Deacon Tony and Carol met at Church 40 years ago. Their first date was at a Notre Dame home football game versus Navy. One year later, at the same campus grotto he often frequented as an undergraduate student, he proposed to Carol. They were married on February 13, 1988. This past week, they celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary.

They made the western suburbs and the Diocese of Joliet their home, raising their two sons and becoming active in the Church. After earning a master’s and doctorate degree in education during his years as both a teacher and administrator, Deacon Tony felt a call to the permanent diaconate. Ordained in 2018, he served at Christ the King in Lombard and St. Thomas the Apostle in Naperville before accepting his new assignment at St. James.

In 2022, Deacon Tony joined the Diocese of Joliet Department of Catechesis and Evangelization as the Office of Catechetical Formation Lead. His new job takes him all around the diocese supporting parish religious education programs, including the ongoing formation of catechists. In addition to these duties, he also administers the Diocese of Joliet School of Spiritual Direction and serves as Associate Director for Academic Formation for men preparing for ordination to the permanent diaconate.

Deacon Tony and Carol are excited about making St. James their new parish home. They are looking forward to sharing their love of Jesus and the Church. They wish to express their gratitude to their new pastor, Fr. Keith Wolfe, Deacon Steve and Therese DeSitter, and the entire parish staff for the warm welcome they have received. They would like all to know how grateful they are that Jesus has brought them to St. James the Apostle Catholic Church.