PITTSBURGH — Bishop Mark Eckman of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh will ordain five men as transitional deacons during a 10 a.m. Mass this Saturday.
The candidates for ordination are Antonino “Nino” Castellano, Colin Kulmoski, Peter Mallampalli, Thach Ngoc Nguyen and Thanh Tung Nguyen.
Transitional deacons represent men in the final stage of preparation for ordination to the priesthood. Each candidate has completed at least six years of priestly formation, encompassing studies in philosophy and theology, spiritual formation, prayer and pastoral service.
Following their ordination, the new deacons will join the clergy to assist priests at Mass, proclaim the gospel, preach homilies, administer baptisms, witness marriages, preside over funeral services outside of Mass and engage in charitable ministry, the diocese says.
The ordination Mass will take place at St. Thomas More Church, located at 126 Fort Couch Road in Pittsburgh. The ceremony will also be livestreamed on the diocesan website, www.diopitt.org, for those unable to attend in person.
“This is a joyful day for these five men, their families and the entire Church of Pittsburgh,” Bishop Eckman said. “Each of them has spent years praying, discerning and preparing to give his life in service to Christ and His Church. I ask everyone in our diocese to pray for Nino, Colin, Peter, Thach and Tung as they take this important step toward the priesthood and to continue praying that more men will hear and respond to God’s call.”
Castellano comes from St. Jude Parish. He graduated from Central Catholic High School and earned a degree in theology and catechetics from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Before entering seminary in 2021, Castellano worked as coordinator of catechetical ministries at St. Jude Parish. He later pursued theological studies at Theological College and The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. His formation included a summer pastoral practicum at St. Isidore the Farmer Parish, serving the Avella, Burgettstown, Fort Cherry and West Allegheny communities.
Kulmoski belongs to Regina Coeli Parish. A graduate of Central Catholic High School, he studied mechanical engineering at Hofstra University prior to joining priestly formation in 2021. Kulmoski continued his theological studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and completed pastoral service at Triumph of the Holy Cross Parish, serving Clairton, Jefferson Hills, Pleasant Hills and West Mifflin.
Mallampalli’s home parish is St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish. He attended Aquinas Academy and North Allegheny High School before earning a degree in philosophy at Duquesne University. After entering formation in 2020, he studied at Theological College and The Catholic University of America. Mallampalli completed an extended pastoral year and gained additional ministry experience at St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish, serving Beechview and Brookline.
Thach Nguyen was born in Ha Tinh, Vietnam, where he earned a degree in mechanical technology. He entered priestly formation for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 2020, initially studying at St. Paul Seminary and Franciscan University of Steubenville before continuing at Theological College and The Catholic University of America. His recent pastoral practicum was at St. Catherine Labouré Parish, serving South Park and Upper St. Clair.
Thanh Nguyen was also born in Ha Tinh, Vietnam. He studied building engineering and taught parish religion classes before joining priestly formation in 2020. Nguyen pursued theological studies at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe and completed his most recent pastoral assignment at Resurrection Parish, serving Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair.
The five transitional deacons are expected to be ordained as Catholic priests in 2027.
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