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Deacon EmeritusDeacons are called to embody the image of Christ the servant. The first deacons were ordained by the Apostles in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 6. Deacons are ordained as sacramental signs to the Church and to the world of Christ, who came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Therefore, deacons are not ordained for ministerial priesthood, but for a ministry of service (Greek: diakonia) that they carry out under the pastoral authority of the local bishop/archbishop, which is Archbishop Joseph Kurtz in our diocese.
The ministry of the deacon in the Roman Catholic Church is described as one of service in three areas: the word, the liturgy, and charity. The deacon’s ministry of the word includes proclaiming the Gospel during the mass, preaching the homily on occasion, and teaching in the name of the Church. As a minister of the sacred liturgy, the deacon serves as the ordinary minister of the cup at Eucharist, baptizes, leads the faithful in prayer, serves as the Church’s witness at the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, and conducts wake and funeral services. As ministers of charity, the deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others and then assisting them in receiving resources from the Church and/or the community to meet those needs. As part of his threefold ministry of word, liturgy, and charity, the deacon provides a crucial link between the priest and the laity, as well as between the world and the church.
I have been ordained a deacon in the Catholic Church for eight years. My wife, Connie, and I have been married for twelve years. Between us, we have four adult sons and one adult daughter, whom we are proud of and love dearly. I have worked for 30 years as a structural designer for a building materials’ supplier. In addition to working full-time at my job, I am actively involved in our parish’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.), which is a process by which an adult person is initiated into the Catholic Church. Further, I am involved with the Knights of Columbus and the NOREASTER Regional Diaconate. My wife, Connie, and I, also serve as a mentor couple for a couple from the deacon class to be ordained in 2020. I believe that God called me to be a deacon and to serve the people of God and His Church in any way needed. In addition, I believe that God divinely placed me and Connie together and gave us compassionate hearts to help others, which is the core of the Church and ministry. The unconditional love, encouragement, and support that Connie gives me enables me to have the strength and fortitude necessary to do the work that God has ordained me to complete.
