Deacon Carlos A. Martinez, who served at the Parish of All Saints-Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, Williamsburg, died on April 19 due to COVID-19. He was 60.

Deacon Martinez was a warehouse clerk for the coffee company El Dorado. He was born on Nov. 17, 1959, in Pereira, Colombia. Deacon Martinez was ordained to the permanent Diaconate on May 26, 2007, by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

A member of the Jornadas de Vida Cristiana and the Cursillo movements, he started his Catholic ministry when he arrived from Colombia at 19, as an usher in St. Alphonsus Church — now St. Anthony-St. Alphonsus Church, Greenpoint. Known for his wise words, generous heart, and deep knowledge of the faith, Deacon Martinez was always there for the people whenever he was called to serve.

He served All Saints faithfully for 13 years. At the moment of his decease, he was the Faith Formation Co-Director of this parish. Father Vincenzo Cardilicchia, the pastor at All Saints, remembers him as a man “who always spoke his mind without holding a judgment against no one. There is a prayer that Deacon Martinez wrote that defines well his life and ministry, Father Cardilicchia said: “Lord I love You I give myself to You/I’m Yours/Make me Your Holy Will Amen.”

Deacon Martinez is survived by his wife, Mrs. Awilda Martinez, and his son Juan-Manuel.