The Deacon's Bench
They were ordained by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron on October 3 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
You can find profiles of them here.
And this piece in Michigan Catholic points out that all are Knights of Columbus:
There are a select few who can partake in all seven sacraments in the Holy Catholic Church.
Most Catholics either participate in matrimony or accept holy orders, but five married men at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament on Oct. 3 did both — as permanent deacons.
“Today, something marvelous happened, five men received the sacrament of Holy Orders to serve one another,” said Deacon Tom Leonard of Divine Child Parish in Dearborn. “We have a great number of deacons in our Church who’ve laid down their lives to the service of the Church. Today, we’re honored to be a part of that tradition.”
Deacons Leonard, David Drysdale, John Fitzmaurice and Phil McCown will serve various diaconal duties throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit, including assisting with the liturgy, ministry work at prisons, working in soup kitchens and visiting the sick. Deacon Daniel Hall of the Diocese of Lansing also was ordained by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron.
“Ultimately, it’s God who charges these people for the diaconate office,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “The deacon ritual predates the time of Christ. It’s about listening to God’s work, and adhering to his ministry. The diaconate is an apostolic and loving service of the Word of God.”
Deacons study at the seminary for many years, mostly completing night classes while balancing full-time jobs and family life.
Deacon Drysdale, 64, of St. Mary, Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish in Rockwood, said his call to become a deacon came after going to reconciliation and wanting to do more to enhance his faith.
“I was away from the Church for almost 25 years, and I felt God wanted me to not just come back but come back in a special way,” said Deacon Drysdale, who is married to Joan and has four adult children and nine grandchildren. “I started to get closer the sacraments, closer to the service as an acolyte, and I felt that God wanted me to do more.”
Part of diaconal training includes practice giving homilies before a congregation, something Deacon Drysdale had little difficulty learning after being a Tae Kwon Do instructor for 38 years.
“As an instructor, you get to know and instruct people, you counsel people,” he said. “Besides learning the art of self-defense, you learn discipline and you build a sense of confidence when speaking before people. In the initial stages, a lot of deacons have fear going before a large audience, but Tae Kwon Do teaches you self-control and overcoming fear.”
Congratulations, brothers, and welcome! Ad multos annos!
Photo: Michigan Catholic
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