I am Fr. Jean Paul Devalcin, born in Bahon, Cap-Haïtien, Northern Haiti, on January 15, 1978. I come from a family of eight children—three girls and five boys. I began my vocational journey at the Minor Seminary of Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, at the age of 15. I then continued my formation in the Dominican Republic, in the Archdiocese of Santiago, where I completed one year of propaedeutic studies, four years of philosophy at the Pontifical Catholic University Mother and Teacher (PUCMM), earning a degree in Philosophy, and four years of theology at the Pontifical Seminary of St. Thomas Aquinas. I was ordained a deacon in August 2011, and on December 1, 2012, I was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Santiago de los Caballeros by His Excellency, Archbishop Ramón Benito de la Rosa y Carpio.

Throughout my priestly ministry, I have served in several parishes in the Archdiocese of Santiago, including Buen Pastor, La Divina Misericordia, San Vicente de Paul, San José in Las Matas de Santa Cruz, and Jesús Maestro and San Matías Apóstol in Moca. I also served as chaplain to the Servants of Mary and to the inmates at La Isleta Prison in Moca. In addition, I taught Religious Education at the Polytechnic School of Moca.

I studied Social Communication and have experience working with several radio and television stations. I speak and write English, Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole. For seven years and nine months, I had the blessing of serving at St. Catherine of Genoa Parish, located at 506 West 153rd Street, under the leadership of Fr. Evaristus O. Huche. I am now honored to serve as Parochial Vicar at Holy Name of Jesus–St. Gregory the Great Parish, having been appointed by Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks, where I will serve alongside Fr. Carlos Limongi on August 1st.