with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults created a desire for a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith.

“My resulting conversion to Catholicism transformed my life,” he said. “Finding God has fueled a passion within me to serve and to help others realize the amazing power of the faith. The permanent diaconate program has allowed me to develop a richer understanding and greater appreciation of my Catholic faith while fueling my desire to serve.”

He was ordained by Bishop James F. Checchio in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, May 3.

The clergy and the people of St. James Parish, Basking Ridge, have been essential in his journey to Ordination: “Through my RCIA experience, I came to know so many very influential people who showed me by their example of how to live a life in Jesus Christ. This opened my heart and mind to be able to hear and respond to the call.”

His wife, Eileen, “has been truly instrumental in this calling, and I couldn’t have made it this far without her.”

At St. James Church he has served as altar server co-leader and an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. He is a member of the Men of St. James and volunteers in prison ministry.

“God has placed an intense passion in my heart to give back for what he has done for me so I look forward to engaging in my ministries and meeting people where they are on their faith journey so we can collectively help each other grow in faith and closeness to God,” Deacon Barry said.

Born in Hyde Park, New York, he is a graduate of the University of Vermont, Burlington, with a bachelor’s degree in biology and minor in chemistry. He is a 2024 graduate of Seton Hall University’s Immaculate Conception School of Theology with a master’s in theology.

His career in telecommunications includes work at AT&T, Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia with roles spanning corporate strategy and development, product management, project management, operations, finance and supply chain.

The father of two enjoys biking, jogging, hiking, swimming, golfing, cooking and reading.

By Cori Urban, Contributing Editor

 

 

Deacon Tuan Bui

Deacon Tuan M. Bui is a fisherman, and he appreciates the silence when he is on the water, awaiting that catch his wife, Anna Thao Huynh, will transform into a delicious meal.

“In today’s society, people are scared of the silence, but for me, while I am fishing, the most productive and successful times are those quiet times,” said the deacon who was ordained at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, May 3, by Bishop James F. Checchio. “This carries over to my time when I write my reflections that soon will be my homilies. In the quiet and silence is when you can truly hear what’s in your heart …”

As for the patience and tenacity that fishermen need, he prays he will have these traits as he begins to serve the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Somerville.

Born in Saigon (now known as Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam, the 48-year-old deacon attended Bloomfield University where he received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2003 then attended Northeastern University, earning a master’s in Regulatory Affairs for Drugs, Biologics, and Medical Devices in 2010.

His training for the permanent diaconate was at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University for a master’s in theology.

Deacon Bui had the calling to be a deacon since he went to college, “but life was louder than the Holy Spirit at that time,” he said. After he got married, he and Anna spoke about it, and he spoke to his pastor; he decided to answer that calling.

The father of two works at Sanofi in Bridgewater as a digital quality expert.

Deacon Bui hopes to use his interest in artificial intelligence to help his parish. “Everything is about AI now, so once I graduate from diaconate formation, I will focus my attention on learning and working with AI products … which can quickly provide us with an analysis of what our parishioners need,” he said.

Deacon Bui serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and lector at Immaculate Conception Church, brings communion to the home bound, and volunteers in pastoral care at St. Peter’s Hospital, New Brunswick.

By Cori Urban, Contributing Editor

 

Deacon Paul Cain

Deacon Paul E. Cain was motivated to pursue the permanent diaconate by a desire to help the Church better serve its people.

Ordained May 3 in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, by Bishop James F. Checchio, Deacon Cain looks forward to celebrating the sacraments and to helping others find peace through Christ.

A member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Bernardsville, he is a lector, usher and parish finance committee member.

He brings Holy Communion to and is a lector at Morristown Medical Center and member of the school advisory committee for the School of St. Elizabeth/Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bernardsville.

“It has been a privilege to serve on the finance council and to help the parish meet its current and future responsibilities, said Deacon Cain, acknowledging also, “I am especially grateful for the opportunity to serve at Mass as a Eucharistic Minister and as a Lector. Each time I serve in either capacity, my faith is renewed and strengthened.”

Deacon Cain began serving as an extraordinary minister of the Holy Communion with the spiritual care office at Morristown Medical Center during the third year of his diaconate formation at Immaculate Conception Seminary of Seton Hall University in the master of theology program.

“Bringing the comfort of Christ to patients who are feeling vulnerable and uncertain has been the highlight of my time in formation,” he said; he plans to continue that ministry.

A former product manager for AT&T, he resigned in 2002 to become a stay-at-home dad. He and his wife, Katy George, have one son.

Deacon Cain, 63, was born in Albany, New York, and graduated from the University of Rochester (New York) in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He later earned a master’s in economics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

By Cori Urban, Contributing Editor

 

 

Deacon Ketan Christian

With his May 3 ordination to the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Metuchen, Deacon Ketan J. Christian believes he is the first-ever Gujarati-speaking permanent deacon worldwide.

Raised Catholic in a small Catholic mission village called Mariampura in Gujarat, India, he came to the United States in 1985 at age 23 and is now a member of the Church of the Sacred Heart, South Plainfield.

He sees his fluency in Gujarati – an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian state of Gujarat and spoken predominantly by the Gujarati people –º as an important element in his ministry to those who speak that language.

“Active religious participation has been an essential way of life for a Catholic from Gujarat, where churches provide the social structure to support and sustain their faith in their language and culture after Vatican II,” he said.

“For immigrants to the United States, immigration is a disruptive event that alienates them from that religious practice. … It is important for Catholics who speak Gujarati to have a clergy member to minister to them who speaks their native language, who can become a bridge to cross the immigration barriers and have a clear line of communication.”

Deacon Christian and his wife, Ila, have three children.

He was employed at Amspec as a laboratory manager, operations manager and client coordinator at locations in Linden and Avenel and as application support specialist in Cranbury.

He is completing his second unit of Clinical Pastoral Education and hopes to work in a hospital, nursing home or adult day care center.

He enjoys many activities including listening to music and singing, family and social gatherings, pilgrimages, nature and bird watching, sports (especially cricket), family vacations, photography and poetry in his native language.

Deacon Christian is a founding member and past executive member and current advisor of a Gujarati Catholic Samaj, an organization of Gujarati-speaking Catholics of India residing in North America.

By Cori Urban, Contributing Editor