Nine candidates in the 2025 ordination class of permanent deacons for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington were called to Holy Orders by Cardinal Robert W. McElroy. Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. presided at the Mass of Ordination for the Permanent Diaconate on June 28 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and ordained the new deacons.
The following biographies of the nine new deacons were provided by the archdiocese’s Office of the Permanent Diaconate.
Deacon Michael Derral Brooks is currently a member of Saint Hugh of Grenoble Parish in Greenbelt, Maryland. He works as a nurse educator at AHC Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville. Deacon Brooks’ parish involvement includes serving as an acolyte, participating in the music ministry, lector ministry, Baptismal preparation, as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion to the homebound, altar server training, and as a sacristan. He was inspired to become a deacon through the urging of others and a powerful personal spiritual encounter with God. His goal as a deacon is to offer service and support wherever it is needed.
Deacon Eduardo Deausen and his wife Marianne have two children. They are currently members of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Derwood, Maryland. He works as a medical laboratory technologist. His parish involvement includes serving as an acolyte, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, lector, Confirmation retreat coordinator, and supporting adult formation. Deacon Deausen was inspired to pursue the diaconate by a desire to serve God and others through ministries of charity. His goal as a deacon is to be a bridge, to be Christ’s hands and feet to people and to proclaim the Gospel with love.
Deacon Christopher Lindsey and his wife Theresa have three children. They are currently members of Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish in Owings, Maryland. Deacon Lindsey works as an energy manager and engineer. His parish involvement includes participation in the Men’s Club, Knights of Columbus, and in support of Active Catholic Teens. He has always found joy in serving the Church and, through a series of faith-deepening steps, felt called to the permanent diaconate. His aspiration is to continue serving Christ and the Church faithfully, in whatever way is needed.
Deacon Allan Jason Lising and his wife Kathleen have five children. They are currently members at St. Raphael Parish in Rockville, Maryland. He works as a program manager for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. At his parish, Deacon Lising has served with the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults program, as an acolyte, and with the lector ministry. He was first encouraged by someone to look into the diaconate, and after a “Come and See” visit, was drawn in by the deacon’s heart for charitable service, aligning with his own passion for serving others. As a deacon, he hopes to serve God and his neighbors with love and compassion.
Deacon Robert Stanley Nisson Jr. and his wife Jennifer have five children. They are members of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in North Beach, Maryland. Deacon Nisson works as a sales engineer for a mechanical contractor. His parish involvement includes participation in the Men’s Group, Knights of Columbus, as an acolyte and lector, and service as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. He felt a call to the diaconate, further inspired by the example of deacons he knows. As a deacon, he hopes to serve as God has called him and to reach those who are searching for the faith, as he once was when he became Catholic at age 37.
Deacon Eugene de Ribeaux and his wife Mary Beth have three children. They are currently members of St. John Neumann Parish in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Deacon de Ribeaux is a small business owner. His parish activities include serving as an acolyte, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion for the homebound, and participating in the Men’s Ministry. Three factors inspired him to seek the diaconate: an increasing desire to serve others as he discerned the love of Christ; the witness of deacons he has known; and the encouragement from others who saw a servant’s heart in him. His goals as a deacon will be to serve as a deacon in whatever way God wants him to serve; to draw fellow Catholics into a deeper spiritual life of service; and to introduce the love of Christ to people in his community.
Deacon Rey Navarro Robles and his wife Carol have one adult son. They are currently members of St. Columba Parish in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Deacon Robles recently served as a business/IT manager for a nonprofit and is currently substitute teaching at a local parish school. His parish ministries include the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults program, the Filipino Ministry, lector coordination, and he is a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus. He was drawn to the diaconate by a profound desire to deepen his faith and relationship with God through service and spiritual formation. His goal as a deacon is to live out God’s plan through loving service and to inspire others by witnessing to the transformation that Christ has worked in his life.
Deacon Trach Thanh Vo and his wife Thuy-Linh have two children. They are currently members of Our Lady of Vietnam Parish in Silver Spring, Maryland. He works in software engineering. His parish involvement includes serving at Mass as an acolyte, being an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, acting as a sacristan, and teaching as a catechist. He was inspired to become a deacon by the recognition of God’s love and grace in his life, particularly as an immigrant. His goal as a deacon is to be an instrument of God’s love by bringing His grace to others, especially the needy, and by making His love known.
Deacon Terence J. Wynn Sr. and his wife Sonia have three children. They are currently members of St. Patrick’s Parish in Washington, D.C. Deacon Wynn works as a technician for Verizon, Inc. His parish involvement includes serving as an acolyte, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, usher, lector, and supporting Adoration during women’s prayer nights. He was inspired to pursue the diaconate by the influence of the late Deacon John McGinness, who ministered to his family, and Msgr. Raymond East, whom he worked with in the Kairos Prison Ministry. His goal as a deacon is to serve God’s people with love and grow closer to God through service, trusting that any other goals God or the Church has for him will be met with his best effort.
The new permanent deacons in the archdiocese’s ordination class of 2025 will receive parish appointments and assignments to a particular ministry of charity from Cardinal McElroy upon ordination.
