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Ordination to the Priesthood
June 7, 2014 @ 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Two men will be ordained to the priesthood for ministry in the Diocese of San Jose, Sat., June 7, 9:30 am in St. Joseph Cathedral Basilica, by Bishop Patrick J. McGrath. The two seminarians, who have been studying at St. Patrick Seminary and University in Menlo Park, are Jeff Joven Fernandez and Reynaldo P. Sarmiento.
The men are both natives of Manila, the Philippines and received primary education in their homeland, followed by advanced education and special studies when they immigrated to the United States.
Jeff Joven Fernandez, eldest of five children of Sesinando Q. and Janet J. Fernnadez, was born Jan. 10, 1973 in Manila, Philippines; and attended primary and secondary school at St. Joseph’s Academy, Las Pinas City, Philippines.
He pursued general education at De LaSalle University in Dasmarinas City, Philippines; and earned an Associate Arts degree at Mission College, Santa Clara, CA in 1999. He then joined the inaugural class of the Diocese of San Jose’s Institute for Leadership in Ministry, 1998-2000. He became a Master Catechist.
He worked in the semi-conductor industry at Metelics Corporation in Sunnyvale, at Komag in San Jose, and at Linear Corporation in Milpitas.
In the Philippines he served as a high school liturgy coordinator and in youth ministry. In the Diocese of San Jose, he served as a member of the liturgy team and altar server coordinator at St. John the Baptist Parish in Milpitas; as Director of Catechetical Ministry at St. Elizabeth, Milpitas, 2001-2008; and has been episcopal Master of Ceremonies since 1998.
Fernandez entered St. Patrick Seminary and University in 2008, earning a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, Master in Divinity, and Bachelor in Sacred Theology.
Reynaldo P. Sarmiento, the youngest of five children of Conrado and Encarnacion Sarmiento, was born in Manila, Oct. 4, 1967, attended Espiritu Santo elementary and high school and San Beda College, 1986-1990, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce with a major in management.
He has served as a lector-commentator, 1986 -1994, at Espiritu Santo Parish in Manila and at Mary Mother of the Church, Las Pinas City. In the Diocese of San Jose, he has served as a volunteer catechist at St. Elizabeth Parish, Milpitas, with RCIA at St. Joseph of Cupertino Parish, youth ministry at Holy Family Parish, San Jose, and served his pastoral year at St. Catherine of Alexandria in Morgan Hill.
From 1992 to 2004 his work experience has included being concierge supervisor at a Makati hotel, then a restaurant manager, and operations manager at a bakery and coffee shop where he supervised five stores in metro Manila. From 2005-06 he was Executive Suite manager at Epixtar.