On Saturday, 22 November, 18 members of Opus Dei will be ordained as deacons by Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-Sang of Macau. The candidates come from 12 different countries. The ceremony will take place at the Basilica of Saint Eugene in Rome at 10:30 a.m.
We invite you to join us in prayer and thanksgiving for these new deacons, to follow the live broadcast from the Basilica of Saint Eugene, and to download the program for the ceremony.
The future deacons come from Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Italy, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, Spain and Venezuela. Their names are: José María Álvarez de Toledo Martín de Peralta, Joseph Michael Nicolas Arbilo, Tobechukwu Ugochukwu Attoh, Alfonso Carlos Aza Jácome, Pablo Bistué Muñoz, Alfonso Cabrera Salinas, Pedro José de León Chávez, Francisco de Paula Febres-Cordero Carrillo, Josimar Pereira Freitas, Juan Martín Gismondi, José Tomás Larraín Correa, Anthony Oluchukwu Momah, Peter Leonard Otieno Ndeda, Charles Ejike Ozoene, David Serrano Ariza, Federico Angelo Carlo Skodler, Víctor Torre de Silva Valera, Augustine Onyekachi Ufoegbune.
Meet some of the future deacons
Anthony Momah, from Lagos, Nigeria, is 34 years old. After earning a degree in chemistry, he coordinated programs at the Institute for Industrial Technology (IIT), a project dedicated to helping young people who have completed secondary education develop technical skills. He has also collaborated on NGO projects providing social services in rural developing communities. He began his theological studies in 2019. He says that the path he is following as a deacon — and later as a priest — “is both a vocation and a great responsibility, to bring Christ to the people of God.”
Josimar Pereira Freitas, from Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil, is a civil engineer. He worked for one of Brazil’s main electricity operators, during which time he discovered his vocation to Opus Dei as an associate. In recent years, he has lived in Pamplona and Rome, completing his theological studies and preparing for ordination as a deacon now and as a priestly in May 2026. Reflecting on his vocation, he says that the love of God he wants to share with others “is the same love I received in my family and have seen continue and grow in my supernatural family, the Work.”
Juan Martín Gismondi, 40, from Adrogué, Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the director and coordinated formation in university residences in Mendoza and Córdoba. He also worked as an accountant in Buenos Aires. In Rome, he is pursuing postgraduate studies on the vocation of the Christian entrepreneur. He says that, as a future priest, he looks forward to “spiritually accompanying many people in their relationship with Jesus, helping them to pray and to experience his forgiveness and union in the sacraments.”
José María Álvarez de Toledo, from Madrid, Spain, studied Journalism and Business Administration. In addition to his theological studies, he has also worked as a content editor for the Opus Dei website. “I am passionate about writing, and above all about storytelling; how to bring the light of the Gospel to young people who enjoy shows like Stranger Things,” he says. Recently, he co-authored Segura Intemperie, a collection of true stories around the theme of providence. “While working on this book,” he says, “we realized that God does not work the same way with everyone: He guides each person along a unique path and, with the patience of a master craftsman, transforms empty lives into true works of art.”