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June 10, 2021By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press
The son of one of the diocese’s first permanent deacons was ordained last weekend, along with a former Baptist and a retired police detective who now teaches at a Catholic school.
Bishop McManus ordained permanent Deacons John William Ladroga, Donald John Pegg and Scott Joseph Camilleri at a Mass Saturday in St. Paul Cathedral in Worcester. Their wives, children, grandchildren and other supporters participated.
Perhaps one of those most moved by the occasion was Deacon John Ladroga’s father, Deacon William J. Ladroga Jr., a long-time diaconate formation director. Deacon Ladroga was a member of the Worcester Diocese’s first class of permanent deacons, ordained by Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan on June 24, 1978.
“This is probably one of the greatest experiences of my life,” he told The Catholic Free Press after Saturday’s ordination, at which he vested his son. “I had trouble fighting the tears back.”
He and his wife, Lucille (Goudreau) Ladroga, came to the ordination from their home in the Diocese of Venice, Florida, where he was formation director for the permanent diaconate from 1997 through last August. After serving as a deacon at St. Paul Cathedral for 12 years, then other parishes in the Worcester Diocese and on Cape Cod, he moved to Florida.
“We were always a very faith-filled family growing up … participating not only in the Catholic Church, but the charismatic movement,” said the newly ordained Deacon John Ladroga.
He said he and his siblings sensed something special was happening when their father was ordained.
Since his father wasn’t at first assigned to their parish, St. Mary in Jefferson, they weren’t with him for many Masses, but did attend special ones at the cathedral, as well as diaconate picnics, he said.
About 15 years ago, Deacon John Ladroga said, he attended an information session about becoming a permanent deacon, but it wasn’t the right time. About five years ago he was ready.
He’s been a lector since age 17 and is also a extrordinary minister of holy Communion. The diaconate “was the next logical step for me to be able to offer more service to the Church and community,” he said.
“My dad was able to vest me,” he said. “It was incredible.… He’s been able to be a mentor for me over the past five years.… In one way or another we’ve shared the diaconate for over 40 years.”
He said his father was “just beaming” and added, “He and my mother both – they’ve been extremely supportive.”
They brought him into this world on Aug. 3, 1964, in Fitchburg. He attended Pierce Street Elementary School and Carter Junior High, both in Leominster, and graduated from Wachusett Regional High School in Holden in 1982.
His higher education was at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester and online for the diaconate program at St. Joseph’s College of Maine, from which he received a certificate in Catholic theology.
He is director of project management for Elevation 3D in Shrewsbury.
He and his wife, Linda (Boucher) Ladroga, have two daughters, Emily Ladroga and Stephanie Ladroga.
Last weekend he had his Mass of Thanksgiving at his home parish, St. Mary in Jefferson, where he is assigned.
Deacon Scott Joseph Camilleri
Scott Joseph Camilleri didn’t expect to become a deacon; his initial goal upon receiving a master’s degree in ministry from St. John’s Seminary in 2018 was to retire and teach at a parish or Catholic school.
In August 2019 he retired after 31 years in law enforcement, the last 26 for the Concord Police Department. For most of his time there, he had served as the detective-school resource officer. That moved him to want to continue working with youth as a religion teacher, he said.
In September 2019 he started teaching religion and social studies to students in grades 7 and 8 at St. Leo Elementary School in Leominster, and still does.
But after receiving his ministry degree, he also became interested in the diaconate.
“It was God calling me: ‘You can still teach at a Catholic school, but you’re going to be a deacon too,’” he said.
His home parish is St. John, Guardian of Our Lady in Clinton. His diaconate internship was at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in West Boylston, where he is assigned to continue serving.
“I’ve always had the support of my wife and children during my faith journey,” Deacon Camilleri said. Among family members attending his ordination were his wife, Tracey Ann (Williams) Camilleri, and children, Ryan Camilleri and Jillian (Camilleri) Jankovic and her husband, Michael, and their daughter, Ava.
“It was a beautiful ceremony,” Deacon Camilleri’s daughter said after his ordination.
His father, Victor F. Camilleri, is deceased, and his mother, Mary P. (Christensen) Camilleri couldn’t be there.
He was born on Sept. 22, 1969, in Waltham. He was educated at Andrew Elementary School, Adams Middle School and Holliston High School, all in Holliston. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Framingham State University in 1984, his master’s degree in criminal justice from Westfield State University in 1993 and his master’s degree in ministry from St. John’s Seminary, Brighton, in 2018.
Deacon Camilleri is to preach and serve at Masses at Our Lady of Good Counsel at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow and at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
Deacon Donald John Pegg
“I’m a convert” to Catholicism from the American Baptist church, newly ordained Deacon Donald John Pegg said. His wife, Susan (Gammoh) Pegg, introduced him to the Catholic Church. She grew up in Jordan and they met at the American College of Switzerland, where he went to broaden his perspective of the world and earned an associate’s degree. After she introduced him to the Church, the Eucharist brought him in, he said.
Later, he felt called to pursue the permanent diaconate.
“I went to three or four deacon information sessions,” he said. “I was ignoring the call.” Then it was as if God “hit me with a sledge hammer” and said, “You keep saying you’re not worthy; I’m saying you are.”
Deacon Pegg said many people, including Deacon Eduardas V. Meilus, said, “What you’re hearing is a call; pursue it and see if it’s a true calling.”
“That’s why I had him vest me – because he was the one who helped me understand what the call was,” Deacon Pegg said.
The Meilus and Pegg families met at St. Bernadette Parish in Northborough where Deacon Meilus served. They did youth ministry together when Deacon Meilus headed the diocese’s youth ministry office. Deacon Pegg was a youth ministry adviser for the diocese.
The families whose lives were entwined rejoiced together after the ordination.
“You guys were like our adopted, extended family,” Jura (Meilus) Greeley, Deacon Meilus’ daughter, told the Peggs. Now they’re “officially part of the diaconate community,” she said.
Deacon Meilus witnessed the marriages of two of the Peggs’ daughters, Samantha Hayes, and husband Christopher, and Jennifer Beckford, and husband Georges. Deacon Meilus is also to participate in the wedding of their other daughter, Emily Pegg.
In addition, Deacon Meilus baptized the Hayes’ children: Michael, 7; Mary, 6, and Sarah, 4. But he isn’t scheduled to baptize the Beckfords’ baby, Annabelle Terese, whose middle name was chosen in honor of his late wife, Terese Meilus. Now that Annabelle’s grandfather is a deacon, he plans to baptize her!
“It’s very exciting,” Mrs. Hayes said after her father’s ordination. “This is kind of the ultimate conversion story,” with him converting to the Catholic Church and then becoming a deacon.
“He’s been a great resource in my life … His marriage has been a great witness to us in our marriage. … I’m really proud of him.”
Asked what he thought of his grandfather becoming a deacon, her son smiled and said, “Good.”
Deacon Pegg, son of the late Donald A. Pegg and Mary (Gonis) Pegg, was born on July 9, 1965, in Bronxville, New York. He attended Fox Meadow Elementary School in Scarsdale, and The Harvey School in Katonah, both in New York, and graduated from Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Connecticut, in 1983.
After studying in Switzerland, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University in 1988, a master’s in business administration from Clark University in 1992 and a master’s in theology from St. Joseph’s College of Maine in 2020.
He is head of technology services for Amica Life Insurance in Lincoln, Rhode Island.
Deacon Pegg served at his first Masses as a deacon last weekend at his home parish, St. Mary in Shrewsbury, and at Our Lady of Mount Carmel/Our Lady of Loreto Parish in Worcester, where he’s assigned.
