Cindy Ruiz will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at 7 p.m. October 23 at St. Elisabeth’s Episcopal Church, 5910 Black Oak Lane, Fort Worth, Texas 76114.
She graduated from University of Rhode Island with BA in History and German and BS in Secondary Education. She got a teaching certificate in history, social studies, and German. While there, she met and married Gustavo, who was completing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering.
They moved to Puebla, Mexico, where she completed an MA in Applied Linguistics at the University of the Americas-Puebla, specializing in intercultural communication and cultural adjustment as well as English as a Second Language. She taught composition at the UDLAP and then middle school history and geography at the American School in Puebla.
The family moved to Fort Worth in 2001. She was received into The Episcopal Church at St. Luke’s in the Meadow, Fort Worth. While a member of St. Luke’s she served as lay reader and LEM, sub deacon, and on the vestry. She is a Stephen Minister. She also served as coordinator of Hispanic Ministry during a 2-year effort to build a Spanish-speaking community there. She was a member of the Hispanic Commission of the Diocese of Dallas and a Spanish-speaking member of the Secretariat of the Episcopal Renewal Center. She was on the team for multiple Spanish-language Cursillos as well as a national Cursillo leaders’ weekend in the Diocese of West Texas.
After the birth of their son Liam, she began studying theology in the Spanish-language Instituto Teologico at the Cathedral of St. Matthew in Dallas. Former Bishop Jack Iker approved her to enter the ordination process in Dallas and she began in February, 2006. She began studying for a Masters of Divinity at Perkins School of Theology at SMU with scholarships as a Congregational Fellow of the Fund for Theological Education and the Province VII Hispanic Ministry Scholarship. She transferred membership to the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Irving and was on staff as youth minister there while continuing at Perkins. She began at Seminary of the Southwest in Austin in 2008 and graduated in 2011 with Master’s in Divinity with Hispanic Studies Certificate. Upon graduation, she began working at St. Elisabeth’s Church in River Oaks.
She is a contributor to Lifting Women’s Voices: Prayers to Change the World (4 prayers included) and “Blessed to Be a Blessing” from The Episcopal Church Office of Stewardship. She is completing certification as a facilitator for the Kaleidoscope Institute program by Rev. Eric H.F. Law. She is a member of the diocesan Communications Committee, the diocesan Hispanic Ministry Committee, and is a consultant to the Latino Ministry of the diocese.
She and Gustavo have been married for 18 years and have three children: Lisabel, 15, Karina, 11, and Liam, 9.
Doyle Douglas Dietz Allen will be ordained to the priesthood at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 27, at Saint Alban’s Episcopal Church located at Theatre Arlington, 305 W. Main St., Arlington, Texas, 76010.
She was ordained to the transitional deaconate at Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Worth where she was a member for three years. She is serving now at Saint Alban’s as deacon assistant, and after her ordination will be serving as priest assistant. Doyle worked in the business world for more than 20 years in sales, supervision and management, mostly in the staffing industry. She also ran a crisis center for victims of family violence and sexual assault, serving seven counties in east Texas. Doyle spent seven months in South Korea, teaching English to Korean children, where she said she heard God’s call to be a priest.
Doyle has a B.A. in Sociology from SMU and a Masters of Divinity with a Certificate in Anglican Studies from Perkins School of Theology. Her ministry experiences include: chaplaincy internship at Baylor Hospital, Dallas; training and supervising Stephen Ministers; leading chapters of The Order of Saint Luke; serving as pastor at Saint Luke’s Church in Denison, Texas, including leading worship, preaching, pastoral care and adult education; leading Bible studies and small groups; and coordinating sacramental preparation at Church of The Incarnation, Dallas.
Doyle is married to Tom Allen who runs a non-profit (The Extra Dimension) serving underrepresented, high achieving, high school students who want to go to top universities and colleges. Tom has two grown sons, and four grandchildren. He is a lay Eucharistic minister and acolyte.
Heather O’Brien will also be ordained to the priesthood at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 27, at Saint Alban’s Episcopal Church located at Theatre Arlington. She graduated with her Masters of Divinity from Brite Divinity School in 2011. After that she spent a year at the Seminary of the Southwest studying for her Diploma in Anglican Studies. In April 2012 she was ordained as a deacon. Over the years she has done intern and part time chaplain work at Huguley Memorial Medical Center, John Peter Smith Hospital, Children’s Medical Center, Dallas; and Baylor All Saints’ Medical Center. She is a chaplain resident at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, which will be her cure once she is ordained. She has been a member of Trinity Episcopal Church for almost 5 years.
Henry Penner will be ordained to the vocational diaconate during the opening Eucharist at Diocesan Convention at 5:15 p.m. Friday, November 2, in the Student Center at Tarleton State University in Stephenville.
Henry is a member of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Keller, where he has served as a chalice bearer, on the vestry, and as senior warden. He is licensed as a worship leader and as a lay Eucharistic visitor. He is a Stephen Minister. He graduated from TCU, and has studied at the Anglican School of Theology and Brite Divinity School at TCU. He has served on the board of the Christian Community Storehouse, the last three years as chair. He has served as a trustee of the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin.
After his ordination, Henry will serve at St. Martin’s. He will preach in the rotation and do hospital visits as well as spend time at the diocesan level on committees, working on deacon discernment and formation, and coordinating with local service organizations that provide services with which the diocese can partner.
He will continue his current job full time, which involves projects to provide insurance to charter and parochial schools, as well as hospitals and clinics.
He has been an insurance producer/risk manager for Wortham Insurance in Ft. Worth (formerly Brants Insurance) for 22 years, with a total of 32 years in the insurance business. He is married to Rhonda and lives in North Richland Hills.