Deacon Joseph Cingle
Wife: Pamela Cingle
Home Parish: St. Leo the Great, Rohrerstown
Parish Assignment: Mary, Mother of the Church, Mount Joy
What drew you to serve the Diocese as a Deacon?
The example of Deacon Tom Boucek and the encouragement of my wife, Pamela. Tom and Pamela were partners in a business when he was in formation and got ordained. Pamela and I were privileged to be an indirect part of Tom’s spiritual journey and became inspired by him. I have always had a desire in my heart to serve, help and guide people. With Pamela’s encouragement and much prayer, we decided to petition the Bishop to determine if God was calling us to the diaconate.
What aspect of the ministry are you most looking forward to?
Helping people feel the love of God. Whether serving soup in a food kitchen, visiting a sick person, praying with someone, supporting laity initiatives, serving at the altar, giving a homily, or baptizing a baby, I pray the Holy Spirit will use me as his instrument to bring people closer to God.
What is/was your profession prior to ordination?
I am happily retired from my professional career, where I spent over 34 years with Alcoa/Arconic. My primary role near the end of my career was the Director of Demand Planning and Inside Sales. Prior to ordination, I helped at St. Leo’s, working in the office, dabbling in database support, parishioner outreach, and any other task Father Hahn requested.
How has the formation program helped you grow spiritually?
My formation has helped me fight one of my biggest weaknesses – my pride. I have been given the grace to focus less on myself, my successes and failures, and more on what can bring God greater glory. Also, my prayer life has become so much richer. I have been given a greater understanding of the importance of my quiet time with God. As Elijah learned at Mt. Horeb, I have learned that my prayer time provides me the best opportunity to listen for the “light silent sound” of God.
Deacon Joseph Cingle
Deacon Chris J. Darrup
Wife: Angela M. Darrup
Home Parish: Sacred Heart of Jesus, Lewisburg, and St. George Mission, Mifflinburg
Parish Assignment: St. Pius X, Selinsgrove
What drew you to serve the Diocese as a Deacon?
Through eight years of Catholic grade school and even through public high school, I was raised with a deep respect for the clergy and religious. So when the permanent deacon in our parish, Deacon Richard Owen, approached me one Sunday morning after Mass asking if I would consider the diaconate, I felt a sense of calling, of his reaching out. My unfiltered response was a simple desire to help, to help with the seemingly overwhelming tasks of meeting the needs of a parish, as well as a sense of gratitude for all the blessings I have encountered throughout my lifetime.
What aspect of the ministry are you most looking forward to?
I am most looking forward to accompanying others on their journey with Jesus Christ through this earthly life. I hope to help others develop and grow in relationship with our Lord and Savior until He grants us eternal peace and happiness with Himself. I pray for the grace to cooperate with God’s plan in whatever capacity that might be.
What was/is your profession prior to ordination?
I am a physician practicing family medicine in the Middleburg office of Family Practice Center. I am grateful for the opportunity to witness Jesus’ healing of our bodies and our spirits.
How has the formation program helped you grow spiritually?
The formation program has thrown open wide the doors to the wealth of the Church’s spiritual treasures, many of which I was not previously aware. I am in awe of the human recording of God’s Word through thousands of years in Sacred Scripture and the Church’s subsequent development – all now available to us electronically online. Communicating with God Almighty on an intimate, personal level while appreciating the immensity of the universal Church, and indeed all creation, boggles our limited human comprehension, but helps us experience God’s infinite love and mercy.
Deacon Chris J. Darrup
Deacon Michael Derois
Wife: Lisa Derois
Home Parish: St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, Dauphin
Parish Assignment: St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, Dauphin
What drew you to serve the Diocese as a Deacon?
In 2015, Bishop Ronald Gainer sent out a call for men to consider joining the diaconate. As soon as I heard the announcement at Mass, I knew I needed to apply. Ten years leading up to that moment had been a series of trying to get closer to God through service to my parish and the Church. I had such a desire to serve and the call to the diaconate felt like a natural fit, so I began the process of discernment. Since making that decision, I have been filled with the joy of knowing that I will be helping to build up the kingdom of God by serving our Lord and his people.
What aspect of the ministry are you most looking forward to?
I am looking forward to assisting during the liturgy; proclaiming and teaching the Gospel of our Lord; and most especially bringing Christ to everyone I meet by serving them. I also hope to serve the poor, the sick, the imprisoned and the home bound in my ministry.
What is/was your profession prior to ordination?
Currently I work for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania processing payroll and configuring payroll taxes. I have worked in the Information Technology field, specifically in Human Resources, since being honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force in 1988.
How has the formation program helped you grow spiritually?
Before entering the program, I struggled with how to pray and how to have a deeper relationship with our God. My formators gave me the tools to learn how to pray, how to love more fully, and how to see my neighbor in everyone, even in my enemies. The program gave me the opportunity to understand my faith in a much more profound way through intense studies and practicum. It also taught me how to see the face of Christ in all of God’s children.
Deacon Michael Derois
