Deacon Joseph's Home Page

Hi I'm Deacon Joseph Pasquella an Ordained Deacon the Catholic Church, Buffalo, NY. I also do: Social Work, Part time Master Barber,an experienced Spiritual Director, Husband for over 23 years, and father of Two. I have a long Journey of Faith. Although Baptized Catholic, I was not raised in the faith. At an early age, I was introduced to the Pentecostal Christian Churches, eventually become a member and minster of the Way Ministry. I attened their four year Pastoral-Evangelistic School of Ministry, Called the Way Corps and Graduated in 1983. My wife also was a grad of this seminary, and we were married on July 10, 1983. For years we taught and started Churches in our Home, ran Biblical Classes and pastored and oversaw other new fellowships in time. However, when one seeks the truth, Christ promised one would find it. My Wife and I both came to realize that things were not as they should be in the Way. This all came to a head when many of the Leadership were having sexual affairs with others in the Way Ministry, without the Benefit of Marraige. Infact, Adultary was for many of the High Leadership of the Church, a noramal practice. This led to Sexual Abuse, people trusted their shepherds, and were led astray. Also the teaching was that Life only began when one took one's first breath. Other Heretical teachings of the Way: They deney the Dogma of the Holy Trinity, the Divinity of Jesus Christ, they deny the souls going to heaven or hell upon death, teaching that the body stays in the grave and the soul dissapates to God without any being until the ressurection. They also maintain that the Holy Spirit is not the third person of the Holy Trinity. In Conscience we could not long teach and preach as representatives of The Way Ministry as when we explained this to the people in our Area, we were shuned. We became destitute, and moved to Cathy's parents house on Cape Cod. From there we investgated other denomination, but were frustrated to know which was correct. Finally with the inspriation of my wife, we inquired about the Eastern Orthodox Church. By our studies of the Chruch Fathers and customs we saw that we had been truly deceived by the Protestant Churches for they lacked History connectected to the Apostles that was unbroken sine the insepction of the Church. We became Antiochian Greek Orthodox Christians. I started a minssion of Cape Cod, St. Michael's Orthodox Mission, now a Church. I also took their Leadership training program and was ordained a subdeacon and Fianally a deacon on December 8, 1996. I was assigned as Administrator of the Mission. The mission little by little grew, I also worked as a Barber to sustain my temporal needs. We built a House and things were going well. But God has a sence of Humor. When one's total desire is to do the will of God, He will allow things, even unpleasent things to occur to get them to see His will. So with me, the Lord allowed me to be very ill with Lymes disease and while I was being treated for my illness, the Lord used things that I read and watched on Television to come to understand where He was leading my family and me. I came to see that it was very wrong for the Orthodox and Catholic Churches to be Divided. While I resepcted the Orthodox Church and Most of her Teachings, I knew that I was called, and I belive All Christians are so called to be in Union with the Church of Rome and the Holy Father. So I informed my bishop and was dropped from the ranks of Orthodox Clergy. But Like a Priest, a deacon can not be Un-made. Once one receives Holy Orders, a Sacrament or Mystery of the Church, it is forever, like baptism, and Confirmation. For as St. Paul Says: "the gifts and callings of God are without repentance". In July of 1998 I was received into full Union with the Catholic Church and applied to be Incardinated as a Catholic Deacon. But in the mean while, I had moved from Cape Cod, becasue of my disablity and consiquently couldn't afford to pay for my house payments and lost it. By Divine Assistance,we were helped by a Ukrainian Catholic Priest and moved to Buffalo, NY. Once living in Buffalo,. I applied to the See of Rome to have my Canonical irregularities removed, and to be allowed to serve as a Deacon in the Holy Catholic Church. This was Granted by the Holy Father in 2001. After taking many Courses at Christ the King Seminary and extra Formation, I was Incardinated by the Bishop of Buffalo, His Excellency Bishop Edward, on August 5, 2005, and assigned to Diaconal Ministy at St. Lawrence, RC Church, Buffalo, NY. Also I serve at Local Nursing Homes, especailly at the Erie County Nursing Home in Alden, NY. It is my intention to receive Bi-Ritual Faculties so as to be able to serve as a Decon in the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Diocese(Eparchy)of Stamford, CT.