Seven men are ordained as deacons at Sacred Heart Cathedral

Seven men will be ordained to the diaconate – six as permanent deacons and one as a transitional deacon – on May 31, 2008, at a 10:30 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Rochester.

A permanent deacon – most often a married man – is ordained for service within the church, according to Deacon David Palma, director of deacon personnel for the diocese. A deacon’s ministry ranges from Service of the Word (proclaiming the Gospel message, teaching, conducting retreats and counseling), Service of the Altar (assisting at Mass, witnessing marriages, baptizing and presiding at wakes and funerals) to Service of Charity (building up human dignity as ministers of charity and justice).

The permanent deacons to be ordained are:

• Jose Berrios of Rochester
• Bienvenido DeJesus of Rochester
• Michael Donovan of Owego
• David Hudzinski of Rochester
• Edward Kohlmeier of Sodus
• Al Pacete of Elmira

Candidates for the permanent diaconate must participate in four years of formation at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry. Many deacons complete a master’s degree in pastoral studies.

In addition to the six men, Brian Carpenter, who grew up in Rochester, will be ordained as a transitional deacon in anticipation of being ordained a priest in 2009. He is currently enrolled at Mundelien Seminary near Chicago, Ill.

The Diocese of Rochester currently has 101 active deacons.

For more information, visit Deacons Page