Berlin, NJ
Fr. Michael was born and raised in the Philippines, one of eight children. He was introduced to the Alagad ni Maria (A.M.), the Disciples of Mary Community, in junior high school, and entered the Disciples of Mary Seminary at the age of 16. He graduated from the Divine Word Mission Seminary with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Philosophy, and also graduated from the Maryhill School of Theology. Fr. Michael was ordained to the Holy Order of Priesthood on March 25, 2003, on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
Fr. Michael served in the Philippines for almost 11 years as Pastor (parish priest) on an island parish called Saint John the Baptist in the east, east south of Manila, and as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of the Infant Jesus and Saint Mark.
After 11 years of proclaiming the Kingdom of God through the sacraments, spiritual-liturgical nourishment, visiting the sick, the elderly, ministering to the poor, the marginalized, the children and youth and the people of God in rural areas of the Philippines, Fr. Michael was called to leave his native land.
In 2011, he came to the United States of America to serve as parochial vicar and the Director of Religious Education at the Church of Saint Pius X in Scarsdale, New York, under the pastoral care of his religious community Disciples of Mary. In 2014, he began his service as parochial vicar at Saint Andrew the Apostle parish in Gibbsboro, New Jersey.
According to Fr. Michael:
“In July 2019, I am again trusting the Lord and embracing the challenge to be the pastor of Saint Simon Stock Parish.
I am ecstatic to be here.
I am happy to be with my fellow brother priests from my religious community to serve you.
I wish to continue to bring the fire and love of Jesus and Mary to the people of Saint Simon stock parish.
Let’s work together. Let’s pray for one another.
Let’s nourish one another with prayers, compassion and love.
God bless you and your family always. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us! Saint Simon Stock, pray for us!”
It was on the blessed evening of December 18, 1984, when Magdalena Pontepedra Dacillo, the wife of Claro Reyes Ciar, gave birth to her second child. They had him baptized with the name Joseph Dacillo Ciar. Joseph was born and raised in the Province of Laguna in the Philippines. He had two siblings, Joel and Julie Anne, who were already deceased.
Joseph entered the Religious Institute of the Alagad ni Maria (Disciples of Mary) in June 2001 and made his Solemn Profession of Vows on September 18, 2014. He was ordained as Deacon on September 8, 2016, and finally received his ordination to the priesthood on July 1, 2017. The Council and the Superior General of the Alagad ni Maria (A.M.) and Bishop Dennis Sullivan's approval to send him to the United States of America to assist Father Michael A. de Leon, A.M., at Saint Simon Stock Parish. Father Joseph is delighted and truly blessed to be here at this parish - Saint Simon Stock Parish, Berlin, New Jersey. He is looking forward to meeting and serving the parishioners of this parish.
Deacon Bob was born and raised in Waterford Works, New Jersey. Bob attended Camden County Vocational Technical School. Upon graduation, he served his country in the United States Marine Corps. Bob was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in 1979 and is celebrating in July a thirty-year career with Waste Management.
Bob is a graduate of Camden Diocese Biblical Institute four-year program, which provided a strong base for his parish ministries and Deaconate Formation.
Hello to all of my new family of Saint Simon Stock parish!
I wanted to formally introduce myself to those of you who I have not had the opportunity to meet yet. My name is Deacon Michael Vitarelli and I was ordained to the permanent deaconate on October 24th 2020 at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Glassboro NJ. I bring along with me my beautiful wife Meredith and my three beautiful daughters Alexandra, Anna, and Angelina.
I feel very blessed to be able to serve here with Father Michael, Father Dexter, Father Phillip, and Deacon Bob. They have welcomed me with open arms and true guidance to serve at altar. I feel so blessed to have them for my first assignment.
I was baptized in this parish in the original Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church building, which is now the life center. A fitting name for a building at this parish I feel, because after meeting many of you already I can see that your lives truly are centered here at Saint Simon Stock. The warm welcomes, the smiles and kind words and the devotion that I have witnessed to those of you in the parish ministries is quite overwhelming! I truly look forward to seeing each and everyone of you every week.
To those of you who must stay away during these trying times of this pandemic, those of you who are woven into the fabric of this parish even from your homes, I wait with great anxiety to meet you face to face once more.
My family and I do not come from a very far-off place as we have had residence in Atco NJ for my entire life. I also have many family members and close family friends who have been in this parish family their entire lives, so its sometimes like an early Italian Sunday dinner when I’m at mass!
I come from a background of carpentry and construction, I come from a back ground of an imperfect life, caused by bad decisions and turning away from God at times. With the help of many people in my life including my Grandmother Carmela and my wife Meredith, doing a wonderful and painstaking job of keeping my eyes focused on what was important in life, I finally gave up what I thought life was supposed to look like and decided to allow God to show me what my life could look like by following Him. After many years of discernment, prayer and studies I am very happy to say that I am a deacon of God, a deacon obedient to our bishop and a deacon for this parish.
I look forward to serving all of you in whatever way the Spirit guides me.
May God bless each and every one of you and may God bless Saint Simon Stock Parish!
Patricia Infanti comes to St. Simon Stock parish after ending her career of 43 years as a legal secretary. She is the mother of two sons, Father Anthony Infanti, Parochial Vicar at St. Andrew, the Apostle Parish in Gibbsboro; and Joseph Infanti, a Research Scientist at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Patricia is a member of Our Lady of Hope Parish, where she is a Stephen Ministry Leader and also sings in the adult choir. In the 1980's, Patricia, along with her late husband, Michael, were part of a Pre-Cana team for 8 years. She is also a New Jersey Notary Public.
Betty is our Bookkeeper. Betty has been with St. Simon Stock Parish since the merger, and previously was the Parish Administrator for St. Edward Church in Pine Hill from 1990.
Alice is the Principal of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Regional School.
Rich is the Plant Maintenance Manager of St. Simon Stock Parish and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Regional School.
