The Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island, ordained Lisa Marie DeBenedittis, Aissa Hillebrand, Paula Andrea Kong-Sinclair, Robert F. Russo, and Christine Burke Scott to the Sacred Order of Deacons on Saturday, December 6, at the Cathedral of the Incarnation. The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Assistant Bishop of Long Island, delivered the sermon.
Recordings of the full liturgy and sermon, along with bios for each of the new deacons, are available below. Photos will be added soon.
About the Ordinands
The Rev. Lisa DeBenedittis
Lisa holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from New York University and a postdoctoral training in Jungian Analysis. She is a licensed psychoanalyst in private practice and a supervising analyst, arising from her conviction that listening deeply is itself a sacred act. Lisa has had a career in academia, most recently on the faculty of The New School, where she was also Vice Provost for Curriculum and Learning, guiding teaching and learning across a large urban university. Lisa is a vowed member of the new monastic Community of the Incarnation, through which she has found a deep call to ministries of accompaniment, especially in the jail and the hospital -- where suffering and sacred merge.
She is mother to her daughter Olivia and son-in-law Scott, and delighted grandmother to Reece, who live in New Orleans. Lisa lives in Sea Cliff, carried by the prayer of the Cathedral of the Incarnation community, whose ongoing support on her path to the priesthood has been a treasured gift.
The Rev. Aissa Hillebrand
Before entering discernment for ordained ministry, Aissa Hillebrand served for more than fifteen years as Director of Child Life Services in pediatric healthcare hospitals, where she led interdisciplinary teams, developed therapeutic programming, and advocated for trauma-informed, compassionate care. Her leadership extended into mentoring, policy development, and program design.
Since 2016, Aissa has served within the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island at the George Mercer Jr. Memorial School of Theology, supporting diocesan formation, Safe Church initiatives, and operational leadership. Her call to ministry has also been shaped by both local and global , including volunteering within healthcare settings, food ministries and a medical mission trip to Chulucanas, Peru.
Aissa is currently completing her Master of Divinity at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and is a candidate for Holy Orders. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with concentrations in Child Development and Speech Communications from Syracuse University.
Aissa now lives on Long Island with her husband Walter and two children.
The Rev. Paula Kong-Sinclair
Paula Kong-Sinclair is currently a seminarian at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California, pursuing a Master of Divinity (MDiv).
She has been in field education training for close to two years at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Rosedale, Queens, where she is engaged in the life and ministry of the parish, which includes ministry to shelters (domestic violence, maternity, and general population), the food pantry, and Queens Power, a member of Metro IAF, part of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) network, which organizes residents to build leverage to fight for and win justice for the communities in which they live. She also currently leads a sponsored initiative to develop and implement a ministry project for faith-at-home spiritual formation with parents and caregivers for children ages 4–12.
Her sending parish is St. Joseph’s Episcopal in Queens Village, where she was an active member for close to 30 years and served two terms on the Vestry and one term as Chairperson of the Finance Committee. She has served in various ministries, including as a Lay Eucharistic Minister, lector, adult formation presenter, Sunday School teacher, and youth leader, and is a Cursillista.
By trade, Paula is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and works as a director at a wealth management firm in Manhattan. She hails from Jamaica, where her faith was formed at a young age by her beloved mom and church family. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies (Mona), where she obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Accounting. She later attended St. John’s University and earned an MBA in Finance.
She lives in Valley Stream with her husband, Garth, and children, Justin, Jonathan, and Abigail.
Paula enjoys traveling, reading, listening to music, fellowship, playing badminton and pickleball, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying time at the beach—her happy place.
The Rev. Christine Burke Scott
Christine Burke Scott is a candidate for ordination to the vocational diaconate and has been serving as a seminarian at All Saints’ Baldwin with Mother Maxine Barnett and the loving, faithful All Saints’ community. While being raised and educated in the Roman Catholic tradition, Christine joined the Episcopal Church in 1993 and called the Cathedral of the Incarnation “home” ever since. Chris first served as a church school and choir parent, as a mom to Emily, Ian and Elizabeth and later became active in ministry as an acolyte, member of the pastoral care and stewardship teams, lay eucharistic minister & visitor, and lay leader.
“The pandemic paused the world and my life but, the need to serve God’s people through the Cathedral’s outreach ministry led by Deacon Denise Galloway, became greater than ever. Greeting our neighbors on the street using and distributing masks and hand sanitizer, we served food and offered hope that God was in their midst and the pandemic would come to an end. It was during this time I heard God’s call, no longer silenced by the busy-ness of my life and I became willing and able to say, Here I am.”
Chris finds much joy being with family and friends and offers gratitude to God for being a mom and becoming a grandmother to Simon Edward (Emily and Ben). As many know, Chris finds much happiness spending time with canine companions, whether they be hers, her grand-dogs, or others along the way. “I am grateful to all those who have walked this journey with me and pray they will join me in prayer and ministry for this world and for all of God’s people.”
The Rev. Robert Russo
Robert has been an active member of the Cathedral of the Incarnation for more than 20 years. He has served in numerous roles, including council member, lector, youth group mentor, pastoral team member, and Eucharistic Visitor.
Professionally, Robert has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.
For the past seven years, he has served as a Residential Counselor in a Level 2 Congregate Group Home for adult men living with mental illness.
Robert holds a BBA in Human Resources Management from Pace University and is currently pursuing an MA in Christian Theology and Spirituality from the Mercer School of Theology’s Cathedral College Program. He looks forward to humbly and joyfully embracing ordained ministry within the Transitional Diaconate while continuing his formation for the Priesthood.