By Paula Day

The remaining 24 in a class of 51 candidates were ordained to the permanent diaconate for the archdiocese by Bishop George Lynch, retired auxiliary bishop of Raleigh, NC, Saturday, May 23 in the Cathedral of Christ the King.

The ordination, concelebrated by priests of the archdiocese, was witnessed by family members and friends who filled the cathedral. Because of the size of the class, two ordinations were held, the first on Saturday, May 16, ordaining 27.

On the second occasion, the Cathedral Choir under the direction of Hamilton Smith provided the music. Sister Mary Jeanne Moenk, daughter of candidate Jean Moenk, and Lorie Shaver, wife of candidate Thomas Shaver were readers.

Candidate Richard Beckman, the only bachelor in the class, made a commitment to life long celibacy prior to the moment when each made individual promises to obedience to the bishop as part of the Rite of Ordination.

In his homily Bishop Lynch referred to Archbishop Thomas Donnellan's coat-of-arms which contains the inscription in Latin: "To Serve, Not To Be Served." He reminded the candidates that the word deacon means "one who serves." As ministers of the Word, he exhorted them to "express in action what you proclaim by mouth."

After the laying on of hands and prayer of consecration by the bishop and attending priests, wives of the married candidates invested their husbands with stoles by draping the stole over the left shoulder and under the right arm. The stole, worn in this manner, is the vestment of the diaconate. At the praying of the Our Father, the newly ordained deacons, their wives, families and friends spontaneously reached across aisles to join hands in a gesture of unity.

The celebration was one of high emotion of the participants. Ruth Thompson, wife of John Thompson, said, "When I put the stole on John, I was overwhelmed. The reality hit me. I want to work with him to help him keep his commitment."

Patty Anderson expressed her happiness: "I'm just so glad I can share Doug with a lot of people. I feel he has so much to give and I'm glad because others can benefit from his goodness. Doug has wanted to be a deacon since he was 20. David, our son, who is eight, is thinking about becoming an altar boy so he can be on the altar with his dad."

This year's class of deacons is the fourth group to be ordained in the archdiocese. Other ordinations took place in 1977, 1978, and 1982.

Thirteen of the class are from Holy Cross parish, five each from Our Lady of the Assumption and Transfiguration; four from St. Philip Benizi; three from St. Thomas Aquinas; two each from Sts. Peter and Paul, St. John Neumann, St. Ann in Marietta, and Blessed Sacrament; and one each from St. Anthony, St. John the Evangelist in Hapeville, St. Anna in Monroe, Holy Family in Marietta, Sacred Heart in Griffin, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Carrollton, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Lawrence in Lawrenceville, St. Bernadette in Cedartown, Christ Our Hope in Lithonia, St. Paul of the Cross, St. Mark in Clarkesville, and one from the Korean Apostolate at St. Thomas More.

Bishop Lynch ordained both groups of deacons because of the illness of Archbishop Donnellan. The class of 51 is believed to be one of the largest classes of deacons to be ordained nationally and the deacons will assist in many kinds of parish work and outreach to the sick and needy in the community. The permanent diaconate, restored by the Second Vatican Council, had not been in use in the Church since the fifth century. Deacons, as ordained minister, may celebrate the sacraments of marriage and baptism, officiate at Communion services and preach at Mass.