The Deacon's Bench
This is already happening in other places around the country.
Assignments have been announced for two recently ordained priests in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield as well the announcement that Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Chicopee — the diocese’s oldest — will have its first deacon administrator.
Deacon David Southworth, long a permanent deacon in the diocese, will be responsible for the day-to-day administrative and pastoral functions of the parish with no priest in residence.
Permanent deacons have been assisting in parishes here for decades, but rarely as parish administrator.
Holy Name is the diocese’s oldest parish although services are now held at the Assumption of the Blessed Mary Church with a weekly Mass in the chapel of St. Patrick’s Church, both in Chicopee, as many of its original buildings have been razed.
As ordained ministers, permanent deacons can baptize, witness marriages and conduct wake and funeral services. They cannot celebrate Mass as only priests can consecrate the Eucharist as the body and blood of Christ, but they can distribute communion, preach and read the Gospel.
Many dioceses across the country began to appoint deacons as well as lay people as parish life coordinators using varied models several years ago.
This is permitted under canon law and has allowed parishes to remain operational as the number of retiring priests has not been offset by the numbers of new vocations even with the consolidation and closureof parishes.
“This is a model we successfully implemented in Sheffield last year, one which is found in many dioceses across the country,” said Mark Dupont, Springfield diocesan spokesman, of the appointment of a deacon to run a parish where no priest is in residence but where a priest is named to provide canonical oversight.
“The deacon administrators find and schedule priests (to say Mass).”
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