The Deacon's Bench
A reader sent me the picture below: dalmatics and stoles awaiting their deacons before today’s ordination in Pittsburgh.
The local paper did a nice write-up about the diaconate recently, noting:
“The full vision and mission of the diaconate as a ministry of service can be manifested in a variety of ways,” said Deacon Stephen Byers, director of the diocesan Office for the Diaconate.
Bishop David Zubik will ordain 44 men to the diaconate June 11 at St. Paul Cathedral. They include one transitional deacon, Kevin Fazio, who is scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood next year, and 43 permanent deacons.
There are 35 deacons who already are in active ministry in the diocese and who “help to make the ‘Church Alive,'” Deacon Byers said.
“Their ministries will soon be supplemented with the assignments that the newly ordained deacons will receive on the day of their ordination,” he said.
I’ll post more details and pictures as they come in. Meantime, welcome to the new deacons of Pittsburgh!
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I was honored to be spend a couple of days with the priests, deacons, and deacon candidates of Pittsburgh a couple of months ago as they all prepared for this moment. It’s a marvelous community, and it was a wonderful time to be with them all.
Ad multos annos!
God bless,
Deacon Bill
How beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
That’s my hometown! Interestingly the diocese south east, Greensburg, whom celebreated the ordination of 2 deacons a couple of years ago has “Halted” their program (I was part of the fall out a few years ago when only 2 of the initial 5 were ordained). There is such a great deal of confusion in that part of the world regarding what to do with so many (or so few) men 🙁
Pittsburgh is my hometown, too. I attended the first Mass celebrated by the new deacon at St. Bernard Church in Mt. Lebanon. It was wonderful to see how welcoming the parish was, how happy his family is, and how choked up he was from being so overjoyed.
I missed the first Mass celebrated by our new deacon at Resurrection Church, Rich Longo. He is so sincere, and we are fortunate to have him. He joins our over-worked and under- appreciated pastor, Fr. Frank Mitolo, and our resident over-worked, supposed-to-be-retired Fr. Victor Rocha. I need to give a mention to those who serve Our Lord so faithfully.
Just a quick note, there were 17 men that received the Rite of Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate on June 11, for the Diocese of Colorado Springs. One of my friends was among them.
What a wonderful scene.
If priests were allowed to marry I would assume that we would have seen nearly as many chasubles and stoles if this had been a priestly ordination.