Two men to be ordained transitional deacons

The Rev. Mr. Stephen Castille and the Rev. Mr. James P. Rome will be ordained to the transitional diaconate, Saturday, May 29, at 10 a.m., at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux. Bishop Shelton J. Fabre will be the ordaining prelate.

The Rev. Mr. Stephen Castille is a 52-year-old native of Church Point, LA. He is the son of Martha and Wilrey Castille, and has one brother, Tim Castille, and one sister, Catina T. Ortego.

He is a graduate of Church Point High School, and attended St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict and currently attends Notre Dame Seminary College in New Orleans.

As part of his priestly formation, he was assigned to St. Bernadette Church parish in Houma in 2019 for his first summer assignment. He says St. Bernadette is the parish he chose for his home parish when he joined the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in 2018. His responsibilities were to serve two Masses a day and work with the students at summer camp. He also made hospital visits and helped out with the young disciples group in the parish.

The Rev. Mr. Castille explains that his vocation story is a complicated one. He says he entered St. Joseph Seminary College right out of high school and graduated after four years. “I was attracted to the monastic life and joined the monastery there as a novice. After my novitiate year was complete, I discerned out of the monastery and returned to my home diocese to study theology at Notre Dame Seminary. However, because of my struggle with the requirement of celibacy, I ended up leaving the seminary after completing my first year of theology. I attempted marriage, however it did not work out as I planned. The call to the priesthood had never gone away, so after my marriage was declared invalid, I answered the call again and was able to return where I left off 24 years earlier at Notre Dame Seminary.”

He goes on to say that after living the married life for many years and working in corporate America for 18 years, he has a new perspective on the wisdom of the church in requiring celibacy as a part of the ordained priesthood.
“I now see this as a great gift in order to completely dedicate my life to serving the church. I am looking forward to finally being able to do what God has been calling me to do for the last 35 years. This time I come with a vast amount of experience for God to use to bring people closer to him.”

After being ordained to the transitional diaconate, the Rev. Mr. Castille is most looking forward to actually doing ministry instead of studying about it. “I look forward to using my gifts and talents as well as my experience and education to serve the people of the parish I will be assigned to.”

The Rev. Mr. James P. Rome is a 55-year-old native of Golden Meadow, LA. He is the son of Hazel and Ervin Rome (both deceased); and has two sisters, Sandra R. Clement and Mary Rome; and one brother, Michael Rome. He graduated from South Lafourche High School in 1984. The Rev. Mr. Rome also attended Holy Rosary Catholic School in Larose when Sister Claire Rodrigue, C.I.C., whom he says was the second most influential person in his life, was principal there. He currently attends Notre Dame Seminary College in New Orleans.

As part of his priestly formation, he was assigned to Holy Cross Church parish in Morgan City in the summer of 2017, where he was involved with Vacation Bible School, Bible Study on Old Testament timeline, church maintenance, and served as an acolyte for liturgies.

Before beginning his journey toward priesthood, the Rev. Mr. Rome, earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting with minor in computer science in 1988 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1994, from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. He also earned the designation of certified public accountant in 1990, and worked in the area of accounting and finance for many years. He was the founding father, commander, and captain of Fraternus of South Lafourche and a graduate of Leadership Lafourche.

On a more personal level, the Rev. Mr. Rome says he “was married to the former Robin Alario Rome, whom I will forever love and consider a best friend. I have a stepson, Reggie J. Ougel and a granddaughter Alli Rae Ougel, that I love very much and who maintain special places in my heart.” His marriage was declared invalid in 2014.

“I attribute much of my vocation to the seeds planted by the community of Our Lady of Prompt Succor (in Golden Meadow) when I was a boy. And then again to a parish Lenten mission in 2002 put on by a permanent deacon who felt that there was more to God’s plan for him than the business world,” says the Rev. Mr. Rome. “Getting involved in ministries such as Fraternus and parish youth formation provided the momentum needed to answer my calling to serve the Lord in an ordained capacity. I am convinced, however, that it was my Mom’s prayers from heaven that solidified my courage to step out of the boat onto the water.”

After being ordained to the transitional diaconate, he says he is most excited about experiencing the assignments God has planned for him. “By assignments, I mean the individuals and parish communities God has chosen for my vocational path. I know that there will be a special intimacy of family that I am to share with those individuals that will satisfy my sense of providing, along with my own need for belonging.”