Rev. Mr. Roland Desjardins
Reverend Mr. Roland E. Desjardins was born in
Derby,
VT, on July 10, 1934, the eldest son in a family of 10 children.
He graduated from the University
of New Hampshire with a
Bachelor of Science degree in business. Entering the military
service, Deacon Roland served at several
U.S.
and Canadian bases, overseas, and combat assignments in
Korea
and Vietnam.
While in the military and stationed in
Canada, he met and married Frances
C. Downey, who passed away June 14, 1998, after 41 years of marriage.
Their four children and nine grandchildren have made Deacon Roland a
proud dad and grandfather. Following 30 years of
military duty, he received a call for service in the church, He
began four years of formation study that led to his ordination as a
deacon, in the Orlando Diocese, by Bishop Thomas Grady in May 1985.
His first assignment was to Good Shepherd parish in
Orlando, followed by an opportunity in June
1987 to serve the faithful at St. Frances Cabrini parish in
Spring Hill, FL.
Here, Deacon Roland, developed and organized, a new program as
director of RCIA along with other responsibilities. As a
result of the loss of his beloved wife, Fran, he realized that his
loneliness was a feeling experienced by multitudes of people in the
death of someone deeply loved. This gave rise to a plan of how
we, as a parish, can provide hope and reassurance to the bereaved in
their time of great loss. By doing so, we share this burden of
loss with them. A new ministry, just begun, is called “HOPE
ANEW” coordinated by Deacon Roland. He invites all to the
meetings every Monday morning, at 10
A.M. to 11:15 A.M. in Cabrini
Center rooms 1 & 2.
