by Stefani Manowski
September 12, 2011

The new Paulist deacons (from left): Revs. Messrs. Richard R. Andre, CSP; Rene I. Constanza, CSP; Thomas C. Gibbons, CSP.

As deacons preparing for the priesthood, the three men are now are able to preach the Homily during Mass and preside at baptisms, weddings and funerals.

 

After quitting his job as an optical engineer, Pittsburgh native Rev. Mr. Andre did a lot of soul searching regarding his call to the priesthood. That soul searching included two weeklong retreats with the Jesuits and a three-month cross-country road trip.

“At the end of that time, I realized that if I was being called to the priesthood, I was being called to a religious community,” said Rev. Mr. Andre. “It seemed to be a lot healthier to collaborate with men who shared my spiritually.”

Rev. Mr. Andre first became familiar with the Paulists through his sister, Kathy Harper, who attends Mass at the Paulist-run St. Thomas More Newman Center at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. After further exploration, Mr. Andre thought he and the Paulists were a good match. He entered the novitiate in August 2005, making his first promise with the community the following year.

He has since taken classes to earn the required Master of Divinity degree at the Washington Theological Union in Washington D.C., and spent academic breaks at St. Philip Neri Parish in Portland, Ore.; Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston; and serving his pastoral year at St. Thomas More Newman Center in Columbus. Rev. Mr. Andre also completed a six-week Spanish immersion experience this past summer.

 

Rev. Mr. Constanza took the high-tech route to religious life; he found the Paulist Fathers on the Internet.

“I liked the charism of the Paulists – evangelization, interfaith relations, ecumenism, reconciliation,” said the Belize native, “which I feel should be a priority in all we do in the church.”

Rev. Mr. Constanza received a bachelor’s degree from Spalding University in Louisville and a master’s degree in education from the University of Louisville. Rev. Mr. Constanza’s bishop in Belize requested he return to the Central American country to open a Catholic high school. He served as principal for four years before entering the Paulist novitiate in August 2006 and beginning academic studies for the priesthood at The Catholic University of America in 2007 after making his first promise with the Paulists.

It was at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Grand Rapids, Mich., where Rev. Mr. Constanza served his pastoral year. He held leadership roles in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults for Spanish-speaking parishioners, Confirmation preparation and English as a Second Language teams. He preached monthly at the Spanish Mass, participated in Bible study, taught adult faith formation courses and trained altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, lectors and ushers.

 

It during his pastoral year at St. Austin Church in Austin that tested the mettle of Rev. Mr. Gibbons after the unexpected and untimely death of the pastor, Father James Wiesner, CSP, two months into his experience.

“My role suddenly shifted from being a carefree seminarian to full-time clergy who was responsible for helping to minister the parish through a sudden period of grief,” said the New Jersey native. “I grew a lot in that one week.”

While in Austin, the New Jersey native was involved with the Knights of Columbus, the Graduate and Professionals (Young Adult) Group and the parish’s weekly social justice outreach ministry.

Before coming to the Paulists, Rev. Mr Gibbons served with the Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps after completing his psychology studies at Loyola University Maryland in 1994. The former Web developer at the Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services also found the Paulists on the Internet.

“I really liked the American identity in the mission of the community,” said the New Jersey native. “The Paulists have a very important perspective to bring to the church today that is not found in a lot of places.”