Welcome Deacon Craig!

Rev. Mr. Craig Dutka was recently ordained a Deacon for the Diocese of Venice in June of 2022. Dcn. Craig is assigned to Holy Cross Parish.

Please read Dcn. Craig’s Autobiography bellow:

“My full name is Craig Joseph Dutka, I was born in South River, NJ. I lived there for the first eighteen years of my life. I moved around in New Jersey quite a bit, and before leaving for Florida, my last residence was Monroe Township New Jersey. I have a beautiful wife of twenty-three years and three beautiful boys. I work as a project manager for Willis Smith Construction. I had my calling to the diaconate in 2014, I can remember talking with my Pastor Edward Flanagan of Nativity of Our Lord in New Jersey, explaining I felt to be called as a servant to Christ and my personal story would show the love of Christ has for us. He was a mentor in my spiritual growth and supportive of my decision. I spent four years in formation studies at Seton Hall University for the training to become a permanent diaconate in the diocese of Metuchen. Due to the loss of my job in New Jersey and an opportunity in Florida, I had to leave the program six months before my ordination.

I moved to Florida in October of 2018 and entered the diaconate formation program in the diocese of Venice Florida in September 2020 into the formation class of 2025. The formation class of 2025 will continue to move on, God willing to their ordination in 2025. I am very grateful to Bishop Dewane, for the trust and faith in me to have ordained me on June 18th, 2022 at my home Parish Holy Cross. I am truly very excited and nervous, please continue to pray for me as I do for you. I want to thank again the people of Holy Cross who have been so supportive, Father Kristian, Deacon Bill Ladroga, and Deacon Bob Gaitens, and the class of 2025 who are a very special group and will make excellent permanent deacons in the near future.

Yours Truly in Christ,
Deacon Craig Joseph Dutka”

Translate ยป