Going from serving as a brigadier general in the Army to serving as a deacon in the Roman Catholic church may seem unusual, but for Gary DiLallo, it has been a perfect fit.

DiLallo was born and raised in Cayuga County, growing up in Union Springs. His career began as a police officer in Washington, D.C. and moved on from there.

“After D.C. I worked as an investigator for the Cayuga County DA.” DiLallo said. “And I was serving in the Army Reserves as well. I also did work as a deputy sherriff and managed a Wendy's here in Auburn. After those jobs I still wanted to find something, and my wife brought the thought of serving the church to me.”

As a deacon, DiLallo has many duties. “There are really three parts to being a deacon,” DiLallo explained. “It is liturgical, charity and preaching. As a deacon I can perform baptisms, weddings, funerals; what I can't do is say Mass or give confession.”

Beyond his responsibilities as a deacon, DiLallo has a second role. He serves as the pastoral administrator for the St. Hyacinth Church and St. Francis Church Cluster. Pastoral administrators fulfill a role created by Pope John Paul II in 1983 to partially address the ongoing trend of less Catholic men seeking the life of a priest.

“As a pastoral administrator I am responsible for the spiritual welfare of the parishioners, but also for the day to day business aspects of the churches,” DiLallo said of the position. “I'm here to assure the people of these churches that I will be here, we aren't closing. This isn't a new position in the church, there are 17 pastoral administrators in the Diocese of Rochester alone.”

DiLallo's previous position with the church was as the director of religious education for six churches in the Owego area.

“I got a call from the bishop asking me to help here, and so here I am, back in Auburn after 10 years,” he said.

DiLallo's experience may make him the perfect choice for this position. “All my years of training in the police and army really prepared me for these responsiblities,” DiLallo said.

“As an Army officer, I was responsible for leading soldiers, but also for upkeeping facilities, overseeing logistics and training, and ensuring the budget was held to. That is incredibly important. The exact details are obviously different, but nonetheless it is important for us to be wise stewards of our money.”

Beyond his training and experience, DiLallo has other qualities that may make him the perfect choice to administer these two choices. “Well, St. Hyacinth's is primarily a Polish church and St. Francis is an Italian church. I happen to be both Italian and Polish, so it works out well in that regard,” DiLallo joked. “Seriously, though, I love these churches and these people. These churches have been part of the community for many years, and I'm just glad to do my part to ensure that we will be here for many years to come.”

Challenges do face DiLallo and the Parishes he administers. “Probably the biggest challenge is educating people,” DiLallo said. “Making sure they understand that even though I'm not a priest, the churches are still healthy and vibrant. I have to assure them that nothing will change, we will still have Mass and they will still be able to take part in the Sacraments.”

Despite any challenges he may face, DiLallo is prepared. “It's all about one little word; service. Ever since I was little I wanted to serve, to help people. I did that as a police officer, as a general, and now as a Deacon and Pastoral Administrator. Everything I have done has been geared towards being of service to the community. Over 40 years of service, I have kept the same three priorites. God, family and country. Nothing has changed, except for how I serve.”