Pope prays for deacons during Angelus

A reader pointed out that on this feast of St. Stephen, Pope Benedict today prayed for deacons during his Angelus. (Translation below via Google.)  He also referenced Mary, Queen of Martyrs — which, by coincidence, is the name of my parish in Queens:

Dear friends, the true imitation of Christ is love, that some Christian writers have called the “martyrdom secret”. In this regard, St. Clement of Alexandria writes: “Those who practice the commandments of the Lord testify in any action because they do what he wants and faithfully call upon the name of the Lord” ( Stromatum IV , 7,43,4: SC 463, Paris 2001, 130). As in ancient times even today sincere adherence to the Gospel may require the sacrifice of life and many Christians in various parts of the world are sometimes exposed to persecution and martyrdom. But, the Lord reminds us, “he who endures to the end shall be saved” ( Matthew 10:22).

To Mary, Queen of Martyrs, we address our prayer to keep the will to integrate well, especially toward those who oppose us. In particular, we entrust to divine mercy now the deacons of the Church, so that, enlightened by the example of St. Stephen, to cooperate, according to the mission of their own, the commitment of evangelization (cf. Apost. Ap. Postsin. Verbum Domini , 94 ).